Mbuck66

I bought a 1969 442 recently. It was a just started project, which included replacing the master cylinder, stripping the brake lines, but no real progress. And while concentrating on the interior. I did allow some time to look at the engine, and get that running.
I replaced the after market Edelbrock with the original Carb, replaced the rockers, removed and reseated the inlet manifold.
It started like a dream, and I left it running for 20 minutes. During the next days, I got the brakes in order.
Then I took it out on the street, after warming it for 10 mins. As soon as I hit the street, it lost all power, and started blowing white smoke. I presumed cylinder head gasket. Did a leakdown test, checked coolant and it seems this is not the case.
Next thought rings, but pressure seems ok, maybe slightly low.
Now it blows smoke when starting and under acceleration. With clean plugs there is plenty of power.
Plugs are fouling very fast and badly.
I removed but did not replace PCV, this is the next thing. The vacuum hoses are not connected.
But the smoke is so excessive, I am sure it is something serious or a combination of things.
Thoughts?

jeffsims

Could be a bad valve seal. All the oil will drop on top of the cylinder.

I really do not know how the oil seal on the pistons affect pressure, but those could be worn.

Either way you are going to have to start on the top end. Remove your heads and have a machine shop check them out.

oldcutlass

What were your readings for your leak down and compression test? Does the engine have a lot of blowby (smoke) coming from the valve cover breather or oil fill tube? If your just going to change the valve guide seals its not necessary to remove the heads.

tru-blue 442

I would plug the port on the manifold
for the trans modulator 1st and see if
it may quit smoking. You could just be sucking
up tranny fluid though a bad modulator. Easy fix.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.

MDchanic

White smoke is coolant, and should smell like antifreeze. If you hold your fingers up the the tailpipe for a few seconds and then lick them, they should taste sweet. If you have white smoke, then you have a cracked head or block, or a bad head gasket.

The smoke IS white, right?

- Eric

cutlassefi

X2. And auto trans fluid will produce white smoke as well.

ziff396

x3. Check that out. I had the same problem on a chebby. Worth looking at before pulling heads.

Smitty275

x4

MDchanic

I've had it. Didn't look white to me, but, man, it sure DID smell just like ATF.

Maybe we should go less by color than by smell, as color might be a bit too subjective and variable (weather, etc.), while smell (at least in my case) pretty much hits you over the head.

Absolutely, disconnect your modulator hose, and when you do, stick your pinky in the hose - if it picks up some ATF, you know that's your problem without even going further. NO ATF should be in the modulator hose or line.

- Eric

Mbuck66

Thanks for the replies.
Should have made it more clear. The smoke is whitish, but is oil,there is even oil out of the exhausts (both).
I am not losing coolant,
Also the car is a manual, three on the floor, so no ATF.

Mbuck66

Seems odd to me that suddenly all cylinders should start fouling, and this leads me to think, not rings or valve seals.

MDchanic

Does it smoke when you first start the car, when you ACcelerate, or when you DEcelerate?

- Eric

Mbuck66

Smokes when starting and when accelerating. At idle next to no smoke.
Somebody suggested last night to check the intake manifold, this could be sucking in air, and causing the oil to be sucked up.

tru-blue 442

Next, I would pop off the valve covers
and look for small bits of plastic.
As Eric, (other), suggested.
It could very well be the valve guide seals.
If they are original, they will more than likely
be deteriorated.

oldcutlass

You said you removed and reseated the inlet manifold, can you explain what this task was? When you changed from the Edelbrock back to a Rochester did you remove the 1" spacer/adapter that was under it?

Mbuck66

Yes I did remove the spacer under the carb.
The reason for reseating the intake was that the intake was off when I got the car, it had been cleaned up, and seemed ready to put back on. I used silicon gasket as well as an Edelbrock gasket set, after a failed attempt just with a gasket set. The failed attempt has coolant leaking by the firewall.

Mbuck66

By the way, does anybody have pictures of the valve seals?
Not sure I know what I am looking for. But there were no bits of plastic in there, and the oil drains are clear.
Thanks to all of you for your help so far.

oldcutlass

Do you think the failed attempt allowed coolant into the combustion chambers and then possibly it got into the exhaust and therefore needs to burn off?

tru-blue 442

A compression and leak down
tests on all 8. I'm at a loss.
Ring job? Crack in the bottom
of the intake? Did you use the
turkey tray gasket on the intake?
Worn valve guides?

RROLDSX

Is it the original 400 or a later engine with an EGR valve? If so make sure the EGR valve is connected and operating. Mine was smoking badly before I connected it and eventually blocked it off with a plate. It also seemed to run better the more I ran it. Maybe the rings loosened up in the ring lands. Also check your oil level. Just a few things to consider.

Mbuck66

Few questions there. It is definitely oil and not coolant. There is oil coming out of the exhaust. I have driven it pretty far, around 30 miles so presume most would have burnt off.
Not sure what the Turkey tray gasket is, I had one for each side of intakes and one at each end made of cork.
It is the original 1969 engine, but GA was one of the first states with emissions controls (2nd to Ca I believe)
Gonna try a few things on Sunday.

Mbuck66

Hi.
Looks like the majority of smoking issues are solved with a combination of new PCV and some vacuum hose.
Ran it for 30 mins today, and apart from a small overheating issue, and some noisy valves, I seem to have it running smooth

MDchanic

Well, that was easy.

Glad you got it fixed!

- Eric