Okay I'm selling my ride so I decided to pully my crane gold rockers out and put the stock ones back in. I noticed that after starting the engine and setting the lash using the "engine-running method" that I had white smoke coming out of the exhaust. There was no smoke before.

So I listened and the rockers are chattering a bit so I guess I didn't tighten down the lock nuts quite enough. BUT
I noticed that my #2 exhaust valve had oil spraying out everywhere. The other 15 valves were fine, a bit of oil dripping on the rocker. I'm wondering if oil is pooling on the cylinder head and dripping past the valve seal. The smoke is much worse at high rpms (also high oil pressure) and seems to get worse at idle after running up to higher rpms. In general there is almost no smoke at all at idle, and after revving the engine, smoke comes out in small puffs.

I tried swapping the rocker arm to another valve and the problem excessive oil problem was stayed at the original valve. I haven't tried swapping pushrods or lifters (I have a roller setup) yet.

Anyone have any experience with this excessive oil problem (for only one valve)? Could it be lifter related, could it cause the smoke in the exhaust? I'm not sure what else it could be, as it didn't smoke before?

 

White smoke is water, blue smoke is oil. Check to see if you might have some water in the oil pan. if you do, then you have a blown head gasket or a cracked cylinder head or block.

 

This much I've heard, but I have a hard time believing that I cracked my cylinder head or block or blew my head gasket by switching out rocker arms. Any other suggestions? The smoke does not smell sweet as coolant would suggest. I serously doubt it's coolant.

 

White smoke could not be related to oil. Cooler temps lately could be causing condensation to form in the exhaust and buring it off would cause white smoke. Harmless but many people freak out about it. Keep an eye on your coolant level and look for any signs of coolant on your dipstick.

 

Where i live we get lots of condensation, less in summer, but more now winters coming on, it might just be that.

 

You didn't say it happens every winter, so is this the first winter since you had the car, or this an unusual winter with 94% humidity?

 

OKAY if you spill oil on the exhaust header, what color is the smoke? Mine is white, not blue. I still seriously doubt it's coolant. I have had the vehicle for 6 years. It's never smoked like this before.

Literally it happened like this:

NO smoke at all.
Changed rocker arms.
Now smoke. I get none at start or idle, then it starts while reving, then very regular periodic puffs at idle after reving.

I haven't even driven it. Are some of you are suggesting that my head gasket blew in my driveway under no load and at exactly the same time that I changed my rocker arms? Doesn't that seem just a bit unlikely?

I think it was gas pooled in the exhaust from trying to start it too many times. The problem seems to be gone now...

 

I dont know, I have been having the same problem with my car but it doesnt happen all the time. It only happens on cold start ups or just random.


I changed my oil recently and it seemed to have a help a bit, but again its white smoke. I doubt its the head gasket because my car is running perfectly fine, no coolant in the oil, no water in the oil, my coolant level has remained consistent throughout the entire operation of the vehicle. SO I really dont know....I have heard people say it could very well be the valve seals....