HELP, still smoking

[todds302]

Hey, I need some help, have a 89 fullsize jimmy, had a smoking issue when I bought it, had the valve seals replaced.Truck has 160k on it now, truck still smokes, if i let it idle and get on it it smokes alot, when i first start driving it and get on it it smokes, if it is hot doesnt smoke. I am on a el cheapo budget, dont know if I should get a valve job, or replace the engine. under valve covers no sludge, change oil every 3k miles. The smoking is oil by the way. Looking for the right choice. So is it valve guides or is it rings....thanks T

 

[b454rat]

Sounds like rings. I had a car similiar to this. Motor was strong, but would smoke like a pig if it idled too long. To the point it would fowl the plugs out if you didn't clean it out, AKA foot to the floor.

Doing a ring job isn't too bad itself, but the motor needs to come out in order to do that. Figure a full gasket set, been awhile since I bought one, but think they are under $100, and rings, guessing under $50 for over the counter ones.

Could be done in a weekend if you have the tools and the knowhow....

 

[Burbdood 74]

Sounds like rings. I had a car similiar to this. Motor was strong, but would smoke like a pig if it idled too long. To the point it would fowl the plugs out if you didn't clean it out, AKA foot to the floor.

Doing a ring job isn't too bad itself, but the motor needs to come out in order to do that. Figure a full gasket set, been awhile since I bought one, but think they are under $100, and rings, guessing under $50 for over the counter ones.

Could be done in a weekend if you have the tools and the knowhow....

But, if you pull the motor to do the rings, (which is what it sounds like your problem is), you might as well fully rebuild the motor. Another option is to try to find someone selling a running engine, buy it, and swap it into your rig.

 

[K5dreamer]

i heard nicorette can help.......


before committing to anything huge.... you might do some diagnostic work. Id do a compression check on the engine first and foremost to establish if the rings were questionable. on a healthy stock small block, 150psi is around what youre looking for. more important than a particular number is for consistant numbers for all 8 cylinders.

to my knowledge there are only three ways for oil to get into the chambers. piston rings, valve guides, and through the intake. when was the last time you changed your pcv valve? pull the air cleaner and use a pen light to look down through the throttle plate on the throttle body, see if the manifold looks oily, which would mean excessive oil getting into the manifold via a stuck PCV valve.

 

[scouthead]

Checking the PCV is a good idea, but the only motor I have had expierience with that was similar had a BAD sludge problem. 60,000 miles and rings were shot, and cylinder walls were VERY worn, and had a huge ridge at the top. I was very suprised when the block cleared 60 thousandths. There would have been no way to just rering that motor...

If you run penzoil, change it FREQUENTLY and NEVER add oil if it's low! Just change it! I wish the previous owners of that one had!

 

[K5dreamer]

lets see....... also, im not normally a snake oil salesman, in fact i generally refuse to add things like that to my oil. but.... after all is said and done, and youve actually done some diagnostic work, and you still dont know exactly what the problem is, you could try a can of restore. my dad threw it into our dodge caravan that needed a valve job, and it made it run good enough to get through emissions.

if nothing else it would tell you that it was indeed your rings or valve related.