Headlights, bleeding and smoke

Popped down to the garage today to turn the Tiger over for 5 minutes as it’s been a couple of weeks. I had a few bits and pieces I wanted to do too.

I have something of a puzzle. In the last month or so when the car first stars there is a significant amount of white smoke from the area of the manifold, down pipes and exhaust. This video captures it:

It only lasts for a couple of minutes and, once everything is warm, it stops:

I can think of two causes. As far as I am aware the exhaust construction is push fit and probably sealed with some kind of exhaust putty. When I fitted the new rubber mounts for the exhaust I had to jack up the exhaust. Maybe I cracked the putty. As the exhaust heats up it might be expanding and sealing the leak. it could be as something as simple as the exhaust wrap absorbing moisture and this evaporating as the exhaust heats up. I think the former is more likely given it looks more like smoke the steam.

I finally managed to get the radiator fully bled. It’s been quite stubborn! I was pleased with the trick I came up with too! Here’s a picture of the coolant hoses at the top of the engine and the coolant reservoir:

I undid the bleed screw on the radiator and unbolted they coolant reservoir. Normally the reservoir isn’t much higher than the top of the radiator. The narrower coolant hose on the left is a return from the thermostat. I undid this in order to be able to lift the reservoir higher. I then noticed that the plastic tube the hose had been on was perfectly placed for me to gently blow down. I screwed the cap on and did this and hey presto a coolant fountain out of the bleed valve!

Finally, the headlamps have really been bothering me. They have some big patches of rust:

One headlight came off no trouble:

On the other, the mushroom headed bolt that holds the head light together is already rounded. I’m going to pop to the garage tomorrow with my dremmel. I’ll try cutting a new slot for a flat headed screwdriver first. If that doesn’t work I’ll drill it out/cut it off. It’s only a few pence for a replacement bolt.