Topic: Smokey the Valve Cover?
in Forum: C3 Engines
Lifetime Memberso this evening I decided to take the vette when I went to return a movie to blockbuster. driving down the highway, the engine starts to smoke...greyish white smoke, from the passenger side. kinda looked like it was from the valve cover. I pull over and immediately turn the key off...check the oil, it's full. called a tow truck. the AC compressor isn't plugged in, NOR is there a belt attached, so I doubt it could be that. tow truck came, he asked me to start it up. started up fine, idled fine, and so I drove it back home, with the tower following me the whole way. never did it again. any ideas?
Mike
My old Stingray...sure do miss it:
(click image to see a bigger version)
Lifetime MemberModerator
1)Oil leak from the v. cover, running onto the exhaust(most likely)
2)Heater hose (or any coolant hose/radiator) pin-hole, spraying onto the exh.
3)Trans cooler line leak, blowing onto the exh.
Check all your fluids, at the proper temperatures, and see if any are slightly lower than normal. Was there a smell to go with the smoke? It's also possible, with headers, that a piece of plastic blew up onto the header, and melted.
My guess would be v.cover leakage.
Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56 
My Link 
(click for Texas-sized view!) NCRS
"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"
Lifetime Memberit didn't seem like any fluid came into contact with the headers, though. the headers appeared completely dry.
Mike
My old Stingray...sure do miss it:
(click image to see a bigger version)
Lifetime MemberModerator
Is your pcv system hooked up & working? Too much pressure in the crankcase will blow some vapors out of any place it can: v.covers, intake end-seals, etc.
How hard were you going, and how much smoke (visualy) was it? A puff, a stream, an "Oh Sh*#"?
Any noise associated with the smoke?
Was it on the outside, or did it come thru the vents?
How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a ............
oops! Sorry.
Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56
My Link
(click for Texas-sized view!) NCRS
"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"
Lifetime Memberin between a stream and an "oh sh*t"...no noise...was only going 60 mph, my tach isn't working so I couldn't say what rpm. whaddya mean by outside vs through the vents, and about 97652183 trees. birch, not pine. if pine, then 12405382103.
Mike
My old Stingray...sure do miss it:
(click image to see a bigger version)
Lifetime MemberModerator
Check around your v.covers really well, and see if the is any evidence of oil leakage running down the heads.
Was the smoke coming from the rear of the car? If so, that could be a leaky trans, rear main on the engine, or even a diff/axle leak. So many variables here.
Then again, if it didn't do it again on the drive home(same distance, same amount of heat), it may not be anything but a fresh engine "marking it's teritory"
Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56
My Link
(click for Texas-sized view!) NCRS
"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"
Lifetime Memberit was coming from around the right valve cover...the car has no hood, so it makes it really easy to see stuff like that. didn't see any evidence of an oil leak. haven't driven it since I got it home though.
by right I mean passenger side valve cover. next to the disconnected AC compressor.
Mike
My old Stingray...sure do miss it:
(click image to see a bigger version)
Lifetime MemberModerator
Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56
My Link
(click for Texas-sized view!) NCRS
"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"
so this evening I decided to take the vette when I went to return a movie to blockbuster. driving down the highway, the engine starts to smoke...greyish white smoke, from the passenger side. kinda looked like it was from the valve cover. I pull over and immediately turn the key off...check the oil, it's full. called a tow truck. the AC compressor isn't plugged in, NOR is there a belt attached, so I doubt it could be that. tow truck came, he asked me to start it up. started up fine, idled fine, and so I drove it back home, with the tower following me the whole way. never did it again. any ideas?
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