White smoke only when cold?

6

61ragtop

Member
I have a 383 stroker in a summer car that as far as I can remember never did this last summer. In the winter I changed from a 180 deg stat to a 195 deg, went from ported to manifold vac, changed converter, and went from water with water wetter to anti-freeze and water.

When I first fired her up at the beginning of the summer she smoked white till it warmed up. It still does this when I first start it up cold from my garage 98% of the time that I have noticed. If I drive it and is hot out go to a cruise spot let her sit for a while then go there is no smoke. Seems only from stone cold starts after sitting a fair amount of time (over night?) And only lasts say 5-10 mins till engine is warmed up. Maybe just my worries playing tricks on my brain but I sense a bit of a coolant scent too.

I am told a head gasket will get worse as it heats up not better, is this true? Most people say it is just condensation, but I never noticed it before this season.

or the record this is a fairly new motor built by a reputable shop. It is my 4th season running it with very limited miles each year. Here are the specs.....



ENGINE
-383 stroker 442hp/470ft lbs of torque )
-Chevy 350 bored 30 over and stroked to 383ci
-Scat crank 3.75 Stroke Cast 9000 series
-Scat 5.7 forged I beam rods with 7/16 arp cap screws
-Forged Flat top Probe Sportsman Race Series Pistons
-Comp Cams Roller Cam Duration-Intake 230deg Exhaust 236deg @ .050 / Lift Int .510 Exh .520 and 110 lobe separation
-Air Flow Research 195cc Heads 74cc chambers
-9.7:1 compression
-Headman Block Hugger Headers -Edelbrock Fuel Pump
-Speed Demon 750cfm Carb Vacuum secondaries
-Polished Air gap Intake
-Edelbrock aluminum water pump
-MSD Plug Wires
-All Bolts Are ARP
-Mini Starter
-Edelbrock double roller timing set
-Comp cams roller lifters
-Crane cams roller rockers
-Full Mandrel bent Flowmaster American Thunder exhaust With 50 series delta flow mufflers


CHASSIS
-700r4 tranny with 3200 stall
-B+M super cooler tranny cooler
-9 inch ford rear end
-Center Section With Motive 3.89 Gears And Auburn Pro series limited slip
-Air lift easy street air ride kit
-4 wheel disc brakes
-18x7 in front and 20x8.5 rear Intro Twisted Vista Wheels -Boxed trailing arms in rear by spirit engineering

And the dyno specs....

Intake center line 105 1/2
jets 76 front 85 rear
vac sec spring short yellow
timing 35 deg
RPM----HP----TQ----A/F--- Vol Eff%

3900 - 328 - 442 - 13.3 - 97
4000 - 340 - 447 - 14.0 - 97
4100 - 356 - 456 - 14.2 - 97.3
4200 - 370 - 462 - 14.0 - 97.5
4300 - 381 - 465 - 13.9 - 97.5
4400 - 390 - 465 - 13.9 - 97.4
4500 - 397 - 463 - 13.8 - 97.4
4600 - 404 - 461 - 13.7 - 97.2
4700 - 410 - 458 - 13.8 - 97.1
4800 - 416 - 465 - 13.8 - 96.9
4900 - 422 - 452 - 13.8 - 96.7
5000 - 427 - 448 - 13.8 - 96.3
5100 - 430 - 443 - 13.8 - 95.8
5200 - 433 - 437 - 13.9 - 95.2
5300 - 435 - 431 - 13.9 - 94.9
5400 - 436 - 424 - 13.8 - 94.6
5500 - 437 - 418 - 13.9 - 94.3
5600 - 439 - 411 - 14.0 - 94.0
5700 - 440 - 406 - 13.9 - 93.5
5800 - 442 - 400 - 13.9 - 92.8
5900 - 442 - 393 - 14.0 - 92.1
6000 - 440 - 385 - 14.0 - 91.5
 
ID suggest reading these threads,( BELOW) the indication seems to indicate a minor head gasket problem,but it may just be condensation as mentioned, one trick is to hold a sheet of CLEAN typing paper in front of the exhaust and have a friend start the car, the smoke should stain the paper making its contents/source far easier to diagnose
IF its COOLANT OR WATER from condensation built up in the exhaust youll have some idea where to look, if its oily, rings, or valve seals are frequently worn and at fault
A SHOP MANUAL AND BASIC TOOLS LIKE A TIMING LIGHT,VACUUM GAUGE AND VOM METER, AND LEAK DOWN TEST KIT SURE HELP

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...breather-hole-in-valve-covers.2005/#post-5328

viewtopic.php?f=57&t=940

viewtopic.php?f=62&t=881&p=1389&hilit=+leakdown#p1389

viewtopic.php?f=70&t=202

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1337&p=2921&hilit=+infrared#p2921

viewtopic.php?f=44&t=808&p=4771&hilit=infrared#p4771

viewtopic.php?f=44&t=777

viewtopic.php?f=50&t=609&p=2074&hilit=+follow#p2074

Go back to, basics think about how it works here and think it through...
blue smoke is usually oil, black is fuel. white is usually coolant

