So heres the scoop guys, that $300.00 truck I bought a few weeks ago is having some issues. '76 F150 with a original 360. I replaced the oil, oil filter, pvc, coolant, battery, battery wires, cleaned the carb, plugs, plug wires, cap and roter, tranny and diff fluids, etc. All the basics. So now that I got it starting up good every time, its blowing alot of blue smoke. To go back, when I drove it on to the trailer to bring back to my house, it smoked real, real freaking bad. Then when I drove it off the trailer and parked it in the garage, it stopped smoking. Now that I've replaced everything its smoking again. Also, I've cut the rotted exhuast off behind the Y pipe from the manifolds and I have noticed that it's blowing a substantial amount of oil along the bottom of the truck, the ground, trees, and essentially anything else behind it.
I basically think that it's probably the rings, but does anyone else have any other ideas? I'd hate to have to put new rings on it, or worse, bore it oout a little and replace the whole shooting match. If thats the case I could be better off getting a that 300 I6 that I've always wanted froma junk yard around town. But tell me what you guys think about it first. Oh, the gas is approximately 12 years old in it (yeah).

Second, it has a "oil pan" air filter from what appears to be an old forties Ford car of some type. It's got the truck air intake, but the air filter itself diffentately has an oil fill line in it and a wire mesh element on the top. What do you folks think of this? I've heard they were great on old heavy duty trucks in dusty conditions, but I don't know how much I trust it on my truck.

Let me know guys.
Dools

 

Wow-you really got a lot to deal with here. How many miles on it? I think you need to try some fresh gas first but i doubt that will solve it. If it's smokin that bad and there isnt any carb or air issues, I would guess probably rings but maybe bad valve seals? If I had to bet I think you would be money ahead of the game to yank the engine and do your 6 cylinder, but the carb is probably all gumed up for sure with that bad gas. If you can get it to run better do a dry then wet compression test on it and that will tell the story.

 

just curious what oil did you use?

 

Ditch the oil bath breather. It could be sucking oil down the carb. Let it run for a bit, then pull the valve covers. The oil returns could be clogged causing oil to run down the valves. My 460 did this on one side when I first yanked it from the donor car. The old gas could cause smoke too, because it doesn't burn well and could be washing past the rings allowing oil to be sucked up into the cylinders.
A compression test will not tell if you have bad oil control rings or not. A cylinder leakdown test works better. You fill each cylinder with at least 80 psi of air with the valves closed and see where it leaks out at. If it can be heard in the valve covers, then the rings are leaking.

 

If you accidentally put too much oil in it might smoke. Also that old carb if full of old gumed up gas. I would drop the tank, flush it, and rebuild the carb. Weather your engine is bad or not your are still going to have to flush the tank.

 

just curious what oil did you use?

I used 10/30

 

a little thin for the engine. i hope it was not a SM rated oil. diesel oils will help seal the rings better give it a shot. the diesel oil is also the best oil you can feed your engine. try a 15w40 a try like rotella t or delo

 

Just dropped teh tank. Didn't even smell like gas anymore, brown, thick; overall pretty decent looking stuff. Lots of flack in the tank as well. I've been washing it out with a hose, getting cleaner. Any ideas on how to completely drain out all of the water now? There always seems to be a gallon or two stuck in the corners no matter how i tip over to drain it.
Thanks
Dools

 

use a shop vac.

 

perfect. Thanks.

 

That can certainly make it smoke, but from experience with the FE's I would highly suggest a compression test to have piece of mind if nothing more. I had a 390 that starting misfiring, which ended up being a burned valve, but it then developed an affinity for oil. I was having problems keeping oil in it, replaced front and rear seals, then it really started burning it. I pulled the head off of it, and it had 2 cylinders where the wrist pins had gotten loose and were rubbing the cylinder wall. 2- 1/8"grooves worn into the cylinder wall in both cylinders as a result.

 

my 460 was smoking real bad for awhile, especialy when it was first started, so i was thinking valve seals....when i tore my engine apart i found out that my intake gaskets where bad, so the # 2, 3, 6, & 7 cylinders where sucking oil from the lifter valley....i replaced all the gaskets EXCEPT for the valve seals(i didnt have a valve tool on hand) now its back together and i havent seen any smoke...since yours is blowing raw oil out of the exhaust i think its a good possibility you might have the same problem.....

 

FEs are terrible about intake manifold gaskets... but it really sounds like your valve stem seals are shot... I've bought more than a few $300 trucks and a few $50 trucks, all of them had FEs...

 

my 370 is suddenly smoking, I had the intake off today, I may have a bad intake gasket as well, I hadnt thought of that, thanks...

 

DO NOT use a shop vac on a gas tank!!!!!

The residual vapors can explode!

Use alcohol to remove any residual gas.

The oil bath air cleaner should be OK. They worked very well. Use SAE 30 oil in it. Otherwise replace it with a newer model OEM setup. Do not use one of those aftermarket open chrome jobs. They cause carb icing and loss of power and economy in cool or cold weather.