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So I have already asked a few questions on the board already and I have got some really good help. I finally got my truck running yesterday after doing multiple things to it to get it there. Here is what I did and keep in mind it did sit in a bard for 35 years.
It has a 272 Y Block with standard 2 barrel intake manifold. It has glass packs on it that come out in front of the rear wheel.
Here is what I did.
New wheel cylinders
new Master cylinder
new brake hoses and steel lines.
new wiring harness
all new stock gauges with senders
new gas tank
new fuel pump
new spark plug wires
rebuilt carburetor
So thats all I had the money for as of right now and the truck is running. Problem is a I am getting consistent blue smoke out of the driver side tailpipe. I am not a mechanic so I looked it up and it could be a number of things. What do I need to do from here?
You could try a SeaFoam soak on the cylinders (2 tsp. down each cylinder, let it sit overnight) in the hope you have some stuck rings. Just running it around town may even improve things, but don't expect miracles.
So you dont think it could be some bad valve seals?
I would bet stuck rings if it is smoking for longer than a couple of minutes. My brother just resurrected a 53 caddy with the same symptoms. He kept pouring sea foam in the cylinders. He bought two gallons of the stuff. what he did was take all the oil out of the engine. Set the crank in a position that got all the pistons where he had a bit of volume in the cylinders and filled them with sea foam. he took a socket on the crank and worked the crank about a degree each way about a minute several times a day for a week. Every time he ran out of sea foam he would drain the pan. Then he ran the sea foam through a coffee filter to get the lumps out. Sea foam really cleans! The caddy had about 53,000 on the odometer. It runs awesome now! He did all the things you did to your truck with brakes etc.
Good advice on the seafoam. Quite common symptoms for an engine that has set for a long time. Drive it long, get it to operating temperatures. Repeat several times at least. Pull the driver's bank plugs and note the condition of each plug. Plug condition will tell you the condition of each cylinder. Concentrate on the suspect cylinder / cylinders. I have brought a few engines out of long term neglect. Some some will clear up, some will not.
Congratulations on a complete brake system rebuild.
Edit: Make certain both side rocker shafts are getting good oil flow.
Sounds like a good start to me, you made it safe, got all new gauges, have a clean gas system, new wiring, and got it running. Follow the advise above and maybe you can unstick the rings. Good luck with it!
So you dont think it could be some bad valve seals?
It could very well have bad seals, but these engines had pretty rudimentary seals anyway. They wouldn't usually create smoke much after start-up except when you blip the throttle after a period of idling.
BTW, if you put SeaFoam in the cylinders, always crank it with the plugs OUT before trying to start it. It may spray out of the plug holes pretty forcefully, so put paper towels over the plug holes to avoid a mess.
I agree on the seafoam. A little in the cylinders and let it soak. Marvel Mystery oil used to popular for this, too. If it seems to improve things but it still smokes, try adding some to the oil. Do this with caution. Sometimes adding a detergent to an old engine breaks up the sludge that been sealing things and it may start to leak. Keep an eye on the oil color, it may get dirty real fast. Change it and the filter. Also, what Ross said is correct. Sometimes just driving it will correct problems.
The worst thing you can do to a vehicle is not drive it. The second worst is to drive it.
Kerosene and diesel fuel mix will work and tranny fluid is also a high detergent. I'd use what i have around the shop 1st. I freed up a siezed flatty years ago with the kerosene / diesel mix, purged it, and had it running shortly. It smoke bad for about 15 minutes, but after that it was fine. Good luck.
Before I poured anything into the cylinders, I'd change the oil for a good grade of straight 30W 30 (NO multigrade or synthetic!) drive it for 100 miles, varying the speed regularly: accelerate full throttle, release the throttle and let it coast down. Drain and replace the oil and filter if equipped with a filter. Drive it another 100 miles (all in one trip). Now do a compression test and leakdown test on all the cylinders. If it is still burning oil, pull the valve covers and see how much gunk is built up and if the oil is draining back into the pan. The older oils when not changed often enough would build up a heavy layer of gunk that would plug the return holes in the heads and lifter gallery. DO NOT try to clean out the gunk unless you immediately pull the engine down and rebuild it. If there is1/2" or more build up, bite the bullet and have the engine rebuilt. Pouring cleaners into the engine will soon plug the already constricted oil passages and oil pump and you will soon burn up the engine. There is no miracle cure or easy way out.
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