Blue Smoke/White Plugs/Milky Oil
#1
Blue Smoke/White Plugs/Milky Oil
So 4 years ago I decided to swap a RX7. Longgg story short, the motor I bought was a lemon. I parted the build, and bought a my 99 camaro SS, which I just got back together.
The build:
1999 Camaro SS 6 spd
PRC 225 62cc as cast heads
TSP Tsunami cam (235/240)
ARP head studs/MLS gaskets
LS7 lifters
TSP hardened pushrods
LS6 Intake
LS3 injectors
SBE 63,XXX original miles
I DID NOT START IT PRIOT TO HAVING IT TUNED
On Saturday, I paid a tuner to come out and put a base tune on the car so i could put some miles on it to break in the clutch/make sure everything is functioning properly. Once he left I drove it roughly 60 miles, or one hour. No issues, car definitely felt laggy, but I knew he had tuned it conservatively for the time being. It held temp, good oil pressure, no codes. Then we started smelling oil. Got the car home, and noticed the car had blue smoke billowing out from the driver's side collector when I gave it throttle, but NOT the passenger side. (the car does not have full exhaust currently, but does have turndowns that protrude ~3' out from the collector.
Tonight I pulled plugs. #1/3/5 plugs were ghost white. #7 was a little wet, maybe slightly oily, but not bad. Then I noticed the oil underneath the driver's side valve cover is milky - but the oil in the pan is clean (i put fresh oil in before getting it tuned).
The valve stem seals have already been replaced from the RX7 build (it was pooling oil on top of the valves on the driver's side), and I doubt such low hour heads have guide issues?
Help me understand what I'm looking at here - after finding the milky oil, Im starting to think head gasket, but the oil in the pan is clean?
Thanks in advance.
The build:
1999 Camaro SS 6 spd
PRC 225 62cc as cast heads
TSP Tsunami cam (235/240)
ARP head studs/MLS gaskets
LS7 lifters
TSP hardened pushrods
LS6 Intake
LS3 injectors
SBE 63,XXX original miles
I DID NOT START IT PRIOT TO HAVING IT TUNED
On Saturday, I paid a tuner to come out and put a base tune on the car so i could put some miles on it to break in the clutch/make sure everything is functioning properly. Once he left I drove it roughly 60 miles, or one hour. No issues, car definitely felt laggy, but I knew he had tuned it conservatively for the time being. It held temp, good oil pressure, no codes. Then we started smelling oil. Got the car home, and noticed the car had blue smoke billowing out from the driver's side collector when I gave it throttle, but NOT the passenger side. (the car does not have full exhaust currently, but does have turndowns that protrude ~3' out from the collector.
Tonight I pulled plugs. #1/3/5 plugs were ghost white. #7 was a little wet, maybe slightly oily, but not bad. Then I noticed the oil underneath the driver's side valve cover is milky - but the oil in the pan is clean (i put fresh oil in before getting it tuned).
The valve stem seals have already been replaced from the RX7 build (it was pooling oil on top of the valves on the driver's side), and I doubt such low hour heads have guide issues?
Help me understand what I'm looking at here - after finding the milky oil, Im starting to think head gasket, but the oil in the pan is clean?
Thanks in advance.
Last edited by 93Rat; 05-19-2019 at 09:29 PM.
#2
TECH Senior Member
iTrader: (4)
White plugs - can you post a picture of each plug for the folks that are good at reading plugs?
White spark plug in color or appears blistered, from what I understand that means something is making the plug run too hot. What heat range plugs?
Suggests engine's cooling (head gasket) a lean fuel mixture or incorrect ignition timing (tune).
I think in some cases oil can cause a white appearance too. What type of valve seals were installed? Some of them are marginal.
Pictures might help
White spark plug in color or appears blistered, from what I understand that means something is making the plug run too hot. What heat range plugs?
Suggests engine's cooling (head gasket) a lean fuel mixture or incorrect ignition timing (tune).
I think in some cases oil can cause a white appearance too. What type of valve seals were installed? Some of them are marginal.
