junkboy
01-22-2004, 06:45 PM
Hey guys, I'm back to take up more board space. I've Intro'd a couple times, but I seem to get no response. So I've resigned to imposing myself upon you all until I get a response...be it positive or negative:). Ever heard a "smokey condition cures itself" story that was true? You're about to. I recently acquired a 1956 Buick Special that had a motor smokin' like Old No. 9. Despite all my efforts to remedy the situation short of engine tear down, it continued. Fate put me in touch with a guy in possession of a used 322 from a another Buick. He swore up and down it was a solid non-smoker, offered to help with install(in his garage) and even said he'd refund me if it didn't perform the way he'd described. Now I don't know how many of you have priced 322 rebuild kits, but the ones I found were the better part of a grand...then you still had to put it together. This sounded too good to be true; but I rolled the dice, and for $400 bucks and a case of Rolling Rock beer, I had me a nailhead and a helper monkey. TAKE NOTE: the ease with which the motor-trans combo comes out of an old Buick is INVERSELY proportional to the ease with which it will return to its original spot! Dealing with the tonnage provided by the "Oh no! Oh no! it's a dyna flow" trans brings two words to mind...'Bee Otch'. Anyway, to make a short story long(which I've beentold I'm good at), we finally got the motor swapped, did the ritual button up, and the moment of truth was upon us. Key turns, motor fires, and no smoke...yet. Even as operating temp was reached at idle, there was no smoke. I was satisfied...until the next day when I decided to take a 17 mile trip to the west side of town to show off to buddy. By thetime I reached my destination via city streets the cloud of pollution I was leaving behind was sending birds and small children crashing to the pavement from lack of breathable air. Of course, I hit every light along the way. I was pissed and embarrassed, so I decided(roadworthy or not)I was taking the freeway home. I was nearly 3/4 home when I noticed a serious decline in smoke production. The motor wasn't overheating, the generator was putting out, and I had plenty of fresh fuel...so I kept going. Approximately 100 miles of freeway travel later, the smoke was barely visible. The next day on the way to the salvage yard, it was gone. What a deal, eh? Been told the old motor probably deposited a lot of crap in the exhaust that needed to burn out. I don't care if it was caused by flyng pigs, I'm just glad it stopped. Feel free to share if you have another theory.