I took the recently installed 350 about 20 miles on the highway tonight to bring her to get painted. (In my 82 maro...) At first I noticed some white smoke coming from the tail, and it got worse as the trip progressed. Whenever Id really hammer her, there would be some smoky white out of the tail. Once I got to my paint guys house, I popped the hood and saw the breather had PUKED oil all over the engine. The entire driver side engine was covered in mist. All over the master cylinter and headers.I walked around the car, and there was little spots of oil all over the rear end. What the hell would cause this? Now, I know everybodys assumptionis rings, but I insist that this engine is in good shape with between 20-30 k on a rebuild. Could a bad PCV valve do this? Any suggestions? I knew this engine swap was going too well!

Other problems tonight: (maybe related, I dunno)
Still running really hot. (about 240-250)
She seemes to stay in 2nd gear the whole time. (4500 rpm on the highway) Never felt like she kicked into 3rd.

 

Cmon, Mike, bigblock, somebody has got to have some input! Help me!

 

The white smoke generally means a head gasket. Take off the radator cap and see if there are bubbles in the coolant while running. Smelling the exhaust will also tell if it is coolant. For the oil leak, are the valve covers tight? The oil may soray back to other parts of the car. As for the transmission not shifting, that may be low fluid. I dont know if those still use vacuum to help shift or not.

 

im thinking a coolant leak, and its getting into the oil and forcing it out. i had an issue like that on an old dirt bike of mine. see if the oil has a milky color.

 

The smoke isnt the sweet smelling puffy white cloudsnormally associated with a head gasket. Its more of a 'puff' (like cigarette smoke) under acelleration. I still cant figure whats pushing oil out of the breather, and if its related to whats coming out the tail. IM telling you, the breather was SOAKED, and dripped everywhere. Might as well be an oil filter. Other than a bad PVC valve, what could cause that kind of over pressure?

 

Pushing oil ot of the breather could be due to several things.
Too high an oil level causingthe crankshaftto dipinto the oil.
Big time blowby into the crankcase, such as caused by a broken piston head.
Coolant getting into the crankcase causing the oil level to go up.
Bad assembly job & oil going where it shouldn't.

 

I only put 5 quarts in.
Big time blowby? Like I said, she ran fine when put away a few years ago. Other than the smoke and oil, she seems to run fine, with no lack of power.
Coolant? I dont appear to be loosing any.

All I did to the engine was put on a newintake manifold and swapped out externals.(water pump, alternater, distributor, etc.)then dropped her in place.

This is gonna suck trying to limp this car home from my painters house. Its gonna suck even more selling a car with a fresh paint job that wont run right.