God am I p1ssed off....blue smoke again!

[mrbeige 0]

Started my Corrado this morning...it struggled to start and a big puff of blue smoke out the back again...

 

I've only just changed the bloody valve stem seals and recon'd the head!

 

Serves me right for not doing the valve guides I guess.

 

I hate this bloody car....it does my f'kin head in. You fix something and everything is hunky dory then the same thing happens again!

 

You do you all suggest I do?

[billinjah 0]

You do you all suggest I do?

 

get drunk tonight think about the car in the morning!

[corradophil 3]

Check your crankcase breather system is clear?

[mrbeige 0]

It using oil too!

 

It's been ok until this week? I don't get it.

 

Phil, How do I check the crankcase breather? Where is it, and what does it look like?

 

Cheers

[dazzyvr6 0]

there is a pipe that goes from the engine block into the airbox,take it off and make sure its clear

[mrbeige 0]

Do I just take it to Stealth? Getting annoyed at my inability to sort things out myself.

 

Getting to the point of selling the bugger!

[Kevin Bacon 5]

What was the valve stem clearance like when they were in the guides with no seals mate?

 

Once it did start, was it quite rough and unresponsive and does it smoke when driving too?

 

The crank breather hose can sometimes crimp under acceleration the valver, which draws oil out the breather box, but if it was fine before hand, don't overly concern yourself with it.

 

A small error has been made somewhere, but the blue smoke is not a good sign I have to say.

 

I say hit it again after a day or two's 'sleeping on it'. It might just be a head gasket that didn't seal properly and leaking across and oilway.... don't throw the towel in just yet!

[mrbeige 0]

I guess the valve stem clearance is the gap between the guide and the valve stem?

 

Novice here didn't check that, but there was a bit of lateral play in the valves!

 

Carleena my fiance recons I should just take it to Stealth! Stealth aren't in today, but what would it likely cost me to get someone to strip the engine, replace the guides and refit the head?

[corradophil 3]

This is the breather hose, its an easy job to check it so worth a try before pulling the engine to pieces. I've heard of lots of peoples cars smoking because it is blocked, once cleared it stopped. However I haven't experienced this with any of my cars.

[mrbeige 0]

This is the breather hose, its an easy job to check it so worth a try before pulling the engine to pieces. I've heard of lots of peoples cars smoking because it is blocked, once cleared it stopped. However I haven't experienced this with any of my cars.

 

I'll have a look, I know when I changed the head that this pipe was really oily inside!

[Baz2004 0]

I'll have a look, I know when I changed the head that this pipe was really oily inside!

 

I found a similar problem when I stripped my engine. Even the small pipe to the right that leads into the breather hose was very messy, I was told dirt builds up around here as fumes (Oil vapour etc) come from the head and pass through here. Even the flange at the front was very messy on me :)

[Chris M 0]

I once did a head and a couple of weeks later it started smoking, it proper did my head in (excuse the pun) but it turned out to be just a faulty or not pressed on properly stem seal and it had poped off and was ridding up and down on the valve stem.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Carleena my fiance recons I should just take it to Stealth! Stealth aren't in today,

 

I'd tend to agree!

 

Stealth are on holiday this week AFAIK.

 

I thought you'd already been to Stealth?

[Bobby 0]

what condition were the cylinder bores in, was there a step at the top? what was the compression like. Whilst the heads of get some new piston rings in if not done already.

[mrbeige 0]

I once did a head and a couple of weeks later it started smoking, it proper did my head in (excuse the pun) but it turned out to be just a faulty or not pressed on properly stem seal and it had poped off and was ridding up and down on the valve stem.

 

That does seem very feasible, especially as it was ok, and then all of a sudden it started smoking again! Plus its started running badly again which I guess could be caused by the oil getting into the cylinder whilst running.

 

I thought you'd already been to Stealth?

 

I did, last Monday, but everything was ok then!

 

what condition were the cylinder bores in, was there a step at the top? what was the compression like. Whilst the heads of get some new piston rings in if not done already.

 

The cylinder bores seemed to be fine, no step in there. Not sure on the compression, maybe I should check that!

[Kevin Bacon 5]

LOL, so you took one perfectly good working Corrado and buggered it up then didn't you? :lol: Sorry, I shouldn't laugh. I know only too well what a ball ache 'repeat' work is.

 

Do you have the standard head still? Bung that on to outrule the bores etc...

 

If it's all good, then your flowed head needs attention! Guide seals might not have been fitted correctly. Oh and if there's lateral play in them, they're worn. There should only be a very slight amount of lateral rock....you can also visually see buggered guides as the bores ovalise at the top.

[mrbeige 0]

LOL, so you took one perfectly good working Corrado and buggered it up then didn't you? :lol: Sorry, I shouldn't laugh. I know only too well what a ball ache 'repeat' work is.

 

B1tch :lol:

 

Do you have the standard head still? Bung that on to outrule the bores etc...

 

If it's all good, then your flowed head needs attention! Guide seals might not have been fitted correctly. Oh and if there's lateral play in them, they're worn. There should only be a very slight amount of lateral rock....you can also visually see buggered guides as the bores ovalise at the top.

 

Well there was some play in the guides, and I think it sounds like the stem seals weren't fitted properly by me! Oh well, might be a time for a new car! (Probably not worth a lot as it stands!)

 

Seriously though, I'll check all the none cost options first, crankcase breather etc, but I think the above is the most probable. I certainly wont do the same again (better not say that had I!)

[Kevin Bacon 5]

The guide seals have a plastic insert to stop the valve collet recess ripping them as you slide em in...oo er. You did leave said plastic sleeve in the seals until the valves were pushed through.....didn't you?? And fitting the seals needs a fairly delicate hand to avoid squashing them out of shape!

 

Guess which plum didn't do that once and duly fecked the seals a few years ago? Aye, twas me....

[corradophil 3]

In the Haynes manual it gives a maximum lateral movement for the valve to enable you to check for guide wear, not that it will help you much now. How many miles has it done? My old 8v Golf has covered over 200,000 miles on original guides and does not smoke at all. At just over 130,000 miles I had the head off it and the lateral play in the valves was still in tolerance - just.

[mrbeige 0]

The guide seals have a plastic insert to stop the valve collet recess ripping them as you slide em in...oo er. You did leave said plastic sleeve in the seals until the valves were pushed through.....didn't you?? And fitting the seals needs a fairly delicate hand to avoid squashing them out of shape!

 

Guess which plum didn't do that once and duly fecked the seals a few years ago? Aye, twas me....

 

Plastic insert?????? I didn't see no plastic insert! Probably squased them out of shape too. They were a bugger to get on...really tight..oo er :lol:

 

Probably fecked the seals then. Any idea how much Stealth would charge to replace guides and fit new seals? Just a ball park figure would be good, so I know how much alcohol I need to drink tonight....:drinking:

[mrbeige 0]

In the Haynes manual it gives a maximum lateral movement for the valve to enable you to check for guide wear, not that it will help you much now. How many miles has it done? My old 8v Golf has covered over 200,000 miles on original guides and does not smoke at all. At just over 130,000 miles I had the head off it and the lateral play in the valves was still in tolerance - just.

 

Is this lateral movement less than 1mm?

[corradophil 3]

1.2mm springs to mind, I'll check at the weekend and post it.

[mrbeige 0]

1.2mm springs to mind, I'll check at the weekend and post it.

 

If that is the case then they might well have been out of tolerance then.