White smoke/exhaust

Now that I FINALLY got the "new" V6 running in the tux, I've got smoke pouring out the breather cap in the valve cover. It starts only a few seconds into running, and does get a wee bit less with heat. No smoke comes out the exhaust pipes (dual), but it does out the breather BIG time. I popped the PCV valve on the other side and smoke came out of there too. I think it's exhaust, but how/why is it coming out there?

 

if it's a white steamy type of smoke could be a crack in a water jacket or maybe a bad seal on the intake manifould gasket. check oil to see if it's truned milkshaky.............good luck

 

Sounds to me like some big time blow by. Try a compression check perhaps.

 

Alan: Remember what we talked about here? Get yourself a compression guage!

 

Head gasket?

 

the head gasket would "boil over" the radiator. sounds like compression check time.

 

I should mention that there is no radiator/water flow hooked up. I only wanted to witness a running V6 long enough to be happy with it so I can proceed with reassembling the front clip, including the radiator. I checked the oil and it's OK. Even with no water, I find it odd that I get white smoke/exhaust out the breather after only a few seconds. I recall reporting the same in an eariler post when I had trouble starting it. It's prolly exhaust....if so, why would that come out the valve cover? Is there something about exhaust valves I should bone up on??

 

Hippo: Really, really bad exhaust valve guide. But that is a WAY long shot. :?

 

How long has that engine been sitting? how long are you running it?

 

Blow by looks like a white-ish haze and smells a lot like exhaust-which is consistant with your description. I would think that right at start up a lot would be coming past your rings and cylinder walls since they aren't very warm and haven't expanded much. A compression check would show you right away if this is the culprit.

 

If it's blow-by, why wouldn't there be white smoke coming out the exhaust pipes? The exhaust out the pipes has no color to it. Anyone?

OK, I guess I'll do a compression checky-poo. I used my finger yesterday and I almost lost it it got sucked in so fast. AutoZone have one of those 1-man screw-in testers?

jon: the engine has been sitting for unknown years. I bought it a year ago from a guy who had it sitting as a spare. When I first fired it up in May, I saw no smoke coming out the valve cover. In fact, it didn't smoke at all which was a REAL nice discovery. I've been running it for only a few minutes, and I see the smoke after a few seconds only. Yesterday I ran it for 15minutes with a running hose stuffed in the thermostat neck. (flushed the block out real good while running)

 

Alan: Blow-by is combustion gasses "blowing-by" the rings INTO the crankcase--NOT out the exhaust valves.

OMG! R) Alan, Alan. I can see the post now! "HELP, QUICK, PLEEEEASE! (Add whatever hilarious remark you chose here)! :twisted: R)

 

I just bought one of those Actron comp. gauges at the 'Zone for under $30. Will try it out tomorrow and letcha know. Thanks for the tech support gang.

 

Alan: Good for you. You won't use it every week, or every month, but over a lifetime of building engines, it's worth it.

 

OK, here're the results of the compression test:

1- 120
2- 140
3- 120
4- 120
5- 128
6- 120

Ok, gimme some good news gurus!

 

Alan: Looks OK to me. The 140 could be an abberation, but they are all fairly equal.

Is what would be bad, is if 1 or 2 cyls were really low, about 80 or so. That would indicate bad rings in those cyls= blow by. There are ways to "verify" if it's the rings or the valves, but with those readings I don't think it would be necessary.

If it were me, but that is always questionable R) , I would put it together and run it. Just make sure that your PCV is hooked up properly and working, and see what happens.

Just check your oil and water levels frequently. And change your oil and filter at the 1st month.

Good Luck.

 

Great! Thanks for the good news. I'll button 'er up and run 'er in the next month or so.

The 140 was legit...I couldn't believe it myself; ran it twice. Glad to know the #s are a-ok. I did have to clean off my plugs--black soot. Might be b/c of PB blaster I squirted in each hole to ease starting. So after this test, is there any good explan why I'm getting white smoke/exhaust pouring out the valve cover blow-holes?

I'm thinking that it's because I don't have any water/antifreeze running thru there other than a hose in the thermo housing. At first I ran the V6 w/out any hose and a similar white smoke came out the thermo neck, just not in squirts like the other smoke out the valve covers.

I'll resurrect this thread after getting back from Charlotte next week. Thanks for the help!

 

so you have been running it for a few minutes at a time? have you ever warmed it up fully? starting an engine and shutting it off with out letting it warm up can cause condensation to build up in the crankcase . I wouldnt panic until you put a radiator in it and run it for awhile.

I once did head gaskets in a truck for a guy, he did them twice before I got there. He would test drive the truck after he was done and it would smoke like crazy so he would tear it down again. When I finished He test drove it, same problem, He was taking it less than a mile up the road. I took it and drove it for quite a while before it stopped smoking. after that it was fine.

Every time the heads were taken off coolant would go down the exhaust and fill up the cats. It would take for ever to boil it out of there.

I dont like to take stuff apart until I am shure there is a problem .

 

Alan: I agree with Jon. You may just have a bunch of condensation in the block that hasn't had a chance to get hot enough to burn off. Water in the radiator or block water passages really wouldn't have anything to do with it unless you have a cracked block. You will know that soon enough when your oil foams and turns white.

Just button it up, run it for a week or so, keep your eye on the oil. You might want to change the oil in about a week to make sure that everything is OK.