New engine smoking on startup...please advise.
 

I just put a newly built 350 into the vette. I know a new engine is supposed to smoke...but how much, and for how long? I get a lot of smoke at startup and I also get some continual smoke. not much but some.

I had a problem with the intake sealing and we may still be having the same problem. I forget but isnt blue smoke at startup supposed to be a sign of this? Anyhow...Let me know what you guys think.

Re: New engine smoking on startup...please advise. (joshs78sleeper)
 

TTT

Re: New engine smoking on startup...please advise. (joshs78sleeper)
 

I always thought blue smoke was oil, and I don't believe a leaking intake would cause that. My own opinion is a leaking intake would be more likely to leak coolant into the engine, which would be a white color, but I'm sure there are some experts around here that may have a better answer. Are you getting any foaming of the oil in the engine? I suppose coolant in the oil could cause the oil to foam out and burn blue. At any rate, this will move your post to the top, I hope everything works out okay.

Re: New engine smoking on startup...please advise. (joshs78sleeper)
 

If you had trouble with intake seal, your intake could be sucking oil from the lifter valley through the intake ports. I think it's Felpro but it might be GM, but anyway, one of em makes a sweet intake gasket with ruber around the intake ports. If ya dont use that, use a thin bead of silicone around all the openings of the gasket. Of course, your intake gaskets could be sealing fine and the oil could be getting into the combustion chamber through the valve guides or the rings. But let's hope it aint that, right? :)

Brett :thumbs:

Re: New engine smoking on startup...please advise. (joshs78sleeper)
 

By chance did you happen to put in a hi-volume oil pump and use standard valve seals? If so, you might be getting some oil past you seals due to the extra volume of oil being pumped. The remedy would be to either replace your oil pump with a standard volume one or change your valve seals to the position seal kind. Thoughts from others? :cheers:


[Modified by ldyoung, 12:26 PM 7/29/2003]

Re: New engine smoking on startup...please advise. (joshs78sleeper)
 

For me I wasn't getting much continus smoke, but it would smoke when I brought the rpms up. I drove it around at varying rpms, no higher than 4000, and it took about 75 miles before it stopped smoking completely. I think it takes longer for performance rings to seat (I have Total Seals) than stock rings. The smoke looked white to me. Hope that helps ya! :)

Re: New engine smoking on startup...please advise. (joshs78sleeper)
 

My motor was rebuilt a few years ago and don't remember it ever smoking.

Re: New engine smoking on startup...please advise. (Tominator)
 

Motors should never smoke, How many new cars do you see smoking. If you rebuilt the engine then you messed-up big-time. If you bought this as a rebuilt then take it back. An engine rebuilder told me many years ago there is a 1000's ways of rebuilding an engine and only 1-way to rebuild it properly.

Re: New engine smoking on startup...please advise. (73- 454 Monster)
 

:troll cough, troll, cough :troll

Re: New engine smoking on startup...please advise. (joshs78sleeper)
 

Not vette related, but when I rebuilt my dirtbike, it started to smoke afterwards. It turned out to be a broken oil ring on the piston. I hope this is not your problem. Good luck. :cheers:

Re: New engine smoking on startup...please advise. (SuperFast80)
 

He`s back,The man who gave "humble" a face :thumbs:

Re: New engine smoking on startup...please advise. (joshs78sleeper)
 

Something simple may have been overlooked. On one ocaision, I was with a friend who was picking up his freshly rebuilt and assembled heads from a professional machine shop. They brought them forward. I bent down to take a close look. Opps...one problem!!! They forgot to install the valve seals all togeather. :skep:

Re: New engine smoking on startup...please advise. (Jvette73)
 

ive also seen bad mechanical fuel pumps let enough oil into the fuel line to cause smoking.

Re: New engine smoking on startup...please advise. (joshs78sleeper)
 

White smoke (water vapor) sounds like you are burning coolant, not oil. Try a pressure test on the cooling system. Other posts are correct however, there should not be smoke of any color during break-in, but some of the posters could be a litte easier on you I would think.


[Modified by Big Fish, 4:51 PM 7/29/2003]

Re: New engine smoking on startup...please advise. (BB wowbagger)
 

:lolg: :lolg: :lolg:

:lolg: :lolg: :lolg:

Re: New engine smoking on startup...please advise. (Brettmc)
 

I believe the issue is as was said, the intake is sucking oil in from the lifter valley into the intake ports. Would that be the cause of the smoke? Im pretty sure that is exactly what is happening. Also I did go with a high volume oil pump. But I used Trick Flow fully assembled heads. Im not sure what kind of valve seals they have though. I would assume they would be fine with the High Volume Pump though.

If it is the intake, Have you guys ever heard of an intake maybe a little of from the manufacturer which would cause it not to seal? I used Felpro gaskets, is there any other fix you guys can think of to get it to seal?

Oh well. First things first, I gotta get my BTO brand new 700r4 working again before I can do anything with the engine.

Re: New engine smoking on startup...please advise. (joshs78sleeper)
 

Do not use the end gaskets. Run a 3/8" bead of Ultra Copper sealant and let it "set" for a while before installing the intake. You should see some of the sealant squeeze out. I would let it dry fully before you start it.

It worked well for me and others here. I would also re-torque the intake after a few hours running as well.

Good luck and I hope this solves your problem.

Re: New engine smoking on startup...please advise. (Jvette73)
 

Yeah I had one built with the wrong rings....305 in a 350. It runs but it smokes because the gap at the ends don't close. :confused: