<VV> Occasional Oil Smoke puff

[kaczmarek at charter.net]

Let me relate a similar experience
I once did an o-ring job on my engine, and once I finished I realized I hadn't put the baffle shround under the cylinders. But I didn't go back and replace it as I should have. 

I had the same problem you have, except it came from the right bank. 

After about 3 months of this "Puff of blue smoke", I had a pressurized crankase---oil blew out the dipstick tube, and blew the gasket off the oil filter. 

When I pulled the right cylinder head, I saw the center piston had slightly melted on the 6 o'clock position, and as the erosion increased, the smoke had gotten worse until the crankcase fully pressurized. 

I replaced the piston/jug assembly, and also replaced the lower cylinder baffle at the same time. I still have the engine, and no issue until it was removed from the car. 

Hank Kaczmarek
Lincolnton NC
Past V V Chairman




---- David Heath <dheath at vanceandhines.com> wrote: 
> I have an issue hopefully someone here can shed some light on.  Every once
> in a while, the engine will give a puff of oil smoke out the left bank.
> This puff lasts for about 5 seconds or so, is always on the left bank, and
> always seems to be when the car has been idling for a long time (10 minutes,
> maybe longer).  This happens when I have been in stop-and-go traffic for
> quite a while or if I get stuck at several stop lights in a row.  The
> frequency is never greater than one puff every twenty minutes, maybe longer.
> The puff is pretty thick (embarrassingly thick), so it must be from more
> than a drop or two of oil.  The engine shows signs of leaking a little oil
> past the rings on the left side (slight blue haze to the exhaust), but this
> puff is much thicker and only lasts for a few seconds, like a blob of oil
> got to the manifold or one of the cylinders and as soon as it is burned off
> the engine is back to its normal self.  Engine runs strong.
> I have been wondering lately if the oil may be coming up the crankcase
> ventilation tube and into the balance tube where it may go to the left side
> more easily since the inlet to the balance tube is closer to the left side.
> Any thoughts?
> 
> Thanks.
> Dave Heath
> Cypress, CA
> 140-4 coupe
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