Under acceleration cylinder pressures are high which tends to blow past rings seat them firmly into the cylinder walls as the pressure builds behind them in the ring gaps as DESIGNED, forcing them out against cylinder wall, which in theory reduces leakage. leaky rings will increase the pressures in the valve covers leading to the pvc allowing oil into the carb, which could cause smoke.
thats easily tested, just block off the PVC port on the carb for a few test runs if the problem disappears with the pvc disconnected and returns once its re-connected the sources is obvious
De-acceleration, and lower combustion pressures tends to allow oil can be sucked up around rings. INTAKE Manifold pressure drops and intake runners tend to suck oil from valve guides, read the links and sub linked info


keep in mind isolating, testing and curing problems requires a few logical well thought thru tests, don,t guess! go about the process logically, if your burning oil its coming past the rings, past the valve guides or valve seals,or its introduced at some point in the intake track,(leaking intake gaskets, bad PVC,vacuum line to the transmission or some other source of oil, like a vacuum line to the valve covers or possibly fuel pressure regulator, etc, )isolate the source and correct the problem, logically, be aware the problem may not be engine wide it might be a single or pair of cylinders, reading spark plugs and having an IR temp gun handy will allow you to isolate the source faster

Ive used this product for years
http://www.barsproducts.com/1109.htm

when I suspect a slow coolant leak, and in many cases it DOES WORK, to seal pin hole leaks in gaskets or similar issues


think you may have a blown head gasket or cracked heads ETC??
have you tested for a cracked head or block with the reactive dye in the coolant that shows exhaust gasses contamination?


watch this link
__________________
 
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IF YOUR TRYING TO FIND THE SOURCE OF EXHAUST SMOKE,
one trick is to hold a sheet of CLEAN typing paper in front of the exhaust and have a friend start the car, the smoke should stain the paper making its contents/source far easier to diagnose

be aware that condensation, trapped in the engine , can cause the oil to look like lard or rancid butter, if your PVC valve won.t clear the moisture this can be a problem with engines that don,t get run frequently as moisture plus exhaust gases can form acids

water=wet, possibly rusty, condensation
coolant=smells like coolant, looks different and generally indicates bad head gasket or cracked heads
oily, looks and smells oily, generally rings or valve seals, or defective pvc sucking oil from valve covers
reddish & oily, usually indicates a bad modulator valve , allowing the vacuum line to suck trans fluid into carb
gray, smells like fuel usually a badly adjusted carb or bad floats or defective needle& seat valve or defective fuel pressure regulator
black, gray or white soot, can be bad carb or worn catalytic converters, usually smells like sulfur or rotten eggs
 
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Well Grumpy, in further checking I noticed a slight cloudiness on my oil dip stick. Nothing like a sludge or anything but not pure oil that only has say 100-200 kms of use since the last change. You do have to look pretty good to see it as I would have never noticed it if not looking for it due to the white smoke. So with that and the slight "sweet" smell when the smoke is present at a cold start I am thinking a slight head gasket issue and am going to change em out.
 
that sure sounds like the symptoms of a bad head gasket or cracked head but like I stated youll need to test and isolate, you may want to install a cooling system ANODE as it tends to reduce corrosion

viewtopic.php?f=57&t=74&hilit=anode

Ive used this product for years
http://www.barsproducts.com/1109.htm

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/losing-water.2468/#post-6476

when I suspect a slow coolant leak, and in many cases it DOES WORK, to seal pin hole leaks in gaskets or similar issues
 
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Well it has been a while but I thought I would post up my findings........

I changed out the head gaskets, had the heads skimmed so they were 100% flat, and re assembled. The car ran the best ever for the summer of 2009 after these "repairs".

Fast forward to spring 2010..........I went to change the oil and plugs to take it in for a detune to get through emissions testing only to find the pan with a good amount of coolant in it!!! Not milky but totally separated from the oil. The #5 plug also had corrosion on it.

I brought #5 to TDC and press tested the cooling system with the thought if it was a crack in the block the leak would come from below the piston causing it to drip out the drain hole in the pan. And if it was a gasket "again" or head it would leak out the plug hole.

Long story short it leaked out the plug hole and after a pressure test on the head we found the head was porous!!

Called AFR and asked about warranty and finding out I only had a 90 day warranty from when I bought them in2006. They then said they would get back to me about it. I thought that would be the end of it but they called back and said they would like to look at them and see what the could do.

I sent them in and due to VERY low hours on the motor they made me an offer even with out warranty!! Either a set of the old AFR style heads the same as I had for free or for $500 I could step up to the new AFR eliminator heads!! No warranty on the old style. Lifetime on the eliminators as well as my choice of any street package eliminator sbc head they have.

I went with the eliminators and brought the chambers from 75cc to 72cc to bring me up to about 10.2:1 for compression.

I an awaiting them to arrive now and should see them early next week. I am very happy with the cust service AFR has given me considering they didnt even have to look at them let alone hook me up.

Cant wait to get her together and see if I can feel the extra power they claim the new heads will give over my old ones as well as the small bump in compression!!
 
its the occasional warranty story like that about company's that stand behind their product quality like that, that makes a huge impact on which components I select or avoid like the plague when you hear about those that DON,T stand behind their products, I'm sure AFR will sell dozens of cylinder heads based on this story getting posted alone
 
That's a great ending to your story 61ragtop ! It's always nice when you here about a manufacture that steps up and does what's right, not what they are legally obligated to do.

I brought #5 to TDC and press tested the cooling system with the thought if it was a crack in the block the leak would come from below the piston causing it to drip out the drain hole in the pan. And if it was a gasket "again" or head it would leak out the plug hole
Click to expand...
Quite clever, I'm impressed !!! :)
 
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