88 Iroc oil pressure, valvetrain noise and blue smoke :)
10-13-2009, 11:10 PM
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88 Iroc oil pressure, valvetrain noise and blue smoke :)
I just started driving my 88 Iroc-Z again after the tranny went out last july, 4 days after I bought it
I changed the engine oil for the first time since buying while I replaced the tranny and now I have a loud rattle between 1500 and 2100 rpm but only when the engine is fully warmed up. If it was bottom end noise it should get louder as I revved it but this noise goes away with increased engine speed. The guy I bought it from said that the engine was rebuilt 100,000 km ago but it needs a new rocker arm. (He said nothing about a new tranny but that's a whole 'nother story.) What do you guys think?
At startup I have 50psi of oil pressure at idle (~900 rpm) and 56 psi at 1000 rpm. Once it's warmed up I have only 14.5 psi at 700 rpm and 43 psi at 2000 rpm. I've also seen the pressure drop to less than 10 psi at idle after an hour+ long drive. When I fixed the oil cooler leak (with the correct GM gasket
) I noticed that the oil filter adapter on the block has a crack in it. Could this affect my oil pressure or is my engine about to die from worn bearings?
Aand it blows crazy amounts of blue smoke, which I noticed after removing the cat once I was done the smog test. It puffs a cloud at start-up and blows billowing clouds at idle but hardly a wisp under heavy throttle. Also, when I started pouring in some super-thick Bardhal's No Smoke while the engine was idling, it blew out more smoke than ever before. I'm guessing the thick oil additive was blocking the oil return hole so the oil level under the covers climbed a bit. All this seems to point to worn valve guides/seals, right?
After all these issues, what do you guys think I should do with my Iroc. It has 335,000 km on it and I paid $3300 Canadian for it. It's got all the performance options (16" wheels, 9-bolt rear-end with posi and 3.27 gears, oil cooler, 4-wheel discs), A/C delete and absolutely no rust. I want to keep it and fix anything that goes out but my dad says I should sell it.
I changed the engine oil for the first time since buying while I replaced the tranny and now I have a loud rattle between 1500 and 2100 rpm but only when the engine is fully warmed up. If it was bottom end noise it should get louder as I revved it but this noise goes away with increased engine speed. The guy I bought it from said that the engine was rebuilt 100,000 km ago but it needs a new rocker arm. (He said nothing about a new tranny but that's a whole 'nother story.) What do you guys think?At startup I have 50psi of oil pressure at idle (~900 rpm) and 56 psi at 1000 rpm. Once it's warmed up I have only 14.5 psi at 700 rpm and 43 psi at 2000 rpm. I've also seen the pressure drop to less than 10 psi at idle after an hour+ long drive. When I fixed the oil cooler leak (with the correct GM gasket
) I noticed that the oil filter adapter on the block has a crack in it. Could this affect my oil pressure or is my engine about to die from worn bearings?Aand it blows crazy amounts of blue smoke, which I noticed after removing the cat once I was done the smog test. It puffs a cloud at start-up and blows billowing clouds at idle but hardly a wisp under heavy throttle. Also, when I started pouring in some super-thick Bardhal's No Smoke while the engine was idling, it blew out more smoke than ever before. I'm guessing the thick oil additive was blocking the oil return hole so the oil level under the covers climbed a bit. All this seems to point to worn valve guides/seals, right?
After all these issues, what do you guys think I should do with my Iroc. It has 335,000 km on it and I paid $3300 Canadian for it. It's got all the performance options (16" wheels, 9-bolt rear-end with posi and 3.27 gears, oil cooler, 4-wheel discs), A/C delete and absolutely no rust. I want to keep it and fix anything that goes out but my dad says I should sell it.
10-14-2009, 04:22 AM
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Car: 92 GTA/ 00 TA
Engine: 383/350
Transmission: 700R4/T-56
Re: 88 Iroc oil pressure, valvetrain noise and blue smoke :)
Sounds like you need to do a leak down test and a compression test.
Between the 2 you should find out all you need to know about the health of your long block.
Between the 2 you should find out all you need to know about the health of your long block.
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