[Sk8Crash69]

Hey guys i just rebuilt my engine (350, my first rebuild) and i got everything on and i had the heads redone i get the engine started and after about 20 seconds of running i get all this smoke coming out of the engine kind of around the exhaust manifold area but its hard to tell. could i have installed something wrong, maybe a head gasket or the exhaust manifold bolts arent tight enough (its tough to a wrench to them). if any of you guys can help me get going it would be awesome i gotta get her running for prom in a week! Thanks again

 

[Dean]

A newley rebuilt engine will smoke a lot sometimes due to oil burning off the surfaces of heads and manifolds

 

[Sk8Crash69]

How will I know if its "ok" smoke or if i have a problem due to it. How long should it smoke for and is it ok to run it with all the smoke? Could i have done somethign wrong with the head gasket? Thanks guys. and the engine will start smoking a little and then start smoking more but i have never for more than like 45 secs. becuase i didnt wanna brake anything.

 

[71velle_malibu]

Originally posted by Sk8Crash69:
How will I know if its "ok" smoke or if i have a problem due to it. How long should it smoke for and is it ok to run it with all the smoke? Could i have done somethign wrong with the head gasket? Thanks guys. and the engine will start smoking a little and then start smoking more but i have never for more than like 45 secs. becuase i didnt wanna brake anything.

Did you find the reason? Tell me what you found out...

thx
Olli

 

[1BadRat]

Don't think it's your head gaskets. Check your valve cover gaskets. They could be leaking onto the exhaust manifolds. If the smoke is coming from the engine compartment, 99 times out of 100 it is oil leaking.

Like Dean said, sometimes it takes a while for oil and residue to burn of the manifolds.

Good luck.

 

[d1_bradley]

If this is your first rebuild and you have the original sheetmetal valve covers, that's probably the smoke (leak) source. Its really easy to overtighten the valve cover mounting bolts and warp the flange. Pull them off, check for straight and flat and with new gaskets, just snug them down.