You need to pull all of the plugs. If you are getting coolant in the cylinder it will show. Coolant cleans things up. Smoke from bad valve seals is most notable after the engine has been idling and clears up as you drive .

 

Hi guys. I'm going to start a new thread: smoke, part II. I learned a few things today. See you on that thread! thanks in advance for the help.

 

i once had a 360 in 75 highboy that blew white smoke. i had the heads and gaskets done and it still blew white. ended up being crack in cyl wall couldnt see it unless piston was down all the way..

 

Dang. I saw that once on a customers car. Small block Chevy if I remember.

 

You can test the coolant for carbon content to confirm the presence of exhaust gasses, confirming a compression leak of some kind.

 

This is what you need for checking exhaust gases in the cooing system.

 

I believe you can actually rent this from Autozone...

 

Exhaust from combustion with coolant in it has a distinct odor as does exhaust with burned oil in it does. Coolant has kind of a burnt sugar smell in my opinion and burning oil has a smell like a snowmobile or any other 2 stroke engine running.