I posted most of this on the 3rd gen tree, but I see there are some other folks here that might be able to help. Heres the short story: I just installed a 350 in my 82 Camaro. The engine came from a trusted source, and has about 20-30 k on a rebuild. The original owner doesnt remember the specs, but thinks its .040 over with a 270 cam. The engine was running perfectly when it came out 3-5 years ago and sat in a dry barn since.

SO, I installed the motor and drove the car about 20 miles to get it painted. Big problem 1 and 2.
1) Oil breather( unbaffled valve covers) is SPEWING oil all over the motor. I dont mean a drip or two, but barfing up all over the drivers side compartment.
2) Some signifigant white smoke out the tail, duringacell. Looks like cigarette smoke. When I got out of the car to look at it, there was little drops of oil all over the back of the car. (no sweet smell)
Does anybody know what could cause this? Like I said, the engine came from a trusted source and Im going against bad rings or a head gasket. Could a bad PCV valve cause this much overpressure? Any other suggestions?

Problem 3) shes running hot.(fans work, coolant full) The guage tells me between 240-250. Boil line is 260. Now, the instrument cluster is out of a newer model, maybe 85,86 and the sending unit is for a 1977 (to fit the engine) Could a old sending unit communicating to a newer cluster cause a problem? (As in telling me its running hotter than she really is? Any quick way to get a temp reading without using an IR/laser handheld thingy?

Thanks guys. Im about to sell this car if I cant get these things worked out......

 

if its shooting white smoke out the exhaust, its a bad head gasket causing antifreeze to spew in the exhaust. your biggest problem: sitting 3-5 years then installing it out of the blue and driving it. you should have rebuilt it after it sat for that long, not to be a tool but ever hear of rust or dry rot, sitting for 3-5 years its guaranteed to have something gone wrong in it .

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I know what your saying, but the oil looks fine, the smoke doesnt smell, and its not constant, and its not the big, puffy cloud normally associated with an internally blown head gasket. Just when I accelerate heavily.

 

Anytime an engine sits for a long time, the pison rings will tend tof sieze in the last running position and the cylinders will get a light surface rust to them. Then, if you don't put a thin penetrating lubricant ( transmission oil ) into the cylinders to loosten up the rings and break the glaze on the cylinders, you'll have a serious blow by problem until the rings loosten up and reseat, which may or may not happen since the re-breakin proceedure was skipped. Sorry to tell you this, but 1983camaro is dead on in his diagnosis. Probably needs a new set of rings and a light hone job now. But, then we do learn from our mistakes.

 

Bill, what you say makes sense, but let me run this by you. When I got the engine installed, I turned it over several time by hand to establish TDC. It turned over freely and felt normal. (I know I wouldnt be able to feel if the rings siezed up, but it all went normal.) Then, I had her running for about 15 minutes the first night. The next day I ran her for another 15, then took her out on the road for 5 miles. I had yet another day on the road (5 more miles) before I made my ill fated trip. What Im getting at is the car ran for about 30 minutes and 10 miles before any of these problems began to surface. Wouldnt the seized ring scenaro have manifested itself within the first few minutes of running?

I know it sounds as like I am denying the obvious, but I still think its something simple. I have so much time and money tied up in this thing and every time I think I have a major issue, it turns out to be some stupid little thing.