where did my oil go??
05-04-2013, 03:30 PM
#1
Cruising
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where did my oil go??
so I am driving on the highway at a comfortable 60 mph, and I suddenly here a very bad grinding/crunching noise, I pull over and I see some smoke starting to bellow out from the hood. Open it up, its bone dry, I check visually for leaks, I see nothing. I check the oil level, not a drop on the stick? There was no smoke coming out the back, no visual signs of a leak anywhere, the only thing smoking was my Starter motor?!? The car was stopped for 20 minutes, when it was moved there was no signs of a leak on the ground at all? Could it be a blown ring? Head? Seal? Sensor? Would I not see some sign of a leak somewhere? 
05-04-2013, 04:18 PM
#2
Melting Slicks
so I am driving on the highway at a comfortable 60 mph, and I suddenly here a very bad grinding/crunching noise, I pull over and I see some smoke starting to bellow out from the hood. Open it up, its bone dry, I check visually for leaks, I see nothing. I check the oil level, not a drop on the stick? There was no smoke coming out the back, no visual signs of a leak anywhere, the only thing smoking was my Starter motor?!? The car was stopped for 20 minutes, when it was moved there was no signs of a leak on the ground at all? Could it be a blown ring? Head? Seal? Sensor? Would I not see some sign of a leak somewhere?
What a mess that was?
Now from my experiences, if there were any of the problems from what you mentioned above, you would most likely see a large amount of white smoke from a blown head gasket, come out of the exhaust and more of a blue color smoke if the rings or valve seals were bad. And even if your oil level is low, you would still be able to drive the vehicle, presuming that you have oil pressure, not to say that it would be the best for your motor. But I don't think you would burn it up in that amount of time.
Based on what you said about the smoke from the starter motor, I am again assuming that is where your grinding/crunching noise is coming from. Could be a combo of your starter and starter solenoid gone bad, along with maybe some fusable links and wires that are shot, or even a problem with the flywheel.
On your oil level......when was the last time you either changed or checked the oil, and how many miles have you driven since doing one or the other?
Last edited by 74 LS4-454; 05-04-2013 at 04:22 PM.
05-04-2013, 04:32 PM
#3
Race Director
Maybe there isn´t a drop on the stick because you are a quart or 2 down. You have to have some oil or else you would have seized the engine. As for the starter and smoke, a wire probably shorted out and engaged the starter. I have had that happen.
If youhad lost 6 quarts of oil you would have eventually seen something. As for the blown head gasket, you would lose water.
When you get the car home, take out the drain plug and see how much oil comes out. If you started out with no oil you would not have been cruising at 60 for more than a minute or two. Then lift the car up and check the starter wires.
If youhad lost 6 quarts of oil you would have eventually seen something. As for the blown head gasket, you would lose water.
When you get the car home, take out the drain plug and see how much oil comes out. If you started out with no oil you would not have been cruising at 60 for more than a minute or two. Then lift the car up and check the starter wires.
05-04-2013, 05:51 PM
#5
Race Director
05-04-2013, 06:29 PM
#7
Melting Slicks
Not necessarily. The 350 in my 64 SS would smoke a little when I first started it and then quit. It was using oil but the engine only had a few thousand miles on it. I figured it was valve seals. The engine was in the car when I bought it, so I didn't know what kind or even if it had valve seals. I pulled the valve cover and the old 462 double hump heads had been machined for seals and screw in studs. The push on seals looked like new. Then I took the intake off and the the intake gaskets were wet with oil about half way up and the ports were also wet with a lot of carbon on the intake valves. The gaskets were some cheap unidentified brand and had shrunk. Put in new gaskets and problem cured.
05-04-2013, 06:29 PM
#8
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Yeah, i think you're down on oil so it doesn't show on the stick. And your real problem is your starter motor was engaged and spinning at engine speed, which will lunch it pretty quick.
05-04-2013, 06:33 PM
#9
Race Director
Not necessarily. The 350 in my 64 SS would smoke a little when I first started it and then quit. It was using oil but the engine only had a few thousand miles on it. I figured it was valve seals. The engine was in the car when I bought it, so I didn't know what kind or even if it had valve seals. I pulled the valve cover and the old 462 double hump heads had been machined for seals and screw in studs. The push on seals looked like new. Then I took the intake off and the the intake gaskets were wet with oil about half way up and the ports were also wet with a lot of carbon on the intake valves. The gaskets were some cheap unidentified brand and had shrunk. Put in new gaskets and problem cured.
I have had that happen. But if he checked his oil once a week like we all do if not more and he discovered all his oil gone he would be pushing some blue smoke.
05-04-2013, 06:36 PM
#10
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Maybe there isn´t a drop on the stick because you are a quart or 2 down. You have to have some oil or else you would have seized the engine. As for the starter and smoke, a wire probably shorted out and engaged the starter. I have had that happen.
If youhad lost 6 quarts of oil you would have eventually seen something. As for the blown head gasket, you would lose water.
When you get the car home, take out the drain plug and see how much oil comes out. If you started out with no oil you would not have been cruising at 60 for more than a minute or two. Then lift the car up and check the starter wires.
If youhad lost 6 quarts of oil you would have eventually seen something. As for the blown head gasket, you would lose water.
When you get the car home, take out the drain plug and see how much oil comes out. If you started out with no oil you would not have been cruising at 60 for more than a minute or two. Then lift the car up and check the starter wires.
05-04-2013, 06:39 PM
#11
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Don't want to sound like a smart a**, but is the oil pan drain bolt still in the pan? I remember changing the oil on my HHR SS from a few years ago and forgot to put the bolt back in the pan, needless to say, when I put the new oil in it went right back out on the floor....
What a mess that was?
Now from my experiences, if there were any of the problems from what you mentioned above, you would most likely see a large amount of white smoke from a blown head gasket, come out of the exhaust and more of a blue color smoke if the rings or valve seals were bad. And even if your oil level is low, you would still be able to drive the vehicle, presuming that you have oil pressure, not to say that it would be the best for your motor. But I don't think you would burn it up in that amount of time.
Based on what you said about the smoke from the starter motor, I am again assuming that is where your grinding/crunching noise is coming from. Could be a combo of your starter and starter solenoid gone bad, along with maybe some fusable links and wires that are shot, or even a problem with the flywheel.
On your oil level......when was the last time you either changed or checked the oil, and how many miles have you driven since doing one or the other?
What a mess that was?
Now from my experiences, if there were any of the problems from what you mentioned above, you would most likely see a large amount of white smoke from a blown head gasket, come out of the exhaust and more of a blue color smoke if the rings or valve seals were bad. And even if your oil level is low, you would still be able to drive the vehicle, presuming that you have oil pressure, not to say that it would be the best for your motor. But I don't think you would burn it up in that amount of time.
Based on what you said about the smoke from the starter motor, I am again assuming that is where your grinding/crunching noise is coming from. Could be a combo of your starter and starter solenoid gone bad, along with maybe some fusable links and wires that are shot, or even a problem with the flywheel.
On your oil level......when was the last time you either changed or checked the oil, and how many miles have you driven since doing one or the other?
05-04-2013, 06:40 PM
#12
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05-04-2013, 11:54 PM
#15
Melting Slicks
I am happy to see that we were on the same page.....
05-05-2013, 06:30 PM
#18
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05-05-2013, 06:34 PM
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05-05-2013, 07:24 PM
#20
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