blue smoke!! is it bad??

[DOUNVME]

My 86 buick GN has a rebuilt motor by KDK performance. It is about 14 months old and has approx. 1000 miles on rebuild. I rarely drive it and have just noticed that when I first crank it up, there is a bit of blue smoke coming from the tailpipe. Any idea what might cause this, cure, and damage it can cause??

Thanks!

 

[Haynesie]

well its certainly not good, could be valve seals, turbo seals or blow bye from the pistions, does it only happen at start up or all the time?

 

[DOUNVME]

most always on startup, once while driving, I accelerated hard out of my driveway and my friend said it smoked some when I took off.

 

[DOUNVME]

ttt

 

[SPOOLFOOL2]

Could it be a turbo oil seal going bad? Maybe they did'nt install the pan under the PCV valve when the intake went on? Is there oil in the up pipe or throtle body?

 

[DOUNVME]

I just took the alternator off a few months ago, I did notice just a drop or two of oil around the edge of the boot that connects the upper pipe to the mass sensor. Where do I go from here?

 

[VadersV6]

Blue smoke on startup wouldnt be a turbo seal most likely. Its usually valve seals, but given you have new ones, you probably either have worn out valve guides from a dirty assembly job, or they reamed the guides too big, or they got worn out cause the surface finish in the guides was too rough. Thats more common that you may think. Alot of dirty machinists out there! You didnt let them knurl the guides to "restore" them did you? That knurl job lasts all of 500 miles before they're more destroyed than they were before. Given the low mileage, its probably the guides. If you get them replaced, dont go with bronze guides. Bronze guides are crap. Use iron ones. How many factory heads have you seen with bronze guides? Very very rare cause they're junk.

 

[ThikStik]

I use this highly technical test to look for smoke on hi-vacuum conditions: At night , back up under a bit of throttle, then come off throttle while rolling along and look for smoke. If its valves/seals , itll smoke alot after throttle is closed.

Smoking/pinging...a TR's life!

 

[DOUNVME]

I got my car out 3 days ago. I have started it and drove it a little the past 3 days. On initial startup there was no smoke and I did see any signs of smoking all day long. Even after some pretty hard runs. I think I have narrowed it down to only smoking on initial startup/run when it has been sitting for a while. Could this be the gas? Maybe condensation has built up in the tank????

 

[ApullinV6]

blue smoke on start up

When you find out what it is, let me know what it is. i took my heads off, had a valve angle job done, changed the springs and seals, installed a hv oil pump kit and now it smokes on start up. I was going to install some seals on the exhaust side but after doing alittle research decided it was best not to..

Car didn't smoke before so now I'm wondering if it had something to do with the machining like VadersV6 mentioned.

 

[QUIP'6']

why isnt it good to have seals on exhaust side?

 

[DOUNVME]

I haven't had another problem with it. I have narrowed it down to only smoking on start up after it has sat for a while. I only noticed that is smoked on a hard takeoff, but that was after a "quick put it in gear" after it had sat for a while. I just noticed my Monte Carlo SS was doing it as well, but it is all stock with 100K+ and I can hear a lifter tapping lightly, so I am going to set all my valves in it next weekend.

I ran the GN today at the track, and didn't notice anything there either.

Hope you find your problem, please post when you do!!

 

[xrunner123]

From the picture, it seems like the blue smoke is burning tires.

 

[DOUNVME]

:biggrin:

HE HE HE HE!

 

[zeus87gn]

NV - I have the same oil smoke problem with my 17k mile rebuild on my Jeep. I know it's not a good comparison, but the problem is identical. The only thing I can figure is the valve seals that were put in are cheesy, cheap, and maybe the lowest cost available. Best solution I have found so far is to drive it more often. If I drive my Jeep on a daily (or almost daily) basis, no smoke. If I let it sit more than a week, I get smoke.

Don't have any smoking problem with the GN. Unbelieveable, but true.

Where are you in Middle Georgia?

 

[ApullinV6]

"why isnt it good to have seals on exhaust side?"

Do a search, they say that the exhaust side has so much heat that it causes problems with the seals? Someone made the comment about these cars not coming with seals on the exhaust side so there most be a reason? I was getting ready to install them until I started doing alittle research on this site. It's still about a 50/50 toss up on whether it's a good idea or not. Anyway, there was enough neg. feed back that I decided not to do it.

 

[ThikStik]

The word about the exh seals is that using them can result in a valve that hangs open. I took all of mine off after my latest head job, and dont have any smoking. Well, Ive seen only a tad while backing up from a cold start. That could be anything in my case.
Re seals-my machine shop uses Japanese type seals in leiu of Felpro. I dont know name . They claim way better durability.

 

[Blown&Injected]

After warm up try taking it up to highway speed then let it coast down in 3rd gear. Say about 75 to 40, then pay close attention in the rear view and got to 4th and come back on the gas like a normal cruise back up to 50 - 60 mph or so. See if the high vacuum condition during coast down sucked oil in - it will burn off when you come back on the gas

 

[ApullinV6]

Blue smoke on start up...

Did KDK performance put a high volume/high pressure oil pump in during the rebuild.. reason I ask this is because I just got rid of my car smoking at start up. I installed a hv/hp oil pump and it was actually putting to much oil in the heads and the exhaust side couldn't handle it. I just removed the pump yesterday and just increased the pressure by changing the spring in the pump. Now, no smoke..
If you have a breather on your valve cover check it while the cars running and see how much oil is actually flowing through the head. You should see some oil moving, but not like a flowing river.