Here the deal...I start my car once a week during the winter, to keep it oiled. This is a Saturday ritual. Last Saturday it started to smoke blue from the drivers side exhuast. I also heard a "popping" thru the header on that side.
I shut it off, pulled the plugs on that side and found that #7 was black, but dry. Other plugs looked fine. Motor wasn't "missing", but the smoke was never there, nor the "popping" thru the exhaust.

I pulled the valve cover and rolled it over, all valves, rockers, and pushrods seem to be fine, as far as their movement is concerned.

I haven't done a compression check yet (tomorrow) but does anyone have any ideas?

This is a GM 350 crate motor with 91 miles on it.(!)

I'll assume that its 'not' been properly broken in prior to storage (500 miles) [you list 91 miles]??

Proper cam break in and all ??? No problems before then ???

What did you do as far as storage for the vehicle ??

The car is in the garage. The cam "break in"
was done, and I have not had any problem during the 91 miles of driving, or any other time I have started it. (GM told me to drive it easy for the first 1000 miles, and I had been doing so until the snow flew). Just all of the sudden it started smoking.

The popping is "new" also, happened at the same time. It doesnt "pop" at any given iterval, just three or four times during the 5 minutes it was running.

no. 7 is black hmmmm well i know that blue smoke is defiantly oil being burnt, which on that new of an engine it is unusual for anything to be leaking as far as the heads go. i would think that by now (91 miles) the rings would ahve been seated. but maybe they are not quite all the way broke in or something not sure though. i do know how ever tht the no. 7 cylinder on a big or small block will tend to run lean no matter what but it sounds like if anything it is rich. but if you herd a popping noise it is probablly the cylinder missing out. but you said it wasn't, so the engine was running completly smooth when you herd the popping?

the popping, depending on what sort of pop it sounded like, could ahve been the headers heating up. that is if you are running headers

[This message has been edited by bryan1970 (edited February 18, 2005).]

I was always told not to start an engine while it's being stored, it really adds to the wear. It's a good idea to run some engine fogger through it before shutting it down to keep everything lubed. From not bringing it up to proper temps can create accesive carbon deposites. Maybe once you take it back out driving it will burn all the crap out of it, and it will quit smoking?

Well, just did a compression check......all cylinders are with in 2 psi of each other, so that should eliminate the possibility of a broken ring/damaged cylinder.

I'm guessing that a valve seal is bad...can't really think of any other reason that oil is getting into the cylinder.

Thanks for the input, I will have to pull the head and look inside the cylinder, and check out the seal situation.

WAIT don't pull anything yet!! does the engine have any sort of warranty on it? if it does i'd take it back. plus if it does have any sort of warranty if you take the head off it will probablly void the warranty. what kind of valve seals are on the top of them are they the little o-ring kind or do they clamp around the guid on the head. the second kid do a lot better job of keeping oil where it is supposed to be. it could be that the seals dried up from lack of driving. if they did dry up one way, although it is kinda hillbilly, you can put brake fluid on them or let them soak in it for a little while. that might soften them up again.

Ya know what,, I think I'd put a fresh plug in #7 and not worry about this too much till you can get the car out and drive it again.

Thanks again guys! I think I'll yake Marv's advise and just try it when I can drive it for a bit. At least I have a pretty good idea that it's not a broken ring or a scored up cylinder.

Yes, the motor is under warraunty (sp) but it only covers parts, because I put it in my self. Not a problem, I can fix it myself.