Story: (I know it's not a 3rd Gen, but sometimes NastyZ28 is a bit slow)

Just roughly set my timing the other day so my car ('80 RS) won't backfire under WOT, and I wanted to go drive it a bit so I went around the block.. I went 0-60 with hitting 4k in 1st and 2nd, came to a stop and my exhaust was spewing white/blueish white smoke more than it has before, which it normally does if I hit 3.5k or higher, just not much. Head gasket leaking? My voltage also dropped from 13.5 to a flat 12.. did I kill my alternator in the process? The motor is stock as far as I can tell, besides the Edelbrock 1406 carb and the LT headers and valve covers I put on last month.

Is it worth repairing the 305, and saving for a 350 later on as I can't afford a new motor atm without my wife freaking out, or just find a 350 ASAP and just replace the damn thing?

Thanks!

 

I'd go back and set my timing not "roughly". There's not much excuse these days with $15 timing lights available.

Have you checked the oil for water? There might be nothing wrong with the 305 other than a bad tune - get the timing right and carb adjusted appropriately then see, before you make drastic assumptions.

Why was timing changed?

 

When I got it, the timing was severely jacked up. Every time I would give it more than 1/2 throttle, it'd backfire - on new plugs, wires, dizzy rotor, and cap. It runs much better. Reason I haven't done real timing is that I cannot find the timing marks on the belt. Oil looks fine, but I'll check it again. Carb is only 6 months old, according to the PO.

 

White smoke sounds like a head gasket to me. Nothing that could be affected from a timing change would make it smoke like that, it would just run bad.

 

That's what I'm thinking. Is there an easy way to figure out what head gasket it is?

 

Run a comp test to test your gaskets theres no oil going through the h gaskets. Y would it be head gaskets. Sweet smell is antifreeze white blue smoke is oil.

Does it spit more smoke on startup? If so and if its oil probably your valves throwing oil that leaked down the guides while it sat overnight into the cylinder. If not its your rings

First step id run a compression test and find out at least what is making the smoke oil, gas, antifreeze, etc.

 

Timing mark is on harmonic balancer, not on any belt.