<VV> white smoke, valve train noise - need HELP!

N. Joseph Potts pottsf at msn.com
Sun Apr 3 21:40:37 EDT 2005


Next step for you: take the rocker arms off their studs on the problem side.
You'll have to reset the lash on that side of the engine afterward, of
course.
     I recently experienced a failure that involved valve noise (somewhat
intermittent) and did NOT involve obvious loss of compression on any
cylinder (although the affected cylinder WAS down). I did not experience
smoking.
     The valve guide had worked loose from the head. Tell-tales: valve guide
is sticking up too far, or not far enough, out of the head. End of the guide
is beaten up (fragments in rocker cover). Looking through the coils of the
valve springs is required here, of course. To make sure, get a
valve-spring-compressing tool from the auto supply for GM V-8s and remove
the valve springs. You do not have to remove the head to remove those
springs.
     A "loose" valve or two on either side is a common observation - not a
cause for concern in itself.

Joe Potts
Miami, Florida USA
1966 Corsa coupe 140hp 4-speed with A/C

-----Original Message-----
From: virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org
[mailto:virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org]On Behalf Of Ron Toll
Sent: Sunday, April 03, 2005 9:09 PM
To: virtualvairs at corvair.org
Subject: <VV> white smoke, valve train noise - need HELP!

This is a request to the many of you experienced Corvair mechanics out
there.  I need some help with my 65 Corsa 140.  Here's the symptoms.  On
the right side of the engine, there is a strong valve tap noise that
began as I was driving.  I have had a lazy lifter on that side but it
always seems to pump up after a few minutes when the car has gone more
than a week without being driven.  There is a substantial amount of
white (not blue) smoke coming out of the right exhaust.  I ran a
compression test on the car and collected the following data:

Cyl # 1 = 170 lbs
2 = 145
3 = 150
4 = 185
5 = 180
6 = 150.

With these compression numbers, I assume that the problem is not
something like a broken ring, burned piston or dropped valve (I have
heard the dropped valve noise years ago and will never forget it, this
isn't that!!).

I dropped the right side muffler and removed the right valve cover.
Nothing obviously wrong in the rocker box.  I did notice that one push
rod had some end play in it (second one from rear of car).  I did not
turn the engine to set TDC but I thought it might be unsual to have some
lash in any push rod during any point in the engine cycle (am I all
wrong here?).  I know that I will need to go in and adjust the valves
following the procedure mentioned many times on the list (I will do the
static method with engine off!!).  But before I go through that I was
wondering about anything else that I might want to check.  Can a lifter
just die?  If it is lifter issues, can you replace just one lifter or do
you need to do both in that cylinder or all on that side?  Would a bad
lifter account for the white smoke??  I assume that it would easily
account for the tapping noise.

I would GREATLY appreciate any assistance to help me get my coupe back
on the road.  My sixteen year old son is now with driver's license and
he has some interest in this as well (Read: another generation of
Corvair enthusiasts!)

After I get this addressed, I will be asking for some fuel pump recs
(electric versus mechanical and if the former, which one and how to
plumb - and some conversions to dual master cyl brakes with specific
reference to how that is done in some the systems sold by the major
vendors where there doesn't seem to be a proportioning valve built into
the system) but first thing's first - get my Corsa back to full health!!

Many thanks!!

Ron
65 Corsa Coupe (with a smoking problem)
64 Spyder Coupe (wanting new push rod tube O-ring seals - but waiting
its turn)




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