so I brought my project car to college, about 250 mile drive, and then I took it another 200 miles the next day. after sitting a day whenever the starter cranked over I hear a "thud" sound on every crank, but the starter isn't loose. also on my last start up there was a big cloud of thick blue and white smoke that went away after about 5 seconds. Does anybody have any idea what could be wrong with it? I also have to make the 250 mile journey back in two weeks and wanted to know if the 305 would make it home. at stop lights theres also a smell that almost smells like propane.


Any input would be greatly appreciated
-Jordan

 

Can you be more descriptive on the propane smell? Is it burning/hot? Can't think of much that could smell like rotten eggs in these cars...

 

Tell us more about the car. Is it TPI, TBI, carb? Smoke could be valve seals, common issue on SBCs of that age. Also, no one from a brief description can tell you if the car will make it 200 miles.

Do you have a check engine light on?

 

Sounds like gas fouling. Excessive fuel dumped into the motor while sitting.

The "clunk" sounds a bit like maybe a cyl or 2 is hydraulicked with fuel.

All of the symptoms together sound like one or both injectors has trash in it, keeping it/them from sealing properly.

I'd recommend "rebuilding" your injectors. All it takes is, pop em off, take em apart, soak em in lacquer thinner overnight; and put em back together with new paper & rubber in the morning. Probably less than $30 from pop the hood to drive away; less than $20 if you already have the thinner.

 

it doesn't smell like anything burning or hot, it smells like i turned the propane on in a grill and waited a minute to light it

 

its a 305 TBI everything seem pretty much stock on it too, it doesn't seem like anybody has messed with anything on this car

 

my only check engine light is for a vehicle speed sensor

 

do you still have a catalytic converter in it? if you do and the engine is being overfueled this will cause the cat to run hot. When the fuel mixture is rich and the cat is doing its job it will have a rotten egg smell to it. The smell is normal, fix the rich mixture issue and it will go away.