If you let it run does it overheat?

 

Ok, checked the vacuum lines and FPR...nothing to report here. All seemed AOK. Any more ideas?

 

what color is the smoke ???? if white it is most likely coolant being burnt ( head, head gasket issues
if gray,, oil,,( valve seals, piston rings )
if black ( car running too rich )

 

The OP mentions gray a few post up. I wonder about valves seals after overheating.

 

ok, would valve seals be damaged because of previous overheating. Do all my signs point to this being a possibility: heavy gray smoke, good compression, uncontaminated oil/coolant. How is the best way to diagnose valve seals(within my ability). Can this be done visually?

 

yes they can,, ,, seals are made of rubber in an overheating situation they get hard thus won't seal properly,,

i have also seen piston oil rings go bad after an overheating situation ,, they get hot and get what we call,,, baked , ( collapsed )

if it is burning oil, i would replace valve seals first,, easier and cheaper ,,,,,,,,,,if it still burns oil,, next step would be piston rings

 

When I initially had the head off to change the gasket, I noticed heavy gunk built up on the valves, exhaust #2 and #3. I thought little of it because of my lack of experience and just cleaned them best I could. When the vehicle is running, there is smoke not only from the tailpipe but also from the exhaust manifold area. I wonder if it could be that oil is spraying into the manifold from this area? Is that how it would work if the valve seals were shot? Can I inspect the valve seals with just the valve cover off?

 

Another thought...aren't valve seals usually the cause of smoke only at startup? This car smokes heavy and steady regardless of runtime or rpm.

 

Smoke around the exhaust manifold should be a different problem from tailpipe smoke. Inside the combustion chamber vs. outside the engine.

 

I doublechecked the compression...from right(#1) to left; 195, 210, 210, 200 psi. Can I safely rule out the lower engine(rings, cracked block, etc). What should I do next?