Looking for opinions -

The symptom is a bunch of blue smoke, clearly oil burning, coming from the exhaust. When the motor is first started, it's clean - but then gets smokey as it warms up.

This motor is pretty fresh - not sure how many miles on it because I'm not keeping track. It's only on it's first oil change since breaking it in. I assembled the thing, and was very careful file fitting the rings and making certain the gaps were aligned properly (180 degrees apart) for the top and second rings, and that the oil ring was installed correctly. Oh, the block is uses a 2 peice rear main seal 350, .030 over bore. It's been decked, align bored. The rotating stuff is all balanced and new. The pistons are Keith Black hypereutectic, flat top. Finally, the heads are vortec.

Of all the things, I fear the heads the most. They were 'take offs' that I got from a machine shop. They appeared new and seem fine - but nobody ever checked. I did change the valve springs myself, and wonder if the seals may be giving me problems.

There's only 2 ways for oil to burn: through the valves or past the rings. I'm hoping it's the valves because I don't really feel like taking the engine out again :-( What's the chance that the rings just aren't seating properly? Is it possible that there's too much crank pressure and it's pushing oil up past the rings?

Any thoughts?

 

Pull your plugs, if theres only burnt oil on half the plug its the seals. My engine was the same way. Some how the rubber orings i installed all failed except cylinder #3. They were twisted and torn, even though i was careful when installing them. I swapped to positive seals and have had no problems since.