The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 235 engine white smoke

I have noticed that the 235 in my 54 chevy has white smoke from the oil breather tube and valve cover vents. Mostly when engine is warmed up. Im hoping its nothing major, engine runs strong. The white smoke has gotten worse over the years. What could this be? Easy fix? Thanks!

It's called blowby. The fix isn't particularly hard but it's expensive....it's called a rebuild.

If it bothers you, you could put a PCV system on it. If it runs well and doesn't burn oil then I would say keep driving it.

How often, and how far do you drive it? White "smoke" is actually steam from condensed moisture. If the engine isn't run up to normal operating temperature regularly, all that moisture that condenses in the crankcase as the engine cools will evapotate out as steam whenever the engine gets up to normal temperature. Drive it further, and more often- - - -that's the easy fix!
Jerry

I dont drive too often and only for an hour or so. would the pcv system just put the smoke right back in engine? I pulled my spark plugs and all were a little lean except for #5 and it was almost black. wonder why only one cylinder is running rich?

A PCV system runs fresh air through the crankcase and it provides a better environment inside the crankcase. It also helps for an engine that is only run for short periods of time.

With the PCV system, the excess fumes are recycled and burned in the engine.

the pcv hose on my carb is actually hooked up to my windshield wiper motor... could that be part of the problem with it running poorly?

The wipers are run by a vacuum-powered motor. That's a normal setup for trucks without electric wipers. A PCV system would have a much larger vacuum hose than the wiper connection, a one-way valve that is attached over where the road draft tube would normally be, and a ventilated valve cover, a vented oil filler or a hose attached to the air cleaner to put air into the top of the engine. It was an option on some heavy-duty trucks, and we retro-fitted a bunch of vehicles when Commiefornia decided that all cars needed a sealed ventilation system back in the mid-1970's.
Jerry

i just checked and the pcv hose is definately hooked into wiper motor. there is a vacuum line hookup on the top of my valve cover but nothing is connected. could not having it hooked to the valve cover be part of the running poor problem?

From Tim's website


1954 261 Positive Crankcase Ventilation System:

http://www.1954advance-design.com/Documents/EngineeringFeatures/slides/orig_Page58.html

http://www.1954advance-design.com/Documents/EngineeringFeatures/slides/orig_Page61.html

Per the link above the line from the top of the valve cover would run to the air cleaner

Can you post a pic of your engine?

here is a link to some pics

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2344117/1954-chevrolet-3100#23441170009

I can get more too, what do you want to see on it?

Nice truck!!

You had mentioned a line coming off the valve cover.

You can see from Tim's link on the 261 how the lines would be run.

My 235 also vents white smoke on shut down
...click...

thanks!! yeah that is how mine looks, but it vents like that while running too. thanks for the video and diagrams!

Great video, Gus.

This may be a modified "Commiefornia" sealed ventilation system that was on my '54 when I bought it. I've since replace the valve cover with an open-vent '54 cover and a road draft tube.
> Commiefornia PCV