mdjice

Just got a 290 HO ggmp crate engine installed in my 77. 800miles after I get a full exhaust system (headers, mufflers etc)
Now around 900miles old, I get an oil leak, I leave the car parked for a day when I take it to drive back home, The car starts making a klinky noise...it's out of oil completely! Now my engines make some clicky sounds and spits blue smoke out of the right exhaust...
My engine is under warranty but not the labor and Is it even under warranty if they find out it was running for about 5mns (1 exit) without oil.
I think it's the mecanic's fault (the one who installed the engine) but he is telling me that when I came back wit the car a couple of times it wasn't leaking...??? he says that the people who installed my exhaust system must have messed with my engine...why would you take of the valve covers to place an exhaust system???
What should I do..Please HELP!!!
I just spent a SHHH load of money on the car and my engine is BAD

GrandSportC3

You didn't check the oil level on a regular basis?

Especially during break in, it'll be burning oil... If you were running without oil, it's very likely that the engine is completely shot.. The engine on my yellow '68 has only 7000 miles on it and I check the oil before and after every drive!

mdjice

well last I checked it was fine...600 miles ago...I had a leak from a valve cover that i didn t notice...I didn't expect a BRAND new engine to leak 2 weeks after the instal!!

MEGALADON

DUDE, I'm only a phone call away

GrandSportC3

600 miles is way too long time for old technology.. I've owned 6 C3's so far and 2 of them had new crate engines.. ALL of my C3's burned or leaked oil, some even as much as 1 qt for 100 miles. Most of them could go 500 miles or so with 1 qt.. My yellow '68 didn't use any oil. However, after I switched to synthetic, it went to about 1 qt for every 400 miles... It's old technology.. You have to constantly check ALL fluids of your car. That's part of owning a old car!

turtlevette

put more oil in it and fire it up.

Let us know if it runs ok.

Durango_Boy

How much blue smoke are you talking? Blue smoke is coolant or water. Black smoke too much fuel or oil being burned. Is there any black to the exhaust?

It wouldn't seem a valve cover leak would be severe enough to run that engine dry, and if you burned that much oil you're plugs would be fouling and your exhaust would be black.

Take this in steps. Replace the valve cover gaskets. Don't torque them down too hard...hand tight is fine. make sure the surfaces are clean and are mating well.

Then, re-fill the engine with oil to the proper level.

Check all your fluids, and it would be a good idea to pull the plugs one by one, and check their color at the tip with the spark. If they are black and crusted over they need to be replaced.

Then, start it up. If the noise stops it was just because the oil was too low. If the valve cover stops leaking then you solved that problem.

PLEASE TAKE A PICTURE OF YOUR EXHAUST SO WE CAN SEE THE COLOR OF THE SMOKE.

PM MEGALADON, and get him number. Call him, and see if he can swing by and help with the wrenching. Buy him some beer and it'll all be good. If I were closer I'd come by to help too...lots of us would. You just have to call him.

oregonsharkman

Actually blue smoke is oil.White smoke is coolant or water, black smoke is fuel problems

oregonsharkman

I know how you feel...My new $5000 stroker crate motor ended up with a cracked block after less than 500 miles..........It is still disassembled in the garage after 2 years..........This time I am building my own engine

Durango_Boy

I know little bits of oil is blue, but too much and it'll be black. The amount of oil he's maybe burning would net a darker smoke than blue. I know because I had a large problem with my old 350, and was burning a LOT of oil. It was much darker than the blue tint you see when you're rings are breaking in.

copter

It's hard for me to beleive all your oil leaked out of your valve covers.You would have smelled and seen smoke comming off your headers.Sounds like something else,like not checking your oil after every drive.It's a new engine and they use oil while going through the break in time.You will get a new engine from GM if yours is truley toast,do what the other posts said and see if all the noise goes away.You might have ruined your main bearings.You are lucky it didn't just up and lock up on ya.

