smoking a little bit?

[87blackroxi]

I have been noticing the car has been smoking a little bit. It also smells real rich.
Now, I just had hooker headers put on last month and was told by a few people that it would run rich for a couple weeks. Do y'all think i need to maybe adjust the timing?
And what do you think about the smoking?

 

[Moonunit 451]

What color smoke? Is it just on start up or all the time?

 

[Vettefan87]

Yeah, does it puff, a little blew smoke on startups? If so that is normal depending on how many miles your motor has, and is caused from just sitting over winter and the valve seals drying up, thus causing a little oil to leak down in the combustion chamber. If you are talking about running, and you smell gas, if you have no cats then that is normal, my car and my brothers car does that.

 

[Ripp 73]

Waht color smoke? Is it just on start up or all the time?

These questions are important. We need mor information please. The more info, the more we can help you. :L

 

[redc4corvette]

I put a bottle of lucas oil add in my 86.Seems to have worked.

 

[87blackroxi]

These questions are important. We need mor information please. The more info, the more we can help you. :L

Sorry all, I got caught up with my lady's list of things to do last night so I couldn't respond.

It blows some white smoke on start up. But even after start up, say when it has ran a little bit and I park, I will rev the engine and it still blows a little white smoke.

And the running rich? Is it from the cats? When I have the windows open or top off after start up it smells like heavy gas.

Ok, the car has no cats, has 145k on the engine. it runs pretty good except a slight idle searching problem. But the smoking makes me nervous. To me, smoke=bad.

 

[Vettelt193]

Sorry all, I got caught up with my lady's list of things to do last night so I couldn't respond.

It blows some white smoke on start up. But even after start up, say when it has ran a little bit and I park, I will rev the engine and it still blows a little white smoke.

And the running rich? Is it from the cats? When I have the windows open or top off after start up it smells like heavy gas.

Ok, the car has no cats, has 145k on the engine. it runs pretty good except a slight idle searching problem. But the smoking makes me nervous. To me, smoke=bad.

have you done anything to the fuel system? either injectors, fuel pressure regulator, or other?

have you done any intake mods?

 

[87blackroxi]

have you done anything to the fuel system? either injectors, fuel pressure regulator, or other?

have you done any intake mods?

everything is original. On the intake, it is stock except open lid.

 

[vetteboy86]

Is your Oxygen sensor in the same location as it was before the headers. The reason I ask, is that mad mic is having a similar problem with the car running rich. They placed his O2 sensor farther down the exhaust where it dosn't get as hot.

White smoke to me is either condensation on the pipes, or coolant burning. That is what I have been told.

 

[87blackroxi]

I haven't really looked at the o2. as far as I know it is in the same place. I can take a look tonight.

But the White smoke scares me a bit. Someone said possible valve problems.
Hopefull It's nothing internal.

Any ideas what i should have timing set at? it's at 9 now.

 

[Vettefan87]

Have you been adding coolant? That is exactly what my car did when I blew the head gasket. I would not drive it until you definetly find out what is wrong. I would rather be safe then sorry. I am probably overreacting but so what. You definetly don't want to have a rebuild going into summer, and no vette to drive.

If the white smoke has not stopped by the time the car is warm, I doubt that it is coming from the exhaust.

The factory setting for timing is 6 degrees before TDC, with the EST wire unplugged, so if you are at nine, and have no knock you are good.

 

[Billybeau1]

Hey Junkie, I see you havent downloaded the spell checker yet :LOL

 

[Billybeau1]

Yes WNC is not that hard to pick up

 

[87blackroxi]

I know you don't want to here this Frend, White Smoke usely mean's Anti-Freez in combustion chaimber!! That would account for Rich and Idle searching Problem!! Possibly Head gasket or head!! Duz the ex.smell sweet?? Start!! Cup hand over tail pipe collect a little water while smokeing, (the car man not you) Tast! If it tast's sweet Sorry man!! gmjunkie!!

How much smoke are we talking that means possible heads? And yes it smells a bit sweet, but more gaslike. I didn't get to "cup" the exhaust yet but will tomorrow.
Is this something worth taking to a mechanic for diagnostic?

 

[Vettefan87]

Any white smoke is enough after the car is warm. If it is doing this you might have a problem.

 

[redc4corvette]

I would not worry .My 86 has been smoking as long as me.
I removed the valve springs and replaced the seals.
The old seals turned to dust.
I installed new PC's and said what the hell and turned the nitrous up to 150 shot. I added a bottle of lucis and one bottle of z max.
Only smokes on a 3500 rpm burn out!
Think it will last?
Since then it does not smoke a bit when I start it up.
Going down the track the guy's say it smokes when I shift into 3 gear.
I have since ran 125 runs and I don't know what is keeping this motor together.
All I know is it does not search for idle or smoke on start up like it did before .
When mine smoked I mean smoked you could not see behind the car.Still 1 QT of oil every 5 runs down the track .
To get rid of the oil smell I run 106 unleaded race fuel.

 

[WhalePirot]

With that many miles, it could be more than one thing, but you have some good starter items. I like to pull and look at the plugs, setting them in a simple rack with numbers from 1 to 8. Oil fouling, rust and other problems shown on pictorials (Motor manuals, etc.) can help streamline troubleshooting.

White smoke at start is possibly valve seals. White smoke on deceleration (high vacuum) only means oil is being sucked into the cylinder (past the rings, I think).

Coolant in the cylinders can steam clean the oil from the walls and greatly accelerate wear.

(I understand the junkie, but it is an interesting challenge).

 

[74bigblock]

PCV Valve?

 

[Moonunit 451]

I'm goin' with head gasket leak Could be worse

 

[Vettefan87]

I'm goin' with head gasket leak Could be worse

That is my thinking as well Moon as first as I seen this thread. I hope it isn't that but it can be fixed before it gets worse, and I know all about the worse part.