new 454/425 ho smoking

[bobwak]

I am at my wits end.
Just installed a NEW 454/425 HO from GM in a 70 chevelle ss. Went in smooth no problems.

Slapped a 750 demon on it and started it up. After about 400 miles engine is smoking and has left side lifter noise. Was running 5w-30 and now 10-40 valvoline and as soon as she gets hot she starts ticking. Some smoke is being exhausted out the back end typically blue smoke. Doesnt seem to be running too rich but not sure. What is the deal?

Also oil seems to break down VERY fast....not running hot either.

[Robs71Nova]

Did you run anything with the oil when you were breaking it in? Gm sells a product called EOS — Engine Assembly Prelube that your supposed to add to the oil before you start a motor up. It is very high in Zinc and other materials that helps break the motor in. Also, not suppose to run a synthetic oil within the first thousand miles of a motors life. 5w-30 seems to light, I run 20w-50 in my 454. To me it sounds as if your piston rings didn't seat properly upon breakin. You might be able to add the above product and it might not be to late. Your burning oil somewhere.

Rob

[MrPbody]

What about oil pressure?

Does it smoke more under accelleration or decelleration?

Craters are notorious for minor (and sometimes major) problems. Contrary to what advertisers want you to believe, a "custom" engine will usually outperform a a crater for the same or near the same money. The Merlin and Eagle craters are better than that. The GM is nothing more than production-line stuff.

Provide the answers to the above questions, and we can narrow it down for you.

[Seannz28]

I say the problem is Valvoline, I wouldn't put that on my bike chain

[Triplet]

Bobwak, I also have a 454HO, mine is a little older though. I've had a great experience with mine. I do not believe that the GM stuff is crappy because it is made by GM. If they make engines that last 1-2-3 hundred thousand miles, they should be able to make one for me. Car Craft also tested one and have modded it several different times, one of which was making 900 some hp with a blower. So, don't let any of these guys get you thinking you bought a bad crate motor with inferior parts. And, the Valvoline is not a problem either. I have rebuilt and been experienced with several tear downs of engines using Valvoline, and all have been Excellent as far as engine cleanliness, and other oiling responsibilities I also use 10w30 Valvoline in mine.

GM does use low tension oiling rings, which uses oil by design. This will enhance engine life, at the expense of using some oil. I don't really like that decision, but it hasn't been a problem other than checking the oil occasionally for me. Mine doesn't use oil enough to burn blue smoke though.

I have also had experience that sometimes lifters can collapse, or not pump up, which makes your valve adjustments not up to par. The 454HO uses a "net lash" valve setup that does not allow adjustments, so if you have a noisy lifter problem, it can't be out of adjustment, it would have to be a collapsed lifter, or some other problem like that. I'd do a compression test to make sure that you dont' have a valve problem. If it was a valve problem, maybe that could explain some of the smoke---valve guide gone bad or somelthing? If you get an engine book that is decent, you can find some engine vacuum tests that can indicate different sources of problems, like bad lifters, or valves etc, and you don't have to tear anything apart to check---hopefully!

Good luck, and let us know what you figure out. Don't give up faith in your motor, mine has been excellent, and lots of fun, and quality is been top notch.

[Chevy-SS]

Not to get too far off-topic here, but I have a 454 in my '68 Camaro. It is a performance engine with top-quality parts. I had it internally balanced, but it still doesn't seem as smooth as it should be.

You guys with the 454's, do your engines run smoothly, or do you feel a little vibration?

Thanks

[MrPbody]

My point about craters has nothing to do with the parts. Although they do use stockish stuff, as opposed to Merlins and Eagle craters, which use high-end racing stuff. The point is, they are NOT what they're cracked up to be, just like anything else in life, where advertising hype and convenience take control. A "custom" built BBC will stomp a factory engine, IF your engine builder is any good. And usually at the same or lower price.

If your 454 was converted to "internal balance", be certain the balancer and flexplate (or flywheel, if a manual) are 427 parts (or 396...). If you're using 454 parts, they are the issue. These are easy to identify by the weight "added" to them. The balancer has a large "chunk" of metal cast in to one side. The flexplate has a weight welded to it. A manual flywheel will have a series of holes drilled into one side. If any of these situations exist, you have a mis-matched set of stuff.

[Gilmore03]

The engine should be under a 12/12 warranty, so dont strain your self man, bring the car to them. Dont start messing with anything or the warrantys void. I had the same problem when i bought my 350/350

[bigmike69ss]

Wow I thought I was seeing things. I bougth the same wooden crate full of the same problems. Both of our engines must have been built on the same day by the same idiot. My 454HO started smoking right around the 400 mile mark and now has a lifter noise on the drivers side. also my oil pressure seems to drop very low after warm up. used the same reccomended 5w 30 oil to break in as stated in paper work. I guess I could have paid 5000 dollars to a local machine shop to get a mess like this. As far as warranty goes read the fine print, sure they warranty the broken ring and the noisy lifter ( what about $23.79 worth of parts) but they dont warranty the the labor and time to install the parts

[SpinnerCee]

Depending on your build [camshaft] -- the valve stem seals found in some rebuild kits are incorrect and leak. At worst, they'll get smashed to bits by the lifter or spring.

Another issue that we always forget -- if the car was sitting for a long time without being run, the gas may be stale, once all of the aromatics are gone from the fuel, it becomes more like oil, and will smoke -- of couse this will also varnish the valves, cylinder walls and and combustion chamber.

If it happened after a while, and you also hear noise, pull the valve covers and look for little pieces of plastic or other things that may not be up to snuff (valves adjusted?). With the valve covers on, pull the oil filler cap and check for either exhaust noise (or air pressure), or severe vacuum in excess of normal PCV that would indicate bad valve guides allowing intake or enhaust port leaks into the engine cavity.

[bigmike69ss]

The car has not been sitting so fuel is not the problem, the seals are the stock umbrella type with no apparent damage.
I have always had more oil smoke on the pass side tail pipe both at idle and more on hard accelleration. Im hoping it is a ring that has not seated quite yet. I went to Chevy today with my lifter noise problem and they are going to warranty a new set of lifters and intake gasket set, its a good thing because these stock roller lifters are $52.00 ea.. I will assemble it and go put some more hi-way miles on the car to see if I can seat that ring (fingers crossed) right now I would estimate under 1000 miles on this crate and most of it has been sitting in ft lauderdale stop and go traffic. I still have no ideal what ignition setting to use for this engine. I run a MSD RTR (no 6AL box) light springs, vacume advance. The Paperwork call for a 4 degree BTDC timing so I run the small bushing and try to get total to 34-36, I run a 770 street avenger , tried the 750 DP and it was way to rich at idle however did like the performance with the secondary squirter, car is a 4 spd with 3.31 rear, doug thorley 1 7/8 full tube with 2.5 and flowmasters