[prostreet75]

I'm going to be checking out a friends Chevelle today and he is getting a rediculous amount of white smoke coming out of his breathers. He has the evac system the goes into the headers. It is a...

454, 11:1, Arias Pistons, total seal rings, large solid flat tappet, Victor Jr intake, 850 carb, steel crank, stock rods. He has also run a 200 shot up to a 400 shot of NOS on this motor. It seems to runs fine, and its not missing. I'm not seeing any smoke coming out of the exhaust unless the evac is hooked up. If I pull off the evac tubes, it bellows out of the breather system. It doesn't come and go, it is a constant white smoke. Its less noticable when driving, but as soon as it come to an idle, it turns into a cloud.

Is there a quick fix, or am I looking at cracked/broken rings or a messed up head gasket?

 

[camaroman7d]

Is it coming out of both breathers equally or more out of one side? Are you 100% sure it's smoke and not steam?

 

[Schurkey]

He has the evac system the goes into the headers...
... I'm not seeing any smoke coming out of the exhaust unless the evac is hooked up. If I pull off the evac tubes, it bellows out of the breather system. It doesn't come and go, it is a constant white smoke. Its less noticable when driving, but as soon as it come to an idle, it turns into a cloud.

Is there a quick fix, or am I looking at cracked/broken rings or a messed up head gasket?

Leakdown test is in order.

First Guess: Genuine mechanical problems.

 

[Dave427]

Sounds like he may have hit his nitrous too hard and melted a piston ring land etc.
Check for deluted oil etc, if there is fuel in the oil etc.

Dave

 

[prostreet75]

Is it coming out of both breathers equally or more out of one side? Are you 100% sure it's smoke and not steam?

Its coming out of both, but I would say the driver side might have a little more. Especially at idle.

 

[prostreet75]

Leakdown test is in order.

First Guess: Genuine mechanical problems.

Compression check is going to be the first thing I do for sure.

 

[prostreet75]

Sounds like he may have hit his nitrous too hard and melted a piston ring land etc.
Check for deluted oil etc, if there is fuel in the oil etc.

Dave

I was really hoping its not this, but very possibly could be. I guess I was hoping for something other than a major issue, but Its not looking that way.

 

[camaroman7d]

Since it still runs ok, I doubt there is a hole in the piston. My guess would be a pinched ring land. First thing I would do is pull all the plugs and have a close look at them. If it is smoking like you say there will be oil in the cylinders causing the smoke. If no ugly plugs I would pull the intake and look for a major leak there.

 

[prostreet75]

So... Not the best situation.
I pulled out all the plugs and they looked great. Then I started to test each cylinder. The driver side was 175 - 185, not to bad. But the Passenger side had two bad cylinders. One was at 50 and another at 25. Toast! Oh well, time to pull it.

 

[SMALLBLOC]

That's why I leave that stuff for my dentist.

 

[prostreet75]

Na... Just have to know your limits. The rings in that motor were only gapped for a small shot. Turns out he tried pushing a 400 shot, one to many times. I've been running NOS every season in my boat since 2003 and still haven't rebuilt it. Its all about balance Daniel-son!

 

[camaroman7d]

The plugs look good? I don't see how the plugs could look "good" in the bad cylinders. No pepper specks on the porcelain? Maybe just a head gasket then. Very lucky he hasn't already lifted a ring land from not having the proper ring gaps.

 

[sbc500hpchevelle]

That's why I leave that stuff for my dentist.

x2

 

[wrenchbender]

Possible head gasket at the "missing head bolt" location....

 

[prostreet75]

The plugs look good? I don't see how the plugs could look "good" in the bad cylinders. No pepper specks on the porcelain? Maybe just a head gasket then. Very lucky he hasn't already lifted a ring land from not having the proper ring gaps.

I know it sounds crazy, but yes, the plugs looked great.

 

[prostreet75]

Possible head gasket at the "missing head bolt" location....

If it was the head gasket, I don't think I would get such low readings. Smoke yes, but 25 - 50 lbs of cylinder pressure? And I would think I would be getting smoke from the exhaust as well. Right now, its only coming out of the breathers. Thats telling me the compression is blowing right by the piston and into the crankcase. Agree?

 

[wrenchbender]

When it blows compression by the gasket at the top, it goes in the crankcase.

 

[camaroman7d]

Could very well be a head gasket. Are the two low cylinders next to each other?

 

[prostreet75]

No, Its #4 and #8.