71rdster

I withdraw my previous offer to take that car off your hands. This might explain the Miata incident, or vice versa.

Sorry, I know you're in pain. But that was just too easy. I'm not as close as Megaldon, but will help if I can.

63mako

You posted on here a few days ago you had a severe oil leak and smoke pouring from your headers under the hood. You said you changed the gasket and it had gotten worse. Now two days later you say you went to get the car and checked the oil and it was dry on oil AFTER you drove it. You knew it was leaking bad. You picked it up to drive home, You didn't check the oil before taking off or for 600 miles previously but AFTER it started making noise. Then it is too late. The minor oil leak was not your fault but the progression after that was. Sorry to hear about your problem but no one to blame but yourself if this was indeed the sequence of events. New motors use oil till broken in. You knew it was leaking bad. You drove it without checking it and you changed the gasket that lead to it leaking worse. GMPP will check the engine, if as I suspect you have spun bearings from lack of oil they will probably not warrantee it. Oil consumption due to the rings not being seated or a minor oil leak in a new engine is not unusual. The correct thing to do would be immediatly return it to the installer, have him fix the oil leak, and not accept it back until repaired. I feel bad about your problem.

platzie

Raced a Miata with less than 900 miles on a new, leaking, crate engine too.

GrandSportC3

I've said it before and I'll say it again:

It's part of owning a vehicle with old technology to always

a) check all your vehicles fluids before and after every drive or gas stop
b) constantly watch oil pressure and coolant temperature and never let it go above 230 degrees..

If you follow those 2 points, you can avoid a lot of issues.. A old car (with old technology) is in no way like a new car in which you just get in and drive. It's so much more..... Those vehicles tend to use oil and they also tend to run hot too..and either issue can cause severe damage if not checked!!

MotorHead

I gotta respectfully disagree, a properly built and broke in small block should not burn any oil or very little. My 406ci is basically a race motor, it has 20,000 miles on it and it burns very little, maybe 1/2 quart every 5000 miles but I don't even think it's that much.

Nothing wrong with checking the level all the time and keeping an eye on the oil pressure gauge though

GrandSportC3

Not everyone buys a high $ performance engine.. Most people stay in the lower $ range for engines and oil consumption is unfortunately common with those. A engine like yours probably would cost $6k+++ or more.. Most people spend like $2k - $4k on their engines
My race engine also doesn't burn oil.. I have about 50 hard 7000 RPM passes on my current oil and the oil level hasn't decreased but I paid $$ for my latest rebuild..

MotorHead

That makes a little more sense

mdjice

Take this in steps. Replace the valve cover gaskets. Don't torque them down too hard...hand tight is fine. make sure the surfaces are clean and are mating well.

Then, re-fill the engine with oil to the proper level.

Check all your fluids, and it would be a good idea to pull the plugs one by one, and check their color at the tip with the spark. If they are black and crusted over they need to be replaced.

Then, start it up. If the noise stops it was just because the oil was too low. If the valve cover stops leaking then you solved that problem.


I did that, as far as the leak, Yes I know it was leaking from the valve cover but it was small, when I posted my Major leak problem a few days ago it was AFTER I had the incident but I thought Changing valve covers and gasket would fix it.
A mec. told me TODAy that it wasn't normal for my engine to click and to smoke Blue out of the muffler.
I tried to talk to the mec that installed my engine and he is telling me that he installed it properly and it wasn t his fault ( of course)
I doubt also a valve cover leak would wipe out my entire oil in only 600 miles or so...

jayr

Who ever heard of checking your oil every fill up. I check mine every
400 miles and it OK. It does not smoke so why would it not be. If you
had a major valve cover leak you would smell it and see smoke under
the hood while running. No its not OK for a engine to click and smoke
blue out of the mufflers unless you just install and exhaust system and
only for a short time. You should here no clicking from valve train unless adjusted wrong or solid lifters.