ahritchie

iTrader: (1)

I finally have all my issues fixed with my new 383 setup except one which happens sporadically on WOT at high RPM. Every now and then, say 1 out of 5 times I do the exact same thing, beating on the car at WOT at the top of 3rd gear starting at 6K RPM the car will belch whitish smoke for 2-3 seconds, shift to 4th and it's gone....a little smoke will sometimes come up through the shifter too, it does not smell sweet like a blown head gasket or smell like burnt oil. The car is not loosing coolant or oil that I can tell, the oil is not milky. The motor has less than 3K miles on it since rebuilt, and it has very high oil pressure at startup or WOT...70-80 psi, once it's warm it goes down to 40psi. I should also note it has an Lokar aftermarket dipstick tube if that makes any difference along with a 7qt pan.

My question: is the stock PCV system causing this? If so, what do I need to do? Install a catch can? Valve cover breather? Any recommendations?

speed_demon24

iTrader: (6)

At WOT 90pct of the blowby is going through the fresh air hose, not pcv hose.

cardo0

Blue smoke is from oil. Black smoke is from fuel. White smoke is from water = steam. Do u have bubbles in the radiator? Not using coolant? No brown muddy/milky looking oil? Look at oil when first drain as water will be under oil.
Sorry for the bad news but sounds like head gasket. White smoke through the shifter means its leaking out the side of head/block too. My original engine had low compression in #8 and green gooie sealer oozed out between head and block. Maybe try some coolant sealer. Heck NASCAR uses it as they can't afford to trace down pin hole leaks during a race.

Hope this helps more than it hurts,
cardo

ahritchie

iTrader: (1)

I don't think it's the head gasket, I guess it's possible, but I took it out last night and drove it like I stole it for a good half hour, and could only replicate the smoke once for a few seconds this time at 4500 RPM WOT in 4th. I'm not down any coolant and I know what a car smells sweet like and generally smokes constantly if it's a blown head gasket as the original engine blew one after 3 years of sitting....the oil is normal, no milyness or anything out of the ordinary. I put some cardboard under the car last night and there was a couple oil drips on the passenger side....maybe a valve cover is leaking/spraying oil on the header, I just had one replaced for leaking last week What color would smoke from oil on a hot header make? I'm thinking it's something not in the exhaust....I've never actually seen any smoke out the exhaust just a smokescreen behind the car which is embarassing lol, and puffs from the shifter when it happens, and it won't do it if you just rev it to redline with no load.

Tom94TA

Do you still have the hose from the pass side vlv cover to TB? Maybe try disconnecting it from the tb to see if oil is going up that hose at WOT like speed demon said.

ahritchie

iTrader: (1)

Yea I do...do I have to plug hole in the TB?

Tom94TA

I would cap the tb hose nipple to keep unmetered air out. The pcv sys will still function normally.

ahritchie

iTrader: (1)

Cool, I'm gonna try removing it tonight and see if I can get it to smoke some more....if so, I may get some "block tester" to confirm if it is or isn't my head gasket leaking

ahritchie

iTrader: (1)

I figured I'd update this thread witht the REAL solution to the problem, of course with my LT1 luck it's one of the oddball issues that nobody has but me, I'm special I guess It turns out the white smoke had nothing to do with engine oil or water vapor from a blown head gasket (thank god..lol). Either I've been too rough manhandling the shifter or the guy that rebuilt my trans overtightened the shifter plate bolts and they were stripped....so at very high (6000+ RPM) when I'm banging gears trans fluid was spraying from the back of the shifter all over the exhaust creating the smoke as well as the puffs of smoke coming from the shifter boot, the carpet around the shifter was all oily and nasty from trans fluid. Luckily my local trusty former Pontiac dealership found the root of the issue during my state inspection and fixed it with Helicoils; they failed me for my slick Sumitomos though Perfect excuse to buy some new, Toyo Proxes TQ drag radials now Next thread, busted 10 bolt LMAO

shbox

I would have thought you would have smelled that and it would have been obvious what it was. Trans fluid has a definite smell, even more so when burning.

ahritchie

iTrader: (1)

I did notice a slightly funny smell when it happened now you mention it...but I've never been around a car that burns trans fluid before so had no idea what to "smell for". I detest driving an auto and have been lucky my 6spd cars have been pretty solid the past 15 years of driving....I will add it to my memory bank of unusual car smells: "sweet" coolant burning, smell of fried clutch, rich as hell make you eyes water exhaust, and stinky burning oil smell.

shbox

A learning experience nonetheless. People can add this to their "white smoke" considerations, as well.

cardo0

Wow! Thx for sharing. To bad more posters dont provide any follow up information.

cardo