389 smokin\'...help...
 

ok finally got around to pulling off the breather hose on the poncho and cleaning out the insane amount of build-up that was in the filter (it burned for an hour), slapped in back on the car and got around to test driving it today. No more oil coming out the dipstick tube so I was happy about that, but now the car is smoking out of the breather hose. It's not just a little bit of smoke, and it's not ALOT of smoke, just enough to cause concern. You don't notice it when the car is in motion, but it's really obvious when it's sitting still something ain't right. What should i try to aleviate this problem? I'm hoping it's something alot more inexpensive than a rebuild, cos if that's what it needs I'm screwed, I'm gonna barely get this thing painted as it is. What's a guy to do?

Re: 389 smokin\'...help...
 

Sounds like blow-by. (Compression leaking past the rings and/or valves.)

Not uncommon for older engines with high mileage and a poor service history. The fact that you cleaned alot of crud out of it indicates that it was probably poorly maintained by a previous owner.

Rebuild time.

Re: 389 smokin\'...help...
 

fuck......

i just knew things were going to good bein' almost on schedule and all...I'm just gonna have to finish all the body work and shit and just sell it off like it is i reckon...can't have another car just taking up space. This is fabulous.

Re: 389 smokin\'...help...
 

I agree with FH, you have excessive blow-by. Means rebuild time. Or just put up with it and drive as-is. It will run fine, just down on power and kind of smelly.

Look at the positive side, you won't have to worry about any wasp nests in your engine compartment. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthre...mlins/grin.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthre...mlins/grin.gif

Or just keep your eyes and ears open for another 389, or for that matter any Pontiac V-8. Only thing to be careful of is the motor mounts changed in 70's sometime. Otherwise any Pontiac should bolt up without any troubles.

Re: 389 smokin\'...help...
 

You can TRY some of those 'motor medic' or 'restore' formulas in your engine. I don't put too much stock in any "rebuild in a can" products myself, but I'm told that the stuff actually CAN help old rings seal a little better!

(I remain skeptical, but ya never know...might be something to those whiz-bang chemical cures!?)

Rebuilds don't HAVE to be expensive...I helped a buddy do a REAL low-buck driveway rebuild on a 283 Chevy with not much more than a box of basic hand tools, a re-ring kit, a drill with a hone attatchment and a weekend spent goin' at it back in high school! It ran pretty good, too! We just swapped on his old 307 heads to the quickly rebuilt short block and got him motorin' again!

Take a peek at your spark plugs. Excessive oil fouling? If so, then you REALLY need a rebuild...if not, you might get by for a while.

Price a re-ring kit and see if a local machine shop has a set of heads they can exchange for yours with a fresh valve job. Hone the cylinders with a rented or borrowed hone on your drill motor and install the new rings and gaskets. Pop for a timing set and an oil pump at least, too. Not the best way to do it...but a cheap way for the backyard guy on a tight budget to make it happen!

(You may need to rent a ridge reamer to cut the ridge around the bores down if it's very bad...at which point an overbore MIGHT be needed to clean up the cylinder enough and still maintain acceptable piston-to-wall clearances. This will require new pistons and raise your costs on machine work and parts a bit. It's YOUR car, and YOUR call...but I wouldn't let something like a little blow-by ruin MY fun...engines are fun and easy to fix!!!)

Hell, if you get the bodywork and paint done...doin' up a motor is the EASY part!!

Re: 389 smokin\'...help...
 

the way people are around here with motors, they either aren't worth a shit and need the same thing as the motor your trying to replace, or they in good shape and they want more for it than it would take to fix the one you've got. The only reasonable motors i ever come across are sbf's. Guess I've have to sell the shoebox project cheap now and attempt to rebuild it myself, that'll be the only way I'll be able to afford it.

Re: 389 smokin\'...help...
 

Might sound a little optimistic but my FE was blowin' by when I first got it on the road, and after I put some highway miles on it it quit.

My situation was that it had been sitting quite awhile and who knows what kind of driving it had before I got it. Sometimes the rings get glunked up and just need to get freed up.

On the other hand, if its been being driven (more than just idleing around town), and poorly maintained a quick overhaul is probably in order.

Given the choices I would probably do the mill and let the paint wait. This being from a beater driver of course. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthre...mlins/grin.gif

hey ya know the difference between an optimist and a pesimist? A pesimist believes it can't get any worse and an optimist knows it can.

If it don't make ya dirty it aint yours http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthre...mlins/grin.gif

Re: 389 smokin\'...help...
 

somebody at school mentioned that rebuild in a can crap, but I don't want a temporary solution, If I'm gonna get things fixed it'll get the whole shebang. I priced one rebuild kit online and it was $650...Tried to find my PAW catalog but it's nowhere to be found, do they run those two page ads in Rod & Custom or Custom Rodder? Those are the only two mags i have and i didn't see the ad in any of em'.

Re: 389 smokin\'...help...
 

THe car can't get driven around too much until it gets some paint on it, I'm not going to take a chance on havin' to go back and fix spots from where the elements got through the primer to the metal, if I'd known about this before I started the body and paint, I would be driving around a beater right now, heh.

Re: 389 smokin\'...help...
 

What year is the 389 in your car now?

Pontiac V8 engine mounting bolt holes changed a little over the years, but there are adapters to make newer engines fit where older ones went and vice-versa.

That said, I'm SURE you can score a complete, running 70s beater with a 350 or 400 Poncho in it for under $500. If you can't find one THERE, I know I can find one HERE for ya!

I've said it before, but it bears repeating...those 70s land yachts have good V8s hidden under all that smog crap...and they're dirt cheap to boot! Toss out the emissions crap and you got a good replacement motor for less than the cost of that rebuild kit you mentioned! I'd even be willing to drive a genuine Detroit Beater down to ya if that's what it takes to get it done! (YOU cover the gas money and the cost of the rustbucket donor car!)

Don't give up now...someone here on the HAMB probably has a good Poncho motor they don't need!

Re: 389 smokin\'...help...
 

You should be able to beat that 650 rebuild price at Summit Racing by about 150.

I don't think I still have a PAW catalog, but I'll call a friend and get you a number.

Re: 389 smokin\'...help...
 

Try running thicker oil.

Re: 389 smokin\'...help...
 

how about running the breather hose to the intake charge.

not a fix,

but it'll smoke less

under the hood

Paul

Re: 389 smokin\'...help...
 

Marvel Mstery Oil. Red and black can, been around forever
and it works. Not a cure but stops some symtoms.

Re: 389 smokin\'...help...
 

it's a 1960 Catalina. I'll see about the 70's cars, but all those that are usually in the papers are 6 cylinders or are completely screwed up, who has the adapters you spoke of?

Re: 389 smokin\'...help...
 

Switchblade, try www.northernautoparts.com for your rebuild kit. Excelent service and prices. They use name brand quality parts in their kits. The owner guy was on the HAMB about 1-2 years ago for a while, can't recall his name.

Re: 389 smokin\'...help...
 

i checked out that site but didn't see a kit for anything this old, so far the only one has been the $650 one from www.greenbaypartsworld.com

Re: 389 smokin\'...help...
 

try this, take out a couple of qts of oil & replace it with dexron ATF, run it for acoupel of hundred mile, then drain it, change te filter & put in Pennzoil 20-50.Next put a PCV setup in it, its cheap enough & will probaly solve your problem.
I rebuilt a 305 sb & without a pcv it blows smoke out alittle.
whts it going to cost $30!! worth a try.
JimV http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthre...ins/tongue.gif

Re: 389 smokin\'...help...
 

I don't know a thing about 389 Ponchos but I'm wondering...
Does it have a PCV? Is it plugged up?
That can cause the breather to smoke!
If all else fails...
I'd stick a Mopar breather (Hose nipple type) on it and run the hose to the bottom of the firewall to allow the fumes to get taken away with the air stream! Poor mans road draft tube!!!
Why stop driving it if it runs good?

Bill

Haha! JimV beat me to it!!! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthre...mlins/grin.gif

Re: 389 smokin\'...help...
 

I don't really wanna drive it a few hundred miles in a nice 60's style custom and have smoke rising up from under my hood at every stop light. No pcv setup on these, just the breathers and the breather hose hangin' out back. That's where the smokes comin' from. I'm lookin at the auto trader page and stuff trying to see what would be best on my wallet between rebuilding or engine swapping Foudn one i need to call, a 77 poncho more door with a running 400 for $125. It's a few hours away but if they say it runs good and the tranny is ok then I'll get my fiance's dad to go look it over, he ain't really a car guy but i think he knows enough to get by.