Smoking 318 need some ideas why?

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MileHighDart

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So the 318 I have in my Dart is putting out the blue smoke pretty bad. To give you a little background the engine was built about 15 years ago, but probably only has 1000 miles on it. It was driven a little in a previous car I had. Then the engine was pulled and set for several years before going into the dart. It's been driven very little in the last 3-4 years while i've been restoring the rest of the car.
So, anyway the car is basically finished, repainted, reassembled and i'm ready to start driving the car. But now the thing is smoking bad.
First thing i figured, maybe the valve stem seals had dried up from the engine sitting so long with little use.
So yesterday I spent a few hours replacing all the valve stem seals. This morning I buttoned it back up and fired it off. No smoke at first, but after it reached full operating temp it started smoking pretty bad again.
I dont know how a basically all new motor can be smoking so bad, need some ideas? Maybe the rings are bad, or stuck and not sealing well from spending so many years not being used ?

I was all set to take the car to its first all mopar car show on sunday. But now i'm not sure I'll make it there and back without getting a ticket for visible smoke. Plus i'm basically out of money and now have for fix a smoking engine.
Just pretty bummed out, spent a lot of time on the car in the last year trying to get it finished and ready to cruize and now this. Just sucks.
 
If it was smoking really bad,, your exhaust system could be full of oil/tar,, and could take several miles driving to burn it out..

If you pull your plugs, and hopefully they've been in for a while,, look at the tips,, if you can see oil accumulated on one side of the electrodes,, it's likely valve guide seals, or less likely, intake manifold gskt...

If the oil covers the whole tip of the plugs,, or maybe just a couple,, that's likely rings...,..

There are more conclusive tests, but reading the plugs will tell you a lot..

hope it helps,,
 
Yup. I would just for kicks, add a quart of Marvel's Mystery oil while you're blowin the exhaust out. You never know. It might have a stuck ring from sittin so long.
 
had this happen onna mustang, turned out they screwed the timing on the rebuild\
\it was highschool my dad and a buddy did it over several cases of beer
 
An old boy once told me that if it smokes going uphill it's rings, smokes going down hill, valve seals.

I would also think about oil being sucked in around the intake gaskets, they could be dried out some.
 
Bad Sport said:
An old boy once told me that if it smokes going uphill it's rings, smokes going down hill, valve seals.

I would also think about oil being sucked in around the intake gaskets, they could be dried out some.
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Excelent info on the intake as well, cause most people don't even think about that.
I have actually experienced that one myself, and it was surprising how little oil to took to make the car smoke like a pig.
I have heard some pretty good things about the seafoam product clearing gummed up issues too.
 
Sometimes smoke is good. I had a chevy luv a hundred years ago and put a check valve in the windshield washer line, plugged it into a ported vacuum inlet on the carb and filled the washer tank up with ATF. Use your imagination as to the smoke cloud THAT produced.
 
Bad Sport said:
An old boy once told me that if it smokes going uphill it's rings, smokes going down hill, valve seals.

I would also think about oil being sucked in around the intake gaskets, they could be dried out some.
Click to expand...

this is correct, smokes on acceleration=rings decel=valve seals.....

i think u need to drive it alot, get it good and warm, put some good loads on it, lug the motor here and there, it will help the rings re-seat.....
my 2 cents.........

higgs
 
have you checked the intake manifold bolts to see if they are tight?
 
Lots of good ideas guys, heres an update.

This morning I bought a quart of the Mavel mystery oil, and added it to the engine.

I also checked the intake manifold bolts and half of them were not very tight at all.
So I tightened them all up a bit.
Fired the car up, no smoke as usual on startup. I took the car out for about a 1/2 hour drive, open it up real good a few times, pulled up some long hills in drive, and then kicked it down to second. Basically gave it a good work out.
Stopped once while I was out to check for smoke, and then got out and watched the tailpipes at idle when I got home.
Just a little smoke from the drivers side tailpipe, but overall, much better than it was a couple days ago.
Seems to be a lot of rusty looking water being blown out the tailpipes, must have been a lot of condensation in the exhaust system. Like I say, over the last 2-3 years all i've done is start it once in a while to move it in or out of the garage. Today it got a workout.

I'm thinking it was half the intake bolts not being tight, and the rings either being stuck or not seated well. At any rate, I think the smoke is minimal at this point so I'm going to go ahead and drive it to the car show on sunday. Thats a good hour drive each way, mostly at highway speeds. Lots of big hills on the way, and places to open it up.

Its like Bill cosby used to say, "I was just burnin' out the gunk officer"

p.s. when i had the plugs out to do the seals, the plugs were not oily looking at all, but were covered in black soot. Probably still running rich, or maybe cause every time I start it, it just runs a few minutes, mostly with the choke on.

If it still smokes at all after this weekend, i'll probably pull the intake and replace the gaskets.

The car does have a pcv valve in one cover, and a breather cap on the other side. Although i'm not sure how to test the pcv valve.
 
To test the PCV take it out and shake it, if you hear it moving most of the time it is good.
 
PCV valve (crankcase ventilation system) test: With engine at idle remove breather and plug the hole in valve cover. You should feel vacuum build, but the idle speed should not change much. If no vacuum builds, the PCV may not be working. If pressure builds the rings are leaking A LOT of compression (blowby). If vacuum builds but the idle speed changes, the engine has internal vacuum leakage either through the guides or ports.

My suspicion with your engine is stuck rings, and/or rings that never seated properly Do an oil change and drive the vehicle regularly. This should clear up in time. A Seafoam treatment may help.
 
What probably happened is a couple of the cylinders got rust below the oil ring. after firing the grit made some stick.

There is a product called restore. add that to the oil and take it for a long ride . When you return add a bottle of prolong.

We do it on old tractors that sit for awhile that smoke. On some it works and some it don't. Its worth a try. it may take a little while.

Make sure your not burning excess oil out of the mufflers that could have gotten in there over time That takes some time to clear up. Steve.
 
MileHighDart said:
If it still smokes at all after this weekend, i'll probably pull the intake and replace the gaskets.
Click to expand...

I'll bet it doesn't. It will take a few miles to get some of the residual oil out of the intake ports. I bet after an hour drive it will clean right up.

Torque the intake bolts to spec.
 
Hollywood Hig, I assume you'll be there with your 66' Valiant ?

post up a pic of it if you can so I know what i'm looking for.

Or I could just ask anyone with a 66 Valiant

See ya there
 
There are pictures in his photo gallery. It will be hard to miss that ride.
 
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