Hope u can help w/this one guys.........Ok, when i turn on my car, a small cloud of smoke will come out from the exhaust. Someone told me cuz i need valve cover gasketts???!I do need them though, but does it have to do with anything? It doesn't keep smoking after that. It's just when i turn it on. Any ideas? Thanx!

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92 Firebird 305 TBI
K&N Open Air Element
K&N Crank Case Filter
Just a begginer, soon i will advance!

 

I wouldn't say its valve covers. My first '88 T/A did that, and that is because the valve seals are going bad. When the engine isn't running, oil will seep past the seals into the cylinders. When you start your engine, that oil burns off and blows out. Its not a bad problem, just make sure you don't let the oil level get too low.

 

I agree with the above. It's more annoying than anything, nothing major to worry about.

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"Putting any amount of money into a RICE BURNER is like wiping your a$$ with a turd. "
'86 IROC
T-TOPS, TINTED WINDOWS, BRAKE LIGHT BLACKOUTS
GM GOODWRENCH 350
EDELBROCK TES HEADERS
3" Hooker CatBack w/Aero Chamber muffler
EDELBROCK 600CFM CARB.
KN AIRFILTER
ACCEL HEI DISTRIBUTOR
160* Stat, just switched to 180* b/c of winter coming and going to college in the mts.
3:73 Posi
Rebuilt 700R4
B&M Megashifter, 5" Autometer Tach w/shift lite

 

Mine does the same thing. When I start it up theres a nice blue cloud. My father and I are going to fix it during the winter since there is nothing else to do up in MA. If I'm going to put valves seals mine as well put on new gaskets too... Prolly the orginal ones.

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1985 Camaro Z28
305
5-speed Transmission
Flowmaster Exhaust
4 barrel carb
8mm racing spark plug wires
<IMG>"http://www.geocities.com/indeliblerage/mycar.jpg"</IMG>

 

Bare with me guys, i'm new! Which ones are the valve seals? There not the gasketts right? Thanx!

 

I dont really know how to decribe them.. They are like little *****(black). I remember my dad showing me them.


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1985 Camaro Z28
305
5-speed Transmission
Flowmaster Exhaust
4 barrel carb
8mm racing spark plug wires
<IMG>"http://www.geocities.com/indeliblerage/mycar.jpg"</IMG>

 

That is caused by valve guide seals.

Think about the valves, and where they are, and what they do. The intake valve has one end up in the crankcase, under the vavle cover, where the rocker arm pushes on it; it passes through the head casting; the other end of it is in the intake port, up against the top of the combustion chamber, with intake manifold vacuum (suction) on it when the engine is running.

If there is clearance between the valve and the guide, i.e. if they're worn (which of course they always are), then oil can simply run down the valve stem and into the intake. That's what's happening to you. The engine burns a little bit of oil all the time that way, but it's so little you don't really notice it. But when you park the car, whatever oil is up at the top of the stem runs down between the stem and the guide, and accumulates on the back of the head of the valve; then when you start the motor, it all gets sucked through the motor, and there is so much of it that it makes a visible cloud.

The factory's seal is just a little O-ring that keeps oil on top of the retainer from running down the stem. The stem is still completely exposed to oil. Better seals are either umbrellas that go on the valve under the retainer and ride on the valve and shed the runoff oil, or the best ones fit tight to the stem and clamp to the guide. That kind will not fit stock heads though, the heads have to be machined to accept them. The umbrella ones will fit in the stock configuration.

They're not gaskets, that is right. But it's not hard at all to install the umbrella ones, which would fix your problem.

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports

[This message has been edited by RB83L69 (edited November 21, 2001).]