Smoke coming out the breathers

[pnora]

[/I have no information on the car at all. I bought it a few months ago. Finally have enough of the major issues sorted to start safely driving it. My guess is, it likely could not be broken in yet. I dont think the car has been driven at all since 2006.[QUOTE

New You night call Indy and see if they can help you identify the build if it was done there. They most likely have some numbers stamped on it. That might clue you in on pistons, rings, ring gap, gaskets, and the possibility of O-Ringing the block and heads?

 

[IQ52]

I think if I had never built or run a blown Hemi I wouldn't comment.

Uh, no comment....

 

[dan juhasz]

If it is just a head gasket I will be lucky. Much easier to fix than rebuilding, or even reringing the engine.

a recent you tube video from Nicks garage had a head gasket fail on the dyno into the valve lifter galley and it smoked like crazy from the breathers after the fail. But it also had an absolute misfire after that, I don't think his engine is misfiring.

 

[dvw]

It could be as simple as poor baffling and lack of PCV. I've run a blown 340 for over 30 years. If you blow a head gasket to the valley there will be no question. It'll pour smoke out the exhaust as well. Pinch a ring or nip a piston? Same result. I've had all these failures. A PCV will help at idle and cruise. Mine is in the intake below the blower. Two K&N Breathers. Scotch-Brite is rolled up under the breathers as a baffle (plate under neath to support it). It's been 1991 since I've had a failure. The secret? Reduced timing. I can also say that with the stock 340 block at 12 psi the breathers would tend to get oily and drip down on the valve cover. Not much, but some. The block was replaced when a friend offered me a X race block. The breathers never drip now. And for what its worth the big ring gap doesn't affect blow by.
Doug

 

[Cranky]

It could be as simple as poor baffling and lack of PCV. I've run a blown 340 for over 30 years. If you blow a head gasket to the valley there will be no question. It'll pour smoke out the exhaust as well. Pinch a ring or nip a piston? Same result. I've had all these failures. A PCV will help at idle and cruise. Mine is in the intake below the blower. Two K&N Breathers. Scotch-Brite is rolled up under the breathers as a baffle (plate under neath to support it). It's been 1991 since I've had a failure. The secret? Reduced timing. I can also say that with the stock 340 block at 12 psi the breathers would tend to get oily and drip down on the valve cover. Not much, but some. The block was replaced when a friend offered me a X race block. The breathers never drip now. And for what its worth the big ring gap doesn't affect blow by.
Doug

I would have thought too much ring gap would affect blownby some....learn something new all the time.

 

[Challenger340]

Blowby is poor ring seal..... any chance someone used the wrong Cylinder Honing procedure/Grits/cross hatch ?
OR
tried to break in the rings using synthetic Oil ?
or
absolutely HUGE ring end gaps far beyond what's required for Boost/NO2 ?..... because most large ring end gap applications just don't exhibit 'excessive' gas leakage ?

IMO.... time for a teardown

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

That engine is UNknown,time to take it apart and get known

 

[Paul_G]

have a competent mechanic do a cylinder leak down test. It will quickly tell you what's going on. My guess is you won't be happy.

Competent mechanic? 50 year old engine technology? I think this forum right here is about the best we are gonna get.

Are the vents baffled?

My Hemi has no PCV and I get very little haze if any out of the breathers.

Checked the vents in the valve covers today. No baffles and vent hole is right above a rocker arm. Reach in and touch the rocker.

There is no PCV system on this engine. Now knowing the breathers are above a rocker and not baffled, I would say oil is being pushed right out the breathers. I still want to do a leak down test to verify health of the engine. Can a PCV system be fitted to an engine like this?

 

[pnora]

Competent mechanic? 50 year old engine technology? I think this forum right here is about the best we are gonna get.



Checked the vents in the valve covers today. No baffles and vent hole is right above a rocker arm. Reach in and touch the rocker.

There is no PCV system on this engine. Now knowing the breathers are above a rocker and not baffled, I would say oil is being pushed right out the breathers. I still want to do a leak down test to verify health of the engine. Can a PCV system be fitted to an engine like this?

Baffles can stop drips. Baffles will not stop the smoke. Simple test. Motor hot and at idle. Plug one vent hose. Then check the other. There should be very light pressure. If it is pumping pretty good you have to much crankcase pressure.

 

[Paul_G]

That engine is UNknown,time to take it apart and get known

Did a compression test today. It has two cylinders down, by a lot. So I may be getting very familiar with it before too long.

 

[pnora]

Did a compression test today. It has two cylinders down, by a lot. So I may be getting very familiar with it before too long.

What did you get for readings?

 

[Paul_G]

1 - 161
3 - 160
5 - 82
7 - 170

2 - 139
4 - 167
6 - 165
8 - 126

I plan to put it back together when the carb parts I am waiting for get here. Then drive it like this for a while. The machine shops around here are backed up for months. If I pull the engine and strip it down for block machining it will be close to 9 months with the car apart. My 505 has been ready to reassemble for a year now. The compression on that is too high for the blower, 10.5:1. But it will likely go in when the Hemi comes out.

 

[pnora]

1 - 161
3 - 160
5 - 82
7 - 170

2 - 139
4 - 167
6 - 165
8 - 126

I plan to put it back together when the carb parts I am waiting for get here. Then drive it like this for a while. The machine shops around here are backed up for months. If I pull the engine and strip it down for block machining it will be close to 9 months with the car apart. My 505 has been ready to reassemble for a year now. The compression on that is too high for the blower, 10.5:1. But it will likely go in when the Hemi comes out.

Sadly something hurt it. Blow through is a different animal. What a guy thinks he knows comes up to bite him. Might consider talking to Patrick at Pro Systems. Have him build you what you need. Plus he can coach you on tuning.

 

[Paul_G]

Sadly something hurt it. Blow through is a different animal. What a guy thinks he knows comes up to bite him. Might consider talking to Patrick at Pro Systems. Have him build you what you need. Plus he can coach you on tuning.

Thats good advice. This damage was done in the past. Carb set up way to lean. The Hemi will be rebuilt. But not go back in the convertible. The 505 is a better fit. No blower and I can install A/C. Makes close to 600 hp. Still too much for a convertible. The Supercharged Hemi will go in something else that can handle the power. What I paid for the car gives me options. It is worth more than I will have in it with the 505.