It doesn't happen all the time but it has happened twice in the past 3 days. I changed the oil on Saturday I usually use 0w/50 but I put in 5w/50 and I stayed with Mobil 1 and it seamed fine. The first time I noticed this was on Sunday afternoon when I went to put the car in the garage. When I started it that morning and drive it all day it was fine. This morning it was fine when I started it up but at lunch time I started it to put the windows down and it did it again. What could the problem be and do you think it will be expensive? Is it something I could fix myself? THe reason I ask is because this is now my primary car since I totaled my everyday car. Please any help would be of great help.

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David Higgins
1986 Black Iroc-Z
305 TPI
Edelbrock Cat-Back
K&N Air Filters

 

I'm pretty sure that blue smoke indicated a coolant leak somewhere, and white smoke is for an oil leak. If so, check your radiator hoses n stuff.

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1988 Camaro Sport Coupe

• Custom Interior
• K&N Air Filter
• Shift Improver Kit

Homepage: www.rsdragster.cz28.comp

 

Close,

White smoke is from coolant being burned and blue smoke is oil. Your 'blue smoke' problem is from worn valve seals. Not a big problem. Check your oil level regularly. Get em fixed if you wish or just let it be like me until you drop in a crate.

 

That blue smoke isn't a problem. Mine does it the most after I start the car and shut it down before it's warmed up. That next start has a nice puff of smoke. The oil drips down into the combustion chamber via toasted valve seals/valve guides.

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82 camaro--original steering wheel, brake/gas pedals, seats--everything else modified
82camaro

 

I have the same problem, mine puffs white smoke (oil burning can be white or purple/blue) when I take off and when I crank it. Your valve seals are gone, not uncommon with SBCs ove 70,000 miles. There arent any ways to get around it besides replacing them, which is a costly thing to have done, being that its labor intensive. You can use a heavier oil, which will make it harder for it flow past the valve seats. This will just postpone the problem, but youll stop killing mosquitos for awhile (southern thing).

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---Grady---
1984 Berlinetta.
LG4 305, 150 hp.
Rochester Quadrajet(Comp. Controlled)
TH-700R4.
Flowmaster 80 series/ 3" cat-back pipe.
Accel Superstock Coil.
7.5 10-bolt rear/ 3.08's.
Edelbrock signature series air cleaner -w- K&N Filtercharger.
Pioneer head unit, Pioneer front 4X6's, Cerwin Vega rear 6x9's.
Daily Driver.

Personal Quote: "The Rice-Boys all tremble with fear when the old American V8 draws near."

 

You should also check your valve guides.

 

It is most likely your valve seals, and contrary to what everybody says, it will do damage if you let it go. When you start the car, a large portion of that oil is absorbed by the cold converter. Now when the converter gets up to temperature that oil causes an exothermic reaction within the ceramic substrate and causes it to crack and other unpleasant stuff. I let mine go and wiped out both converters because of this.

 

Hey guys, whhazzzz upppp.

Like most of this post says, it's your valve seals, have them checked out. My parents have a 92 camry and they had the same problem. It's been fixed since.

Good luck dude,

John

 

How much is that to get fixed (valve seals). My car burns oil at start and when it warms up. How much do you think it is

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Steve
88 Firebird TBI,TH700R4 - Open Element, Cat Delete, K&N filter 14*4 element, Flowmaster Catback Exhaust, 180 Stant thermostat, Accel cap and rotor
1/4: 16.1@85.7 (Bone Stock)

 

valve guides

 

A decent mech who doesn't want to shaft you will probably charge around $200 for labor, and another $20-$30 for the seals depending on where he gets them. I did mine myself, it's not hard, just very tedious, although getting the valve cover off the passenger side is a PITA. Also, the #7 & #8 cylinders are a pain because you don't have much room to work with. This is all in the case of doing the seals with the heads still on the car of course. Check the tech articles, there is a good writeup there on how to change them out.



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Kevin Irving
85 Trans Am WS-6, 305 TPI, custom burned '86 PROM with '87 "165"ECM, Accel Supercoil & 8.8 Wires, Rapidfire #2 @ .055", MSD 6AL, 1.6:1 Roller tipped rockers, Homemade AFPR, K&N cone, no airbox, Aluminum Driveshaft, Wonderbar, TB Coolant Bypass, Ported Plenum, Descreened MAF, Syclone Fuel Pump, JET Airfoil, Mobil 1 synth in all but transmission.

15.556 @ 86.65mph, Nov 10, 2000.... I know it sucks.. but it will get better!

http://www.geocities.com/transam85tpi/

Member - The Tidewater Trans Am Club, Norfolk VA http://www.geocities.com/ttacva/

 

So it sounds bad. I really can't afford to get any expensive work done right now. So do you think it will make it a couple months till I have it fixed? I sure hope so. It didnt' do it this am but it did do it when I left work this evening. I'm having no luck with cars now. I totaled my daily driver then the rental car has a major oil leak and I have to return it now this. I hope things start to turn around soon or you'll read about the guy in Jersey that beat his car up with a bat on the side of the highway. :-)

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David Higgins
1986 Black Iroc-Z
305 TPI
Edelbrock Cat-Back
K&N Air Filters

 

I will be putting in a rebuilt junkyard 350. I just want to know how hard it is to put in the guides while the engine is out and/or the heads are off. Anyone got any experiances with this and what they did to install them?

 

Guides are pressed in. If you have some really cool tools, you could do it. Most likely a machine shop. Did I mention that it isn't a serious problem, unless you are using alot of oil. If you aren't using more than a quart between oil changes, forget about it. Never seen a cat destroyed by bad valve guides/seals. When the oil gets to the cat, it mostly burned and has little effect. Just because somebody didn't change the seals/guides and later the cats quit doesn't mean that one caused the other. Cats quit working all the time, they don't last forever.

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82 camaro--original steering wheel, brake/gas pedals, seats--everything else modified
82camaro

 

One thing I forgot to mention is that I have a lot of experience on the engineering side of converters. I am the author of two patents titled "Method Of Making A Catalytic Converter For Use In An Internal Combustion Engine". I'm not bragging, just giving informed advice. Oil does a pretty good job on a converter. If it doesn't destroy it physically, it will render it useless by plugging the cells. They are fairly sensitive creatures.

 

I drove my 84 like this for a long time. If you aren't worried about passing emisssions then don't sweat it. Drive the crap out of it and don't let it bother u. Hey maybe that is why my cat is empty on my 91? Don't worry about it cause if you own a chev V8 it will do this eventually!

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91 Z28 Camaro
305 TPI
Flowmaster 3" exhaust
700R4 with 2000 Stall and shift kit 3.42 rearend
One sweet sounding system