i just got an 89 iroc, smokes a lot on start up like the stem seals are bad and stops when you drive a little still seeming like the valve stem seals ... but on start up it idles around 2000 rpm until it warms up a lot (longer than any other car i have had) and when parked if you pull the throttle it smokes out the back of the motor and the pipes, i cant see where the smoke in the engine compartment is coming from yet, but was told it had a "vacuum leak code" ... it runs and drives good, but what i would like to know, is there any way all these things could be coming from a bad intake gasket ... need all the help i can get, thank you

 

sure its not a leaking valve cover gasket leaking oil onto the exhaust manifolds? A little blue smoke upon start up is valve seals.

 

its not a little smoke, and the smoke from the back of the motor seems to blow around (without the fan on) pulled the hose from the valve cover to the breather and no smoke out of it (so it didn't seem like massive blow by) it seems to blow smoke when vacuum is pulling and the car is not moving

 

some help? anyone? please!

 

this will sound stupid. my friends car had an oil leak , so he used to ad a qt a week never checking the level , a month later all kinds of smoke , so it must need more oil rite? 2 qts later the car would bearly run oil all over the driveway . oh its leakink bad now , more oil . car wont start ,motor siezed no good I bought the car for 200 drained about 15 qts of oil and filled to proper capacity started hard ran and smoked for 1/2 hr cleard up and ran perfect . I guess I'm saying check your oil level .

 

i wish it was just the oil, i checked it when i got it (it was about 1/2 quart low), guess i will just have to wait till i get the money to pull it and rebuild it ... just hate to rebuild a 305 tbi, but going to keep it numbers matching for my son, if i can keep it alive ror 14 more years ... lol

 

ck the smog components somebody else had a similar problem it was some kind of sensor by the vac canister . that may explain the vac leak code as well. while its running disconect the vac line at the canister check for smoke . be aware it will run like crap with this line disconected . so limit the time its unpluged .

 

My car smoked bad (out the exhaust) 89 350 TPI

replace valve seals and valve springs - most were broke (springs)

no more smoke.

Not sure where under hood would come from other than a oil leak or exhaust leak.

 

ok, ill check that, and as for the seals and springs, ill have to wait for that, its cold outside, and i am broke until taxes come in ... thank you all for your time, and ill be checking back here often for any other thoughts on the matter

 

anyone ever changed valve springs with the heads on? will the springs compress enough to get the retainers on with the pistons holding the valves up, or will i have to make something to go through the plug hole to hold them up?

 

Apply air pressure through the spark plug hole to keep the valves from falling in. Both valves must be closed before applying pressure.

 

i know that trick, but don't have any air here, very limited with what i have here

 

I was in Mattoon last weekend.
fix valve seals, maybe new springs while your in there?
I would also check the oil drainback holes in the back of the head for being full of gunk
Change your valve cover gaskets.
Is the rear intake leaking?
Leaking oil sending unit?
You will get lots of guesses here, best is to go out and look for the leak thats making smoke.

 

My apologies, but you didn't specifically ask for an alternative to compressed air. You can get a small portable 250 psi 12v compressor, or 1 to 3 gallon compressors for less than $100 at Walmart, might even get a better deal at a pawn shop. To own these cars is to have money not just for repairs, but for performance as well.

 

I'm awesome like that!

 

not looking to get any real performance out of her, i want it to be my sons first car, just want to get it looking nice, stop it from rusting apart, and keep her running good ... thank you, i never thought about a little 12v compressor, i cant use a 110v compressor where i live, as i can not drive on the grass, and i am way to far from the parking lot to run a cord, plus i am not aloud to do what they call "major" repairs, so i have to keep it low profile or find another place to do it

 

You can also use a small nylon rope in the cyl if your careful.
remove neg batt cable
remove rocker/valve covers
pull spark plug.
rotate motor to BDC
remove rocker arms of cyl your working on
install some nylon rope in sparkplug hole and leave plenty out so you can remove rope later
very very carefully rotate motor till you feel it stop
R&R springs and seals.
Now go in reverse order to finish that cyl
move on to the next one

 

that is a good plan, i think ill try that, but with a cotton rope