smoke puffing from passenger side oil cap

[KwikSilvr]

I noticed this yesterday after I changed my oil... there is a white smoke thats puffing as I rev the motor coming out of the oil cap on the passenger side... when I disconnect the pcv valve it also has a small white smoke puffing out... I just finished putting my motor together and I just passed 500 miles on the break in, but the smoke is still there... is this casue for some concern??

it could be a valve not seating correctly right?

it could also be the piston rings not seating correctly too right? either way the motor is coming out?

I don't want doom and gloom, just possibilities..

and yes it puffs more when you rev it... I dont know if its getting worse or not yet... what do you all think?

its only the passenger side... the drivers side does not have smoke coming out of the breather hole when its unplugged....

 

[KwikSilvr]

could a bad lifter or 2 cause this as well?

 

[Stinger2007]

I think it could be the condensation buildup, but I'm not 100%. Somone else will surely chime in.

 

[RIDE THE]

I've seen a slight amount of smoke come out of the fill tube, but not a lot of it.

If it was a valve seal or a ring problem then you should be smoking out the tailpipe instead, and thats really only on startup. Right? If a valve wasn't seating properly then it would have low compression or a missfire condition.

 

[KwikSilvr]

not really misfiring, but i only have like 10 vacuum on idle in drive, but that could be becasue of my cams...

the truck does sound aweful though... and it idles like crap, but again I am hoping thats part of tuning this new cam....

it actaully gets stronger the smoke when you rev it.....

 

[RIDE THE]

Video of it smoking by any chance?

 

[moon]

Old school hit's me in the arrs sometimes sounds alot like valve guides and seals IMO

Can we say ---- bronze valve guides and Ferrea SS valves.....

 

[N8dogg]

what kind of oil did you use on the first cycle? If you used full synthetic your piston rings very well could not have seated properly. You should have used motorcraft synthetic blend for the first cycle..

 

[KwikSilvr]

Old school hit's me in the arrs sometimes sounds alot like valve guides and seals IMO

Can we say ---- bronze valve guides and Ferrea SS valves.....

thats what i got..

is it something I can live with with minimal affects in the future?

or do I need to tear it apart again?

i cant have a video.. it won't see it... its like a steam but not thick...

 

[WhiteBolt]

what kind of oil did you use on the first cycle? If you used full synthetic your piston rings very well could not have seated properly. You should have used motorcraft synthetic blend for the first cycle..

+1
Probably rings not fully seated. Sounds like excess blow-by.
Did you put anything other than regular motor oil (sparingly) on the pistons when you installed them?
Are you using a break-in procedure like this? http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm
We used this procedure to break-in new engines on the dyno at the engine shop I worked at.
Never had any blow-by problems and never wiped out any cam lobes this way.
I recommend it.

 

[BlownBayou]

Condensation is a beotch on these motors in Winter...... Pull your oil cap and look at the bottom of it...Probably have a nice white/brown action on it. Something to look at as a possibility. Any short drives will cause this to happen. I have the PCV delete on mine and I get no smoke (but I am venting out into the air).

Later

 

[KwikSilvr]

I used mobile 10w30 NOT SYNTHETIC for 20 minutes, then I changed the oil and ran it for 500 miles..

then I changed it at 550 miles and went to castrol conventional 5w20. thats whats in it now..

I changed the filter 3 times now...

i have a pcv delete as well... I was not hard on the motor for the 1st 500 miles, however I did go into boost (about 5-6 psi) on the highway a couple times...

now it runs strong... i am at 600 miles and I get on it a little more... its got the power, but I just saw this misty smoke coming out of the pcv hole... I do know that if the pcv system was still hooked up, I proably would not see the smoke as it would be sucked into the intake...

I really am not insterested in pulling the heads and or motor and re-honing the block... but, if I have to.. I have to... however.. it is strong... its just that I seem to be only about 10 In vacuum with my cams with a/c on in drive, and about 13-14 in vacuum in park with ac off... my cams are 238/242:115

idle sucks, but im working on the tune with somebody so its getting better...

but when cruising down the road, I feel nothing... its smooth as glass... and has the power.. I have yet to WOT it... I am waiting to about 1500-2000 miles before I do it, and at the same time will switch to synthetic...

I have no misfires, and my vacuum holds steady.. if it was not steady that would indicate a valve not seating...

so you guys think its rings?

I have had no oil loss of any kind.... and my plugs on the passenger side are all uniform... none of them look oil coated....

so... whats the prognosis? just steam... it has been very cold in the mornigs here and warm in the afternoons....

 

[Stinger2007]

Well, I'm still learning much about these trucks. As you know already know, it sounds from the last post that you are checking off all the possibilities on your list, which is what many should learn from.

I think it was "Ride the ....." that mentioned a video. I agree, this would go a long way for us here on the forum. We realize not everyone has this choice.

But without any other hard-n-fast clues. I'd consider a re-look at the tune, tweaking it maybe? You claim that you've been working with someone in this area. It maybe worth the look.

Then again, no major pwr loss, no major smoke billowing out of the exhaust, plugs look good, hmm? Bad rings, maybe i misread something, wouldn't there be some other tell-tell signs of bad rings other than what your symptoms are?

Then again, it could be that old codger gremlin, "condensation", keep us posted, I'd like to know what it is...work on that video too.

 

[KwikSilvr]

yeah, the cams and the tune might be some what to blame MAYBE...

I'll see about making a video...

but if the rings were bad then there would be oil on the plugs, and there is not... im hoping its just condensation under pressure in that head...

 

[WhiteBolt]

....but if the rings were bad then there would be oil on the plugs, and there is not...

Not necessarily. Your oil rings may be working well, but your top and 2nd rings can still be not fully seated.
Combustion pressure can leak downwards into the crankcase, but the oil rings will prevent oil from going up into the combustion chambers.
Find someone with a leakdown tester (not compression tester).
This tool will indicate the quality of your ring seal or pinpoint a bad cylinder or a leaky valve.
http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/116_0406_cylinder_leakdown_tester/index.html

 

[Stinger2007]

Good Info...

Not necessarily. Your oil rings may be working well, but your top and 2nd rings can still be not fully seated.
Combustion pressure can leak downwards into the crankcase, but the oil rings will prevent oil from going up into the combustion chambers.
Find someone with a leakdown tester (not compression tester).
This tool will indicate the quality of your ring seal or pinpoint a bad cylinder or a leaky valve.
http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/116_0406_cylinder_leakdown_tester/index.html

Wouldn't there still be some evidence of this leak i.e, smoke, loss of pwr, rough idle?

 

[KwikSilvr]

i guess what i need to do right now is finish breaking in the motor... put at least another 700-1000 miles on it, and be working on my tune for the cams and idle.. once thats done I will re address this issue... becasue if its bad, its not gonna get worse, and or its not gonna get better... so... I guess I need to finish the break in first...

 

[Robert Francis]

Finish your break in and see what happens. If you really do have a "ring" problem, it probably won't get any better and you'll start pumping excessive oil by the rings and see some evidence of it on your plugs and you'll know you have a problem. Then you can make a decision as whether to take the engine apart or not. Meanwhile, if it has good power, just finish your break in and see what happens and go from there.