White smoke from exhaust.

[jamison42166]

well last year I had my 289 rebuilt with an Edelbrock performer Rpm Top end kit including alunimum heads, intake manifold pushrods lifters and hydraulic roller cam. drove the car a little bit this summer and the C4 trans blew up. after waiting 6 weeks for the trans to be rebuilt at a racing trans shop and replacing 2 defective valve bodies after the rebuild i looked foward to a nice cruise in my car. I drove it about ten miles to a cruise in then on the way back I noticed the exhaust started smoking bad with white smoke. I also had it coming from under the trans tunnel as well. it only seems to do it when the engine is really warm, as far as i can tell the oil doesnt have any anti freeze in it and I dont have any oil in the anti freeze either. im figuring there is some kind of internal leak somewhere but its only after the engine is warmed up.

 

[danny clemens]

It sure sounds like it's water coming into the combustion chamber from somewhere. It could be a cracked cylinder wall, cracked head or bad head gasket. I've been told that anti freeze can ruin cylinder walls fast. Maybe somebody else knows for sure.

 

[Fast63]

It could be you are sucking transmission fluid into your intake through the vacuum hose that goes to the tranny and all the smoke is from that burning.

 

[ultrastang]

It could be you are sucking transmission fluid into your intake through the vacuum hose that goes to the tranny and all the smoke is from that burning.

I will second Fast 63's response. I had the same thing happen to my '68 back in '83 when it had a C-4 in it.

The modulator valve's diaphram ruptured, allowing the engine's vacuum to draw the fluid out of the transmission and into the combustion chambers. It resulted in a nice thick cloud of white smoke coming out the tail pipes.

The fix was to replace the modulator valve (the component that the vacuum line connects to at the transmission).

 

[JDS68Stang]

I noticed the exhaust started smoking bad with white smoke.

I also had it coming from under the trans tunnel as well.

it only seems to do it when the engine is really warm,

as far as i can tell the oil doesnt have any anti freeze in it and I dont have any oil in the anti freeze either. im figuring there is some kind of internal leak somewhere but its only after the engine is warmed up.

Fast63 and ultrastang make great points that would explain most of this and seems that would be it, but it still doesn't explain all of the symptoms.
If it is only smoking "when it's warmed up" that tells me it's burning off of something, your exaust maybe once it gets hot? I think it's your trans. fluid also that's causing the white smoke, not your engine. Looking in the rear view mirror driving you might think it is comming from the exaust even if it's not.

First thing before you trouble shoot any further get a fire extinguisher handy, (trans. fluid is flammable and your exaust pipes can ignite it) pull the car up on ramps and while it's running take a peek under w/ a flash light and see if any trans. fluid is leaking or fine spraying anywhere. I would replace the modulator valve also just to rule it out for $10. or so (it takes a special very thin wrench).

You might wanna stop back at the trans. shop, tell them what's going on and ask them to take a look around and see if they may have done anything that would be causing your problems.

 

[jamison42166]

im agreeing with you on the trans thing i did find a small puddle of trans fluid on the floor this morning... when it happned it smelled like burned rubber.
im taking the car back today to my local mechanic. ( the one who reinstalled the trans.. the trans shop is 4 hours away so its not possible to drive the car that far.

 

[JDS68Stang]

Glad your getting it looked at, if the mechanics good he should be able to pinpoint it. If it turns out the trans. shop did shoddy work have your mechanic document it on the bill receipt and get a partial refund from the trans. shop for screwing up (if they did). Once fixed remember to top off that trans. fluid now that was lost.

Let us know what it turned out to be if you find the problem, I'm curious to know.
I'm betting at this point is was comming from one of the sending or return trans. line connections or a bend/ fine break in one of them.

 

[jamison42166]

they already had screwed up twice.... the place was recomended since the guy does a lot of drag racing trannies etc...we got the tranny back and it wouldnt shift down into first after coming to a stop... then it would start in second and imediatly shift to third... or it wouldnt catch when you put it into drive... after a million phone calls between my mechanic and the tranny place they decided it was a valve sticking in the valve body...my mechanic took the valve body up to the shop a 4 hour drive and had the guy work on it on the spot... they put the valve body back in the tranny and its the same thing... so now the guy offered to send another new valve body down to my mechanic which they have now... well see the guy is trying to make it right and im glad my mechanic is eating the time and labor up to do all the extra time on it.

the person who recomened the trans shop said yea hell beef it up to withstand more power put needle bearings in instead of thrush washers etc...but what good is it if it dont shift right.

 

[JDS68Stang]

they already had screwed up twice....

... after a million phone calls between my mechanic and the tranny place they decided it was a valve sticking in the valve body...my mechanic took the valve body up to the shop a 4 hour drive and had the guy work on it on the spot... they put the valve body back in the tranny and its the same thing... so now the guy offered to send another new valve body down to my mechanic which they have now...

....well see the guy is trying to make it right and im glad my mechanic is eating the time and labor up to do all the extra time on it. QUOTE]

Nah Nah Nah!!!, Don't ask your mechanic to eat his time and labor over this, not fair to him, sounds like a decent guy to do that for you, don't take advantage of that or he won't be a friend for long. So they screw up twice and now the smoking problem, about time to call them on it to get it right.

Call the trans. shop and tell them now THEY can send a guy 4 hours to your town and they BETTER FIX IT RIGHT, all at their expence, be nice but let them know you mean business at the same time. If they refuse drag them into small claims Court and give THEM a headache over this and get your money back plus your mechanics bill paid.

Ever watch how Pauly handles things on the Sapranos?, take notes.

 

[jamison42166]

I didnt ask him, he volunteered... and after spending 15 grand with him over the last 2 years im not worried about it i must be his best customer.

 

[seagrave]

So what was making the white smoke? I have a 73 351w c-6 trans and the same problem,only at high rpms will mines smoke, also how do you route the vac. lines.

 

[jamison42166]

we found it... simple problem actually it was the pass side valve gasket leaking slightly when the car was really warm or running at higher rpms... the solution was to put a thicker valve cover gasket on it problem solved... they also got the new valve body in the car. the car is like a totally whole new beast now that the built up C4 is dialed in. i can shift it manually if i want with seperate indents for 1st 2d and 3rd or just put it in D and let her rip.. at first i hated the lokar shifter but now im starting to like it.
chirping the tires in upshifts from first to second feels kinda cool.

 

[JDS68Stang]

........Fast63 and ultrastang make great points that would explain most of this and seems that would be it, but it still doesn't explain all of the symptoms.
If it is only smoking "when it's warmed up" that tells me it's burning off of something, your exaust maybe once it gets hot? I think it's your trans. fluid also that's causing the white smoke, not your engine. Looking in the rear view mirror driving you might think it is comming from the exaust even if it's not......

Well, 1/2 right is better than fully wrong, I knew it was burning off of something. Glad your up and runnin again.