Smoke out of valve covers

[Channeled]

I have an issue with smoke coming out from my breathers at all time. Considerably more when the engine is cold though. I've talked to my machinest who has had only a little experience with turbo Buicks ( a lot more with other forced air GM's though), he seems to think that its a classic case of blow-by. He was also telling me of a guy that broke a piston and didn't know it except for the smoke. He said the guy even drove on the interstate fine like that. Anybody have any other ideas or is it pretty cut and dry?

 

[413turbo]

dam man, if you were driven as hard as you drive that car, you'd have smoke coming out of your valve covers too.

sorry, i couldn't resist.

 

[SPOOLFOOL2]

Start with the easy stuff. How do the plugs look? How's the oil and coolant? Do a leak down test on all the cylinders. If you get a low one, squirt a little oil down the spark plug hole. If the leak down number gets better, then it may be the rings. Listen for a "hissing" in the breater hole. It could be a head gasket. How old is this engine? If it's new, maybe the rings never sealed. Let us know.

Mike Barnard

 

[Channeled]

I'm not really too sure how old the engine is, I think it might be original because it doesn't look like its been removed before. I plan on doing a leak down this weekend, if I can get time to, I also have to replace a brake line on it.

 

[Pittsburghkid]

I had smoke coming out of the breathers on my car as soon as i would throttle up. None (atleast that was noticable) on idle. Needless to say it was a headgasket. Blew into the intake on the #4 cyl. Yours may not be completely blown but leaking. Hope i'm wrong but good luck either way.