Wow. I actually hellped someone! That's really cool to me, cause I'm not the best mechanic in the world (I've only recently started small DIY projects on my Camaro, learning things as I go along).

Sweet

 

thats cool, it still has an evel wave of slight vapor coming out, but the cam does have 40000 miles on it so its expected.

 

Vapor coming out steadly in small quantities is normal; when it puffs like an old steam engine, is when you have serious problems.

 

Vapor coming out of the valve cover holes (or breathers) steadily whether a small or large amount IS NOT normal. It may be common for older engines or those that don't take care of their cars, but it's not normal.

The only time vapor should be coming out of the breathers/holes is when they are wet with condensation from the night before or when the engine is fired up first thing in the morning. The engine heat will burn off any moisture inside the engine and the vapor you see is the condensation on the top inside of the valve covers.

If there is any kind of steady smoke (it will not be vapor, as vapor is a product of evaporation, not burning) you have bad valve seals, valves that aren't closing all the way (meaning carbon buildup on the valve seats), the engine oil is breaking down because the engine is WAY TOO hot or you have a bent valve. I doubt the latter as you stated the cam had 40,000 on it already so unless you changed timing chains and got the marks mixed up you OK on [no]bent valves.

Try this little trick.

Get your engine nice and warm. Go to the store or something. When you get back, go grab a spray bottle filled with water. With the engine running at a higher RPM(2500 or more, so you'll need 2 people), spray the water down the venturies (or into the throttle body if injected) and do it liberally. You do need to keep the engine running through this and that's where the second person helps because the engine will try to die. What this does is try to clean off the tops of the valves with the water kind of like rinsing off your lawnmower after 2 summers of lawns, and often (but not always) it will break off the carbon build up on the valves which is a HUGE reason that people get pinging in their engine.

If that fails you can always go to your nearest parts store and get some Fuel injector / valve cleaner and add that to your next 2 or 3 gas fill ups.

RM

 

I wouldnt spray water into the engine if you think its excessive do a compression check.

 

Hmmmmmmmm .... i'm a shade tree mechanic from way back and i must admit i've never heard of cleaning your valves with water. sounds to me you would be setting yourself up for worse problems than dirty valves via scratches and undue wear to the cylinder walls. just my opinon tho. Sick

 

using the spray bottle is a good old trick for cleaning off carbon build-up. it totally works

 

i also dont think a little water is harming anything, as soon as combustion takes place its just steamed instantly and out it goes. anyways,i got it to stop pinging, but have a good advance at the same time. i do have a steady flow of vapor coming out of the filler hole on the left side, but i havent really checked it after the engine was considerably warmed up.

 

Why is that your goal? Why not just get a timing light and set it the right way.

 

this sounds like a major problem. watch your coolant levels