logansrun73

My car 73 stock 350. It just started to blow a lot of white smoke at start up. After it runs a few minutes the smoke disapates. How can i tell if it is a head gasket or an intake gasket that has gone bad? The car has not overheated at all. I just hate to replace the intake gasket, get it together than still blow the white smoke. But also don,t have the room or the equipment or know how to replace the head gaskets or to pull the engine. Please Help!!!!!!!! Thanx

SanDiegoPaul

The very first and most foremost thing to do is a wet/dry compression check.

kevinator80

If the car is still running good (no change since smoke appeared), no coolant lose and clean oil I would be inclined to say your problem may be valve stem seals. If you only get smoke after the car has sat for a period of time I would think you have oil draining past the valve seals into the combustion chamber. If the smoke does not go away after running a few minutes you may have other problems.

gq82

White smoke usually indicates coolant burning......which usually indicates head gasket or worse a cracked cylinder wall......or could be something as simple as condensation in the exhaust.

Does this white cloud smell sweet.....does it linger = coolant

Highhat

I just went thru trying to id whether this was an issue. Compression test checked out. Then I sprayed starter fluid along the intake gasket seal while the car was running. If the idle goes up, then you have an intake gasket leak right there. In my case, it did, and it was the intake gasket. If not, then it's probably the head gasket as described below.

kevinator80

If it is a gasket then why does it dissipate and he does not mention any coolant loss.

marshrat99

most likely the problem. Oil smoke is some times hard to distinguish from water smoke...both look white to me.

mvftw

Your either losing oil or water... Something is coming out the tail pipe. Go for a nice run, at least a 1/2 hour (short runs don't burn that much). Check in the morning and see what's low. We can advise better then...

logansrun73

Ok I'll try to go for a ride than i will check my coolant. Also you ask what the exaust smell like. If there is a coolant smell does it smell like leaky antifreeze or something different.

Ironcross

White smoke usually is anti freeze and normally only comes from the combustion chamber. Which is a strong indication of a blown head gasket. It also makes the oil milkie

rossted

Did you ever get your problem solved? My 71 vette with a new 350ci crate engine started blowing white smoke from the exhaust after I had the auto tranny converted to a T5 manual. I only notice the white smoke when I let off the gas to shift and only when RPMs are around 3000.