Or a quick troubleshooting fix is add a can/bottle of STP Oil Treatment.
If smoking goes away, bad rings.

 

ok, so replaced pcv valve and she seems to be smoking less, still a little on start up and it's like after I get going a bit she doesn't smoke anymore, however I can't exactly watch the exhaust pipes while im driving. Next issue... I can't tell if this is heat soak on the starter or if I've messed something else up.... after advancing timing and adjusting the idle so that when I shut the car off it doesn't diesel... well now after it gets up to temp and I shut it off.... when I turn it over it either sounds like it's struggling really bad or it makes a god awful noise like it's ripping the insides of the starter out (i cringe when it happens).... is this starter heat soak? I did happen to already have purchased a remote solenoid kit if so

 

Check the spark timing with a timing light. Too much initial advance will make the engine hard to turn, especially when it is hot. If it is dieseling with the proper spark advance, it could be due to high a idle setting, problem with the carb, hot spots in the combustion chamber, spark plug heat range too high, too high running temp.

 

Check the timing with the vacuum advance removed, and plug the hole in the carb where you removed. I also plug the distributor side as well. Set timing about 10 BTDC and then re hook up the vacuum advance. Then test the start issue with engine fully warmed up and at idle. Shut it off and try to re-start it.. If it starts fine keep it there or redo the process and add 2 more degrees. You can do this process several times and once you go to far take it back down and you should be good to go..

 

Smoke upon start up means valve seals/guides, where oil runs down the valve stems and into the cylinders after the engine is shut off.
Starter heat soak affects the solenoid operation where you will get just a "click" with a turn of the key, till it cools back down some. Is that what you're getting?

 

Ok, so last night i went ahead and installed the remote solenoid, unfortunately i only had 4 gauge power wire so for now it will have to do until I can get a longer strange of 0/1 gauge.... Here's what happens... it may be the starter going bad, but i don't have the experience to know.... I advanced the distributor a lot 2 days ago, it was idling smoother at a lower rpm in park... cut it off and then it would struggle to turn at all... so that night the battery seemed low. i replaced the battery. new battery, turn the key and started right up, distributor still advanced pretty far. I don't have a way to plug up the vac. when using my timing light at the moment so the reading was like 29 which didn't seem right. so i was going off of engine idle..... so i drove the car and it ran great except some minor "ticking or clicking or rattlish noise" on extremely hard acceleration... got back, shut the car down and again with the struggle to start and a very loud almost smashing noise that sounds like the starter wasn't working right. It's hard to describe the noise but it's almost like it wants to turn over but the gears are slipping... i turned the dist. clockwise a little bit and it's still doing it... It seems like maybe the starter isn't getting enough juice through the 4 gauge wire and it's struggling to turn over. Very frustrating, sadly.

**edit.... let her cool down and cooled my nerves for a min. retarded the dist. a good bit and it's still grinding a lot and it's like it just doesn't have enough power to turn it over. Wondering if the 4 gauge wire just isn't having enough juice to push it now or if the starter is just going out on me.

 

Unless you have your vacuum advance hooked up differently, it is generally connected to ported vacuum on the carb. There is little to no vacuum at that port at idle, it raises as the rpm's do. Disconnect the vacuum hose and see if the idle speeds up at all. If none, you don't need to cork up the open port on the carb while setting the timing, check it again. Fyi, the "disconnect the vacuum advance and plug the carb port" is a throwback to the pre-smog era when distributors were connected to full manifold vacuum. Sounds like you're fighting too much timing advance (29 is way too much), and the starter possibly going south. Or it's your wiring, can't say without being there. Your "rattlish noise" while under a load is due to the timing being set too far advanced, and the plugs are firing way too early and trying to push the pistons back down too soon before approaching tdc. Setting the timing with a light is a starting point, but book specs don't have to be followed to the letter. Start at 10 degrees btdc and see how it drives. Advance a little more till you hear your rattlish noise, then retard the timing a touch till the rattle stops.

 

The reason I suggest remove the vacuum advance is to remove any variable that may be causing the issues such as its in a full vacuum port not the recomended one. Since I am not there I can not check. However do use a timing light and make absolutely sure of what your setting the timing to. Most distributors will advance about 20 degrees or so under accelleration. So when you pound down on the throttle the timing advances enough to adjust when the spark plug will fire. We know we want the spark just before to dead center at idle. But when you mash your foot to the floor we need to make the spark happens sooner. This compensates for how fast the spark has to be there to fire the plug to achieve maximum horse power. Timing can not be a guessing game we on this forum will help you at least some if you follow along with our suggestions. 4 gauge wire should be enough at least to crank it over when hot. Its marginal and frustrating task to do some of these things. If you do not know how to set the timing and or have a timing light please ask, someone will help you I am sure of it. So far one thing I know about Camaro owners is there willing to help another owner.. Please don't be offended I am just trying to help. You may very well have a bad starter, if all else fails take it to Autozone they will test it for free. You may also be having a heat issue and that is a different problem but starter related. But first try to set the timing... I am only trying to help..

 

icecobra, no offense taken, I greatly appreciate ALL advice given here and if I seem like i'm not following it, it's not for lack of trying. It may be because i'm just ignorant! haha. I've got a timing light and if I can get her started back up I will hook it up and go from there. An issue I keep running into is that the motor isn't the original and when I buy parts like the starter I just purchased they don't always work correctly like the starter I just purchased that doesn't fit. Thankfully it wasn't real expensive, have the old one off now, gonna go see if they can give me a match based on that. Thanks again for all help given, I really do appreciate all the time and help given. Running or not, she's a beauty to look at!! and it's raining so I wouldn't take her out anyways.

 

I have yet to have a ported vacuum on the carb pull vacuum, but like anything else, there can be exceptions to the rule. An easy way to test what you have, without a gauge, is with a tiny piece of paper. Remove the vac advance hose from the carb and put the paper against the port. Does it grab the paper, just barely hang on to it, or does it fall off? That will tell you if you have strong, weak, or no vacuum there. Which also makes me ask, what kind of a carb do you have, and what port (location) is the distributor hooked to? That wouldn't have anything to do with your possible heat soak issue, unless excessive timing is overheating the engine. But at least we can get a baseline for your carb & distributor setup.