Valve Seals?
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New User
Joined: Sep 2006
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Valve Seals?
I just bought a 93' Bronco, 351, 152,000 miles. I bought the vehicle in Dallas, TX and in the process of driving home to Houston, TX I put the cruise control on. My wife was following me with our other vehicle and about 3/4 of the way home I encountered a large hill. Of course, the transmission dropped a gear to keep the Bronco at 70 mph. As soon as the transmission dropped to 3rd my wife said that she noticed a blue tint smoke start coming out of my tail pipe and then it turned white. Through the rest of the drive I only noticed smoke when i accelerated hard or I was going up a hill. After we got home I noticed that the her car had a large amount of oil residue on the front (she likes to drive to close) I know that blue means oil and white means water and the first thing i thought about was that my valve seals are bad and possibly a blown head gasket. Could there be any other reason? I have two friends (one a mechanic) that are coming to help replace the valve seals, but i am really concerned about a burnt valve. The bronco does not hesitate or miss. Any help would be appreciated.
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 9,182
Likes: 12
From: Gateway to the West
Welcome to FTE and the Big Bronco Forum. We will endeavor to get you the most accurate info we can muster.
Bad valve seals in the EFI models will show their true colors in the way of excessive blowby residue UNDER the airfilter in the box. If the breather is soaked and the bottom of the box is thick with oil, chances are the seals have been bad for a while. Might want to have a read through the red link in my signature now that you are a Bronco owner.
White smoke is definitely a bad sign (if indeed it was white). Check the oil for the tell-tale grey/brown sludge that indicates water is getting into the crankcase.
Bad valve seals in the EFI models will show their true colors in the way of excessive blowby residue UNDER the airfilter in the box. If the breather is soaked and the bottom of the box is thick with oil, chances are the seals have been bad for a while. Might want to have a read through the red link in my signature now that you are a Bronco owner.
White smoke is definitely a bad sign (if indeed it was white). Check the oil for the tell-tale grey/brown sludge that indicates water is getting into the crankcase.
Posting Guru
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 2,018
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From: Longview, TX
Anytime a menber of my family follows close I stop as many times as it takes to discuss the four second rule until they finally get it. They should note when you pass a sign, bridge, or anything and not get there until four seconds later. If I get in a wreck I do not want them joing me. Look at cars at a body shop. Most have rear ended someone.
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 460
Likes: 1
From: Edmonton, Alberta
Sounds like you might need to re-ring that bad boy. Of course the only way to tell for sure is a compression check. They should all push more than 100 psi and the lowest reading should not be less than 75 of the highest. Oil always burns white.
Keep in mind that the oil coming out of your exhaust was smoke ... not a liquid. That liquid oil is coming out from UNDER your Bronco, not the exhaust. I bet that yours drips either from the bell housing, oil pan gasket or tranny pan gasket.
My old 88 threw alot of oil out the back side due to the rear adapter plate on the tranny coming loose! lol
Keep in mind that the oil coming out of your exhaust was smoke ... not a liquid. That liquid oil is coming out from UNDER your Bronco, not the exhaust. I bet that yours drips either from the bell housing, oil pan gasket or tranny pan gasket.
My old 88 threw alot of oil out the back side due to the rear adapter plate on the tranny coming loose! lol
