88blackiroc

iTrader: (3)

**I did make another post on this months ago, however it was in the wrong section and i never really got a definite answer.

*Car is a 88 camaro. ls1/t56. no major mods besides a small shot. other mods in sig.

Well this all started when i noticed my car would start smoking out the tail pipes when going wot(high rpm) and had the smoke still coming out when it revs back down. This started also after installed a zex 75 shot wet kit. Used it 3-4 times. I researched a bit and found out
White=water/antifreeze
Black=running rich
Blueish=oil
So i new i was burning water or antifreeze which indicates head gasket. And i also noticed it happened sometimes. It could be a puff or it could look liked i seafoamed my car. Sometimes it also has no smoke. So i check the normal stuff, low coolant, temps while driving, milky oil and what not. None of those. So i just keep driving the car. I really want to get this problem ironed out soon though.
So over the course of about 2.5k miles of "normal" driving for me (pushing the car maybe 2-3 a day going to and from school) and i have not had any overheating, the oil is perfect and i have not lost a drop of antifreeze it looked like. So i decide today to recheck it all and everything seems in check until i run it without the rad. cap and notice while its warming up some bubbles now and then which makes me think i have figured it out.
This is the only symptom i noticed is this.
I took some pics beforehand on my check to post up to see what you more experienced members might know.

This is when i dipped a clean rag into the antifreeze at first it was kinda dirty and brown? Like a thin layer of yuck. Right under it though was the orange antifreeze color it should have been.

This is the oil cap which i think looks normal. Nothing to indicate any hg problem.

Now the video shows the bubbles which seem to appear every 15 secs or so. It also is somewhat misty which im not sure if it is normal.

So any opinions you guys have would be very helpful to me on what you take from this or if you can assure me on this is the problem.
Also, im thinking if this engine has a bad hg, how much longer will it survive? I, debating on rebuilding the top end as the motor seems strong. I heard from my dad that this would cause more pressure on the bottom end for things to fail. My other option is to keep driving it as it and start building a lq4/9. This way i have something to drive and after i retire it, ill have a nice, powerful, reliable engine.
As i mentioned, im open to any suggestions and opinions. So let me know what you guys think!

Whiteaw57

iTrader: (2)

I kinda think youre thinking way to hard. You don't have the bad overheating issue or the water in a cylinder. I think you have dexcool in that thing or something and thats the orange color. Smoke at high rpm and decel sounds exactly like leaky rings or bad valve seals. I dont think id rip the top apart just yet. How many miles on the motor?

88blackiroc

iTrader: (3)

When i brought the donor car with the engine, the guy told me it had around 115k on it. However when we got back and got her running the odo showed 180k. So im not really sure. He took the trans but left the clutch and bellhousing and it had a stock ls1 clutch in it. Worn completely down but stock clutch. Unless he brought another ls1 clutch instead of upgrading.
As i mentioned, the car seems very strong.
I also want to mention i did a leak down on it but used the wrong gauge or something. Ill find it and post them when i get back on the comp.

Whiteaw57

iTrader: (2)

That video you posted doesn't alarm me at all. its rare to get every last air bubble out of it. If its not overheating, you're not having issues with plugs or a specific cylinder, no chocolate milk oil etc. I wouldn't be surprised if you have some leaky valve seals. If you want to go into the motor though now would be a great time to cam it since you'll have to pull the springs off if thats in fact the issue. Anyone else feel free to chime in, I just dont see a tell tale sign of blown head gasket

88blackiroc

iTrader: (3)

Im for sure getting a video of the smoke then. I thought that blue smoke is a sign for valve seals? I know alot of people have oil consumption issues to with these motors and i do not. Im not sure if i forgot to mention earlier, but this motor also had a misty smoke that used to come out when cold and not go away after it warmed up and even driven for about 15 minutes. I could always tell as i could look behind me at a light and see it. It kinda lingered for about 2-3 seconds. Now that its warm though i dont see it. Not sure if its caused by no cats or what. Anyways about the oil....
I have slight leaks around the oil pan gasket from being worn im guessing but i do not lose oil either between changes. I normally change the oil around 3k miles. And im not sure if you can use these numbers as i used a compression tester instead of a leak down.

