Smoke at idle

[66Sprint6]

Alrighty, I believe I asked about this a while ago, but cant remember, so here goes again. My car runs pretty decent, but when at idle, and warm, the motor likes to smoke. The hotter it is, the more the smoke, but the motor never gets over 160*. I have a holley 2300 (500cfm) and Im wondering if it has to do with the jetting, or maybe the power valve? (seems like someone said that might be it). Im not sure what to do to fix it, but Im thinkin of getting it dyno-tuned. What do yall think?
Matt

 

[Anonymous]

what color smoke?

could be carb, valve stem seals, rings


all depends on color....but sound slike ring...FROM WHAT I READ. this is something I would actually let for others...I am supposing...

but still need to know whatr color smoke

 

[wsa111]

Matt, what color is the smoke, is blue like oil consumption, white like a coolant problem, or black like a fuel problem.
If the engine uses oil, its valve guide seals or rings. If its white do you have a loss of coolant. If its black you need to check if you have a blown power valve, i see you have a 500 cfm carb. What year cylinder head do you have?iIf itslate model head with the larger intake & you have modified the exhaust, you still may have a too rich fuel mixture washing down the cylinder walls not letting the rings to seat??
:idea: william

 

[66Sprint6]

The smoke is barely noticable, but it stinks, and from what I can tell, white/grey. The motor used to have a wicked oil leak, so any oil loss I blamed on it, but now it seems to be holding its own. The coolant isnt goin anywhere either from what I can tell. The head is a 66 head reworked. The carb needs alot of work to get it to quit stumbling in lower RPMs, which makes me wonder if its just too much fuel at idle, cause it runs AMAZINGLY well at higher RPMs.
Matt

 

[Anonymous]

try playing with the accelerator pump screw...i have a bored out/ enlarged jet carb that i did, and it really stumbled n stuff at the lower end as well, i tightened the accelerater pump screw a bunch and its fine now, but it does run extremely rich (if u do play with the pump be prepared to open up the carb a few times till u are more satisfied, I had to open mine up about 5 times)...i dont get smoke other than the typical white condensation stuff when u warm up the car though. I have another stock carb on now, definitely less power but the mileage is definitley worth it for now.

 

[66Sprint6]

Yeah, like I said, it only smokes (noticably at least) when you sit at idle, and usually its not imediately that you notice it, its only after its been sitting for a while at a light or in traffic whatever. Its odd, but I will fiddle with it till I get it right. Right now I gotta get my freakin Clutch pedal to stay put (stupid Z bar wont keep its bushings for some reason) :roll:
Matt

 

[Anonymous]

i seem to remember that kinda smoke being my valve stem seals

 

[Anonymous]

I also vote for valve seals/guides. These usually leak the most at idle because of the high manifold vacuum at idle that helps suck the oil down through the guide.

 

[Anonymous]

i used to create quite a smog at intersections

if you are redo-ing any head work dsoon...live with the smoke for a while
and do seals at time of head removal....MUCH cheaper

 

[61Futura]

My Caravan has the problem of smoking at stop lights. I tried Bardahl No Smoke and that solved the problem. I have to use it with every oil change. I just tried going without it last weekend when I went on a road trip. After the 275 mile drive, I noticed the smoke again and found I had used 1 quart of oil. I added the No Smoke again and cured the smoke and havn't used any oil on the next 450 miles. I assume it is caused by worn valve guides and hardened valve seals.

 

[66Sprint6]

Ill have to try all that. Sad thing is, I just had the head rebuilt last year. That pisses me off
Matt

 

[Anonymous]

fight for a warrantee

 

[pedal2themetal45]

HI
If you just had the head done it might not be the head..
What I remember is if it smokes at start up its guides or seals from oil leaking in while it sit's. but I think if its smoking at idle it might be rings. I have also heard that if you do the head and not the rings that the head well take out the rings. I'd run a compression test on the motor, run the test then squirt some oil in the cylenders and re-test if the compression goes up its rings.
just my .o2
Tim

 

[66Sprint6]

I can get rings pretty dern cheap, but I bet it would cost a crap load to get them installed tho! I dont have the time nore the space to do it myself unfortunately or else Ide tear it down right now in the apartment parking lot (Campus security would LOVE that). I not only have that nonsense to deal with, but I also have to figure out why my oil pressure is dropping like it is.
Matt

 

[Anonymous]

my money (or actually yours) is on the rings

 

[61Futura]

I previously wrote:

"I assume it is caused by worn valve guides and hardened valve seals. "

And we all know what assume spells. I really have no experience on what causes an engine to smoke heavily while sitting at the stop light. But that Bardahl No Smoke keeps my Caravan on the road. If it ever stops working, I'll probably junk the Caravan. It is the best highway ride I've got. I'd miss it every now & then.