I just got done w/ my LS/V build, have about 1k miles on it now and it progressively starting to blow more and more white smoke...

i was planning on tuning it after i got it broke in, here in the next week or two...

i just assumed the car was running rich and with the weather changing like crazy it would blow a little smoke, until today i went to check my oil and had smoke coming from my Dip Stick Hole.

here is what i have notice so far

1. Very Little but some smoke at idle
2. Blows quite a bit of smoke when i get on it (only in vtec)
3. is getting worse
4. car is pulling hard, and driving fine

here are my mods

ls - 81.5mm - bored,honed,decked
ls balanced crank
eagle rods w/ arp rod bolts
je 12:1 pistons
new acl bearings
new piston rings
b16 head
single layer metal head gasket
arp head studs
skunk2 intake mainfold
skunk2 Throttle body, 68mm
buddy Club spec 4. cam shafts
buddy Club cam gears
supertech springs
skunk2 TI retainers



let me know whats going on b4 i go INSANE!

 

do compression and leak down test sounds like my car when i had a cracked sleeve but there can be a few different possibilities but a leak down test will tell u what u need 2 know

 

Just letting you know.

It could be a lot of things ring seal or catch-can, etc.

 

yea im going to do a comp test and leak down test as soon as i can find the tools

k, im not running a catch can, i was thinking maybe the rings didnt seal,

 

1st problem to be solved.

 

k, will get one going, didnt think i was that big of deal to run one...

 

Where do you think the oil and crank-case pressure is going, lol.

 

... i dunno ...

 

Lol, now go buy catch can and get tuned.

 

u dont think there is any problem i need to adjust before i get it tuned?

n/m i guess ill find out when i do the leakdown and compression tests...

 

when the pcv system fails to evacuate the crankcase gas it increases the pressure in the block, to the point where it can stop the oil control rings doing their job, so thats probably why its chaffing oil in vtec. (faster moving pistons= more blowby= more pressure)

also ring gap and orientation also effects blow by (big gaps= more blow by) leak down test will point to large ring gaps or other problems

wost case scenario with high crank pressure. glazed bores, also effects the afr mixture in the cylinder if its really bad (burning oil etc)

sort pcv then hit dyno.

 

so catch can and tune, if leakdown and compression test come back good?

what kind of #'s should i be looking at on a compression test?

 

Im suprised no one mentioned the head gasket. Single layer VTEC or LS gasket? and what head studs did you use? You didnt mention that.

Did you ahhummm replace your valve seals and guides? When you got the springs and retainers done? Did you get the head milled?

What rings did you use?

Compression on all cylinders should be at least 225psi and up across all 4 (Just a general starting point guys), With the pistons your using it will probly be higher than that.

You will know if somthings wrong because the cylinder will lose pressure in front of your face and or it will be a much lower psi reading than the good cylinders making a tight seal.

White smoke to me means.....Coolant in the oil/chambers = head gasket.

 

its a single layer LS gasket,i believe, but i think im going to replace it w/ a 3 layer cometic

it has ARP studs

all the head work was done prior to me having the car, i just did the block work, car ran fine before, stock port and mill as far as i know

JE Piston rings


and thanks for the info!

 

lol, you built the engine so you should know your final compression ratio.

would imagine somewhere well over 210psi per cylinder with that gasket and the pistons.

looking at the spec on that engine i would not even contemplate starting that car on a stock ecu/map. what have you done in regards to ecu/fuel management? (bigger injectors? fuel pressure reg turned up ? rich base map)

if its really lean the pistons will heat, badly. expanding them to the point that the skirts rub against the cylinder all and marr the crap out of them. rings can also break due to heat, destroying the pistons/walls etc. if its been detting (detonation/pinking/knock etc) you could have damaged bearings in addition to all the above.

how much did you spend on the engine? guessing there is a few grands worth of internals in that at least, its a nice spec and should give you some good numbers, assuming you have not damaged it.

the more info you can give, the better.
(what color is the smoke out of interest?)

comp test the engine.
leak down test it.
avoid driving it until then

depending on what you get back from those tests you will either be going to get it mapped, or pulling it apart again to re-build it all or making a decent pcv system.

 

Wow this sounds bad dude. "its a single layer LS gasket,i believe"

What!? You dont know if you used a VTEC or LS head gasket?


"all the head work was done prior to me having the car"

Oh ****! Hahaha! I remember the last time I assumed my head was good to go without getting it checked out first. How can I forget! Nightmare!

"stock port and mill as far as i know"

Well you dont "Know" much....Or even enough to troubleshoot this problem. You dont "Know" if your head was flat do ya?

Tell me your running a Hondata S300 or equivilant and a wideband O2. This is LS/VTEC, You need a tuning solution right out the gate with these motors.



"if its really lean the pistons will heat, badly. expanding them to the point that the skirts rub against the cylinder all and marr the crap out of them. rings can also break due to heat, destroying the pistons/walls etc. if its been detting (detonation/pinking/knock etc) you could have damaged bearings in addition to all the above."

This could be part of it...You better hope not. This has happened to me. And my compression tests all read good!!!

 

well w/ the set up you say you have i see no injector upgrade... and w some "break in" miles, thats no bueno... LEAN<LEAN<LEAN

 

sry for the lack of info

i used a LS head gasket

the car is running on a pretty rich basemap, and i was waiting on my tuner to get back from vacation to get the car tuned...

fuel wise im running AEM fuel rail, AEM FPR, and RC 310cc

i went out when i got off work today, oil level is still good, coolant was kinda low so i added some...

car was not smoking at idle at ALL, does smoke when revved tho

my Exhaust is BLACK as can be so i assume im running rich, doing leakdown and compression test tomorrow

 

I vote for broken ringland

 

please dont vote for that , lets hope its just needs come ventilation and/or a head gasket

 

You know i having the same problem but i believe it is the tune i have because i had a LS vtec with P30 pistons and now i am running USDM type R and i have not yet got it tuned i will tom. so i hope it is just too much fuel i only ran it for 150 miles if that...

 

To much fuel dont make white smoke my friend....It makes black smoke.

 

how many times has your piston moved up and down the bore within that 150 miles?

gamble. at the end of the day its your investment. is it really really worth driving around a car and risking a huge repair build, or at worse having to buy a full new block/crank etc etc?

people do it, people get away with it, some dont. but i would say ask anyone of the unlucky ones and they will tell you it was not worth it, just because you "had" to drive it when you did not, or because you wanted this $400 intake manifold over the mapping.

i hope you get a good leakdown and compression results! (or when you change the gasket the bores look fine and unmarked) really i do, but if its veggied the engine then you have no one but yourself to blame. but you wont ever make the same mistake twice!

 

i totally agree w/ you red, i just assumed** that on the rich base map i had i would be ok for ~1000 miles until i got it tuned, i guess that what i get for assuming, im just lucky i dont have that much in my build, especially for the parts i have..

im going to try to get the leakdown test and compression results tonight if i can find the tools to get it down,

if everything turns old good, looks like a Catch Can and a Tune is coming ASAP!!

 

i can get you a catch can made just pm me what u want!! im in indy also