1,3,5,7.

dry:155, 160, 155, 160
wet:185, 185, 180, 185

dry-wet
2: 160-175
4: 150-185
6: 170-190
8: 160-200
This side was iffy since i didnt get a chance to retest them since they were a b***h to get to.

Also had a old pic of the plugs before i changed them
1, 3, 5 ,7

and these go from 8 to 2

These were not meant to take nitrous so i think that is why 3 looked like that.

Sorry if i seem to keep pushing info. and crap out there, even if its irrelevent, but i just want to get this crap figured out!

**Edit: Checked out your youtube btw, nasty car man! Was 1-4 pull after or before mods?

88blackiroc

iTrader: (3)

Id also like to add that lately ive been noticing when i get smoke, i usually pop the hood and check the coolant and it seems as if the resevior has coolant which looks like it has pushed out maybe? The top isnt drenched but you can feel coolant has been on it. Im going to double check this tmr and get some pics/ vid of the car smoking.

09camaro383

iTrader: (2)

if you have a bad head gasket pumping air into the coolant system the resevior will overflow, try this with the engine cold take the radiator cap off start the engine and rev it check if you see more bubbles if so could be a bad head gasket or possibly a crack or warped head also are you sure you are not burning oil?

88blackiroc

iTrader: (3)

Im pretty sure im not. Ive never had to add oil because of it being low. Ill keep a eye on both the next couple days as i had a coolant leak with a lose hose a day or so ago. Ill keep check on the oil to.
Did you see the video in my first post? You can see some bubbles and this is when the engine is half way warmed up or at operating temp.

01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

If you're burning coolant (water vapor out of the tail-pipe) you WOULD be loosing coolant. At the point where mine was showing constant vapor the radiator was dropping an inch or two every 25 miles. No overheating, no milky oil. The water is going straight past the combustion ring into the chamber and being burnt. And it is actually steam not smoke, it shouldn't linger long but rather vanish when it gets out.

88blackiroc

iTrader: (3)

Ill try to get a video today guys. I was going to yesterday but my heater core took a crap on me. So i put a U in to instead and then after going out my thermostat decided it didnt want to work either. Every car has its day

88blackiroc

iTrader: (3)

IIts been about a week of driving. Coolant is still full. Actually a little high. It does seem to a little bit out of the overflow bottle sometimes. Radiator is still full. Oil looks perfect. A little brown but its expected. Doesnt look like ive lost anything. If you have blowby, do you have ALOT of oil consumption? Are there any other problems that might arise?
also since ive replaced my tstat with a autozone one, every now and then it seems to go a tad above 210. Then go down again quick. Maybe a bad tstat or sensor?

88blackiroc

iTrader: (3)

Bringing this back from the dead...
I do not believe anymore it is a coolant problem and believe it to be oil.
What ive noticed is that there is a odor of what i think is oil only AFTER reaching normal operating temps. It gets worse when i get on it. I do not seem to be losing oil however.
Also i do have a heater core bypass with a hose that goes maybe a foot high and returns to the water pump. New radiator to, but after warming up and staying at normal temps for a little bit, the car seems to rise in temperature and go back to normal. It fluxuates and seems to have no pattern.
I daily drive my car so whatever it is cant be bad as ive noticed nothing bad happen besides this smoke at high rpms.
And i drive a good 80 miles a day in this thing so i have alot of time to observe small things like these.
open to any thoughts and opinions!

88blackiroc

iTrader: (3)

Anyone have any insight on what may be the problem?

Hackscamaro

as a couple of the others have said i thinking to much about this. you dont have a headgasket leak as your compression test proves that and your not overheating. a small head gasket will show on start up after a long hot soak as the coolant will weep into the cylinder and cause a miss fire. im not sure about the puffs your getting just keep driving it and keep an eye on it. i bet your ok.

umair

I had a 87 caprice that smoked a lot. I cleaned the carburetor and it fixed it. Does your car have a carburetor?

88blackiroc

iTrader: (3)

Lol no. Its qals1