Pictures might help
#3
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (3)
Maybe number 7 injector is over fueling causing the other cylinders in that bank to become lean? no misfire detected?
Normally a valve stem seal would give you a nice puff of smoke on startup and then go away.
Like already mentioned can you post pics of the plugs? and also a pic of the milky oil under the driver side valve cover? hopefully thats just condensation from sitting
Normally a valve stem seal would give you a nice puff of smoke on startup and then go away.
Like already mentioned can you post pics of the plugs? and also a pic of the milky oil under the driver side valve cover? hopefully thats just condensation from sitting
#6
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (3)
Can you check compression on 135 and compare with 7?
if compression is pretty close I would swap injector 7 with one of the others then take it for a ride and pull the plugs again to see if the problem moved with the injector
if that does work then swap the coil and wire with another one and try again...... doubt it’s the coil cause you would defiantly feel a misfire under load but who knows.
if compression is pretty close I would swap injector 7 with one of the others then take it for a ride and pull the plugs again to see if the problem moved with the injector
if that does work then swap the coil and wire with another one and try again...... doubt it’s the coil cause you would defiantly feel a misfire under load but who knows.
#7
Can you check compression on 135 and compare with 7?
if compression is pretty close I would swap injector 7 with one of the others then take it for a ride and pull the plugs again to see if the problem moved with the injector
if that does work then swap the coil and wire with another one and try again...... doubt it’s the coil cause you would defiantly feel a misfire under load but who knows.
if compression is pretty close I would swap injector 7 with one of the others then take it for a ride and pull the plugs again to see if the problem moved with the injector
if that does work then swap the coil and wire with another one and try again...... doubt it’s the coil cause you would defiantly feel a misfire under load but who knows.
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#9
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (3)
The white plugs is defiantly not a HG leak, if there is enough coolant getting into 3 cylinder to turn the plugs white it would be smoking (ALOT of steam) and loosing coolant quickly.
An engine sitting 3 months will not make the rings stick, unless its sitting outside in a very humid environment with the valve cracked open on that cylinder.
I would still try what I posted above even if cylinder 7 reads a little lower on compression.
An engine sitting 3 months will not make the rings stick, unless its sitting outside in a very humid environment with the valve cracked open on that cylinder.
I would still try what I posted above even if cylinder 7 reads a little lower on compression.
#13
Tonight I leak down tested cylinders #5 and #7 - both tested ~10% leak down on a cold motor.
#18
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (3)
I dont see coolant in that oil.... atleast cant see it in the photo, every engine will get a little condensation in it (unless you live in the desert) especially under the valve cover/s.
oil getting passed the valve stem seals iss probably due to improper seal installation or bad seal....
that #7 plug looks wet with fuel, not oil.
oil getting passed the valve stem seals iss probably due to improper seal installation or bad seal....
that #7 plug looks wet with fuel, not oil.
#19
I dont see coolant in that oil.... atleast cant see it in the photo, every engine will get a little condensation in it (unless you live in the desert) especially under the valve cover/s.
oil getting passed the valve stem seals iss probably due to improper seal installation or bad seal....
that #7 plug looks wet with fuel, not oil.
oil getting passed the valve stem seals iss probably due to improper seal installation or bad seal....
that #7 plug looks wet with fuel, not oil.
valve seals were replaced on both heads with seals from tsp (PRC heads) and #7 is the only plug that looks that way. Car is smoking out the garage at idle with blue smoke pouring from driver’s side collector and smelling like a weed eater. It hangs on your clothes afterwards.
#20
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Sounds like a bad day. I do not think you are going to avoid a tear down.
This would be a stretch, but MAYBE waterpump leak and front cover leaking so coolant gets into oil that way? But I kind of doubt it.
I suspect you have a crack at the valve seal that is reaching the coolant jacket.
This would be a stretch, but MAYBE waterpump leak and front cover leaking so coolant gets into oil that way? But I kind of doubt it.
I suspect you have a crack at the valve seal that is reaching the coolant jacket.