I have a 1988 305 TBI. The car has sat for about 6 years. The car cranks, and has fuel. However smoke comes from the passenger side near the firewall. I cant see whats making the smoke but i was wondering if anyone has any ideas. I know their were mice in the engine at one point. Also the engine never wants to run. It started briefly a few times for maybe half a minute before dieing. Now all the engine does is crank and i can feel a cylninder fire here or their, but never enough to get the car started.

 

Mine smoked from the same side. The rear main had given up. As far as the hard to start, have you done a full tune up yet? Things get a little crusty after sitting for 6 years. Drain any old fuel out to if you haven't yet.

 

Could be just an exhaust leak on the y-pipe or some crud burning off of the pipe.

If their was mice in the thing i would check the exhaust, they usually nest in the cat. Easiest thing to do is pull the ehaust apart at the y-pipe/ cat connection and try starting it.

 

It does look like the Y-pipe is cracked, so that could be the problem with the smoke. However the engine still doesnt want to turn over. I didnt check for spark yet. But earlier this week the engine started. It was very rough but it ran for a half a minute. So their should be spark. Any sugestions on what i should try next? I can see fuel coming out of the injectors so that shouldnt be the problem. Maybe something with the timing? But then why would it have started?

 

rear main seal. The direction the engine spins throtws all the oil it leaks onto the passenger side, and on the starter. If the smoke is blue, its oil, no if ands or butts about it.

The danger of this condition, which i later found out the hard way is. The oil is thrown onto the exhaust, which loves to get hotter then hot. This is a fire hazard. I speak from experience.

I was actually driving to go get my rear main seal replaced, and the oil caught fire, suddenly the cabin filled with smoke, i rolled down the mirrors, cars got out of my way like i was driving a fire truck. Pulled into an italian restraunt parking lot, people ran and screamed, "run its gonna blow." While i sat and put the fire out with my hands and a near by puddle. I then let the car sit for a while, and took the other half of the trip to the shop. When i got there i noticed what had happened. And felt dumb founded. My heater box, had melted away from the flames. No boggie except now exhaust gas and engine bay smells enter the passenger compartment as if they were the same, because there is a giant hole there. I still need to buy a non-ac heater box.

So if it is the rear main seal, get it fixed sooner then later. It can be costly.

 

Funny story, but it really sucks to have more damage to the car. I especially liked the "it's gonna blow" part. One of my friends in Ohio had a valve cover gasket go out, leak oil into the spark plug wells and catch the engine on fire.

 

Are you sure the exhaust is free? It there were mice, they love to nest in the exhaust. An engine will only run for a few seconds with a plugged exhaust. It chokes on its own fumes.

 

Its not blue smoke like oil. Its white and smells more electrical. I have the exhaust disconnected after the cat. The exhaust smoke comes out of the cat, so im guessing the headers are mice free..atleast im hoping. Any more suggestions?

 

The smoke stoped, so im guessing whatever it was burned off. I ran codes adnd didnt get any errors. However the car still wont start. The engine just cranks...after a minute it will start to turn over, but never completly. Almost like some of the cylinders lack spark. The strange thing is that a week ago...the engine fired up for a half a minute. Any suggestions where to check next?

 

Check all the wiring - rodents love to eat the wiring insulation. Maybe wiring to dizzy, or a plug wire. Maybe a plugwire fried itself on the exhaust - causing the smoke AND the running problem. Also check vacuum lines - just because there's no copper inside doesn't mean they won't chew it.

I had a rabbit that would chew on the phone cord. One day, he found the lamp cord. Needless to say, it woke his furry *** up! But he didn't learn, kept chewing cords.

Also had a hamster with the same addiction - but the lamp cord took care of him on the first bite!