Motor smokes...any ideas?

[85burb]

I just put a LQ4 in my 85 burb and now after about a week of driving it it has started to smoke. It does not smoke when i first start it in morning or when i start it after work. It only smokes if it has ben running for a while. I first started to see it today. It smelled bad on sat when i was driving it. Now after i am about half way home if i slow down to stop at a light i see it puffing smoke when i am idleing at the light. Then when i take off it fades out. But at the next light it is there again. After pulling in to my mail area at appartments i got out and looked and it was puffing smoke only out my driver side pipe. Then it slowed down. I shut it off and got my mail and restarted it and it was just smoking a tiny bit. By the time i idled to my parking spot it was gone. I shut it off and wiped inside of exhaust tip and seen it was wet and black. Then i went to other side and it was dry and black. So it is deff only driver side. What could make it smoke like that. If it was when is first started it it would be the stem seals. Could it be PCV sucking oil in? Any ideas?

[usmcchevy]

Blue or black smoke? Black-fuel. carb rich, possibly jet loose. Blue-oil. PCV could do it. Some put a catch can in the PCV hose. Personally I have not seen a LS pull much oil past the valve seals, maybe enough for a puff of smoke at start up.

[85burb]

It is deff blue. I am going to remove pcv hose and see if it is wet with oil tomorrow. I am sure it is rich. But i am sure that is not the problem. I really dont want to have to put rings in the dang thing. The bottom side of the cylinders and all i could see with pan removed looked great. Looked like it was bearly ran. I did not pull heads to check any of that stuff on top side of cylinder tho.

[Big Port Jimmy 6]

See if the PCV is the updated style. The new one has a small hole in it 1/8th or smaller. Look up LS1 tech and look a catch cans
tsb 1
Higher Than Expected Engine Oil Consumption (Replace PCV Valve) #01-06-01-029
Higher than Expected Engine Oil Consumption (Replace PCV Valve)
1999-2002 Chevrolet and GMC C/K Models

2002 Cadillac Escalade

with 5.3L or 6.0L Engine (VINs T, N, U - RPOs LM7, LQ9, LQ4)

Condition
Some customers may comment on higher than expected engine oil consumption. They may further comment on consumption in the range of 2,000 miles (3,200 km) or less per quart (0.946 liter) of oil under normal driving conditions.

Cause
The condition may be due to the PCV Valve flow rate under certain engine operating conditions.

Correction
Verify that the oil consumption is not the result of an oil leak or other engine concern.
Dealer should perform an oil consumption test. The vehicle should have accumulated over 4,000 miles (6,450 km) before establishing the oil consumption rate. Reference Service Bulletin #01-06-01-011, Information on Engine Oil Consumption Guideline, for details.
Remove the PCV Valve and inspect the hose going to the intake manifold for signs of excessive oil being present.
If excessive oil is present in the PCV hose, replace the PCV Valve Type 948C (2) with a new-style fixed orifice PCV Valve Type CV2001-C (1). See Fig. 1 - PCV Valve Identification.
FIGURE Figure 1 -- PCV Valve Identification(c)




(1) New style fixed orifice PCV Valve Type CV2001-C
(2) Spring and plunger style PCV Valve Type 948-C


Important
Do not install the new style fixed orifice PCV Valve on vehicles equipped with the 4.8L V8 Engine (RPO LR4). Use of this orifice on the 4.8L V8 engine may affect engine idle quality and engine RPM control.



Important
The new style fixed orifice PCV Valve contains no moving parts, and does not rattle when shaken.


If the vehicle has an orifice style PCV Valve, investigate other causes for high oil consumption.

Parts Information
Part Number
Description
Qty

12572717
Valve, PCV Type CV2001-C
1


Parts are currently available from GMSPO.

[85burb]

Thanks i hope that is what it is.

[matthew20061]

My friend put a 5.3L in his 67' Firebird and it smoked blue sort of how you described and it ended up being the valve seals. He replaced them and it hasn't smoked since!

[85burb]

Originally Posted by matthew20061

My friend put a 5.3L in his 67' Firebird and it smoked blue sort of how you described and it ended up being the valve seals. He replaced them and it hasn't smoked since!

YES that is what i want to hear. I should be replacing it this weekend. I got board on lunch and checked my pcv hose. Let me ask a stupid question....When you pull the hose off with engine running it should speed up yes? Well mine does not. It is bearly sucking. So i looked at the end that is attached to carb and seen it has a plastic thing in side of it. I got the hose from my old evap canister and i guess it has somekind of a restriction on it. Will get new hose and try again. I do have the updated PCV valve. I pulled the plugs and found #1 cylinder is the one that is burning oil. All 3 others on that bank looked brand spanken new. No black at all. So i will replace that valve seal and if it fixes the smoke i will do all of them.

[85burb]

Well found out what was wrong with motor. Some how the rocker got side ways and held the pushrod up so it was not hitting the lifter. I am amazed that there was nothing bent or broken. Prob could not happen again so nice.

[Clyde65]

Congrats on the find and fix!

[85burb]

Thanks sure runs great now..