Engine smoking terribly

[J I Garner CLC # 23406]

My 1962 Eldorado was running good during the time the car was getting painted  and when I was replacing the trim. It then sat idle for several months while the upholstery was being done and installed. While it was not being worked on I installed a Pertronics Ignitor in the distributor. After the interior and trunk were finished I also dropped the fuel tank and repaired the sending unit. I replaced all the flex lines to the fuel tank. I tried for several days to start the engine to no avail. I put a timing light on it to be sure I had ignition, I did. Today I finally got the car started by steadily pumping the accelerator. After I got it started it smoked like mad. It is a light blue smoke. I ran the car for about half an hour and the gages are normal. There are no strange noises.
There are also no brakes. They die quickly. If I run the engine at high rpm the smoke dies down. When I shut off the car, it blows a brown looking smoke out of the air cleaner. This car has a pcv if that makes any difference.
The engine and transmission are freshly rebuilt and the car has not been driven.
All ideas are welcome.
Jim

[Pat MacPhail]

Jim,
Did you pull the distributor when you did the ignition change over? I wonder if you got it one tooth out.
Cheers,Pat

["Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364]

Pertronics can be a bit sensitive to air gap clearances. I would second the idea of checking the distributor timing to see if is correct.One of the other things that sometimes occurs when a car is in the paint shop for extended periods is paint vapor migrates into the cylinders through open valves (intake and exhaust) and can glue up valve operation and possibly cause sticking rings. It does seem that anytime one of my cars visits the paint shop it takes a while for the engine to run right.
Greg

[Bob Hoffmann CLC#96]

Jim,
It sound like you have a bad booster master cylinder problem. Your motor is sucking brake fluid. Disconnect the vacuum hose from the intake and plug the port.  If the smoke stops, you've found the problem.
HTH, Bob

[J I Garner CLC # 23406]

Bob,
I disconnected the vacuum to the bosster and there was no change. Still smoked.
Jim

[TJ Hopland]

Along the same lines, does a 62 have a vacuum modulator for the transmission?   Those can go bad and suck fluid.

Is the oil level normal?

If thats all good then its just about got to be a carb issue.  Float needle / seat issue?   Do those carbs have any sort of 'well plugs' like the q jets?   Any sort of power valve like the popular holleys?

[R Schroeder]

What about the fuel pump ? Can oil get into the gas and gas into the oil , if the diaphram is bad ? You said it started very hard.
The only other thing I can think of is oil not draining back to oil pan, because of a blockage in the head. Oil will then get sucked into valve stems.
I too think you have a brake problem, as Bob mentioned. Bad diaphram in the booster maybe ?
Roy

[Wayne Womble 12210]

I have been painting for 40 years and thats the first time I have heard that one.  Wow a new one.

The reason cars run bad when being painted or over long restorations is the lack of running for any period of time. I just ain't good to start them and turn them right back off. It fouls spark plugs in a hurry.  I usually plan on changing the plugs after one has been here for a long time. Most of the time they get so they wont start anyway.

Any solutions we offer will just be guesses, but he states that the engine was new rebuilt, and it has sat around. If he didn't run it for a while after the rebuild, my guess is the rings are not seated, and they might not at this point. Only thing is to drive it and see.
OH and replace the plugs.

[dplotkin]

I smell unseated or stuck rings. Happens with fresh engines that sit around or have not been sufficiently run-in. Take the car out to a safe place and womp up on it as you would never imagine doing, full throttle pulls followed by off-the-pedal decels. Do that 5 or so times and see if that helps the rings seat.  I've seen this before & a whomp can fix it only if it is not too late; i.e. cylinder walls are glazed. Remember to be safe. Good luck.

Dan

[Jim Sparrow]

Blue smoke is oil. If its worse at idle then clears up while driving, suspect valve guide seals. If its worse while cruising suspect rings. Since your engine was recently rebuilt then sat I think driving it, as mentioned earlier, will clear things up. By the way, tranny fluid is grey smoke, too much fuel (overly rich mixture) is black smoke. HTH    -Jim

[J I Garner CLC # 23406]

Thanks for all the hints. I will work on it this weekend. I will let you know how I make out.
Jim

[Terry Cox #26379]

alot of good possible answers. If i may....on the Transmission fluid possibility...from an earlier posted reply... If indeed it is sucking tranny fluid...if the modulator vacuum line back up to the engine is attached to the manifold via a "tee" or other fitting...check to see if that fitting is right above the # 8 cylinder. (alot of times it is on g.m.'s) if it is ..., i would remove that spark plug first to see if it is fouled some from all the transmission fluid being sucked back up the line to it's initial source of vacuum. it will suck the fluid right back up the line if the modulator is bad. This is if it even does have a modulator valve. I had this happen to me on my 65 Bui*k special. ALSO, transmission fluid will have "it's on very special smell" vs. motor oil because of the high detergent in the transmission fluid. (this is why we pour it down a car sometimes to feed an engine) as we say, to help burn carbon off of a suspect valve.  Just a thought..i'm sure we all will be waiting.. Terry cox clc 26379

[quadfins]

There is no transmission vacuum modulator on a '62 HydraMatic.

Jim

[J I Garner CLC # 23406]

I pulled the dipstick last night and the oil level is at least a quart over full and the oil has a gasoline odor. I am going to order a fuel pump today and replace the one on the car. I will also change the oil and filter before I start the car again.
Jim

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Oh dear. 

Not good.

Bruce.

[R Schroeder]

Thats sort of what I thought. I wasnt sure how yours is , compared to mine , which sits right next to the oil pan.
I had a tractor that let gas go by the carb when it was off. Over night the oil filled up , and it was blowing smoke all over the place the next time I used it.
Roy

[JIGarner]

Problem solved. It was no catastrophe, just an old man trying to do things he did on a routine basis years ago.
The oil sump was not overfilled. When the engine was finished at the machine shop I could not find the dipstick tube. I bought a replacement tube and my original dipstick would not go deep enough to measure the oil correctly. I knew I had the correct amount of oil in the engine. I had a longer dipstick and used it. Later I found the original tube and replaced the aftermarket one. However I failed to put the original dipstick back. I found it Saturday and the oil level was right on full. I changed the oil and filter anyway.
I change the plugs and retimed the spark. It was off by a gear tooth. When I started the engine there was no smoke.
I ran out of time today, but I still need to troubleshoot the vacuum system. When I speed up the engine the brakes lose the booster assist. I am afraid it is the booster.
Jim

[dplotkin]

Usually a booster failure shows up as no assist & a big vacuum leak with associated rough running upon brake pedal application. There is a check valve at the booster or in line with the vacuum hose. If yours is stuck, that could be it. Pull it out, you should only be able to blow through it in one direction.

Dan