Thread: 350 rebuild smoking

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I have a friend who just bought a 88 S_10 with a rebuilt 350 motor. He doesn't know what was rebuilt,bored,cam, etc. It runs for about 2 minutes fine but after that it blows out oil from exhaust pipes you wouldn't believe. It makes me wonder if he has a bad intake gasket but he said he checked it out and it seemed OK. He's not a motor head really doesn't know much asbout engines and won't let any of us work on it because he wants to do it himself. I told him it could be the rings haven't seated, bad valve guides, if it was bored incorrectly, the cylinder walls could be scratched. Any other suggestions I can throw his way?

I have to laugh every time someone buys a vehicle with a "rebuilt" engine. Yeah, right.
When I buy, I want a worn-out or blown-up motor with the price being commensurate with the condition. Then I know where I'm at and can opt to do an engine swap or rebuild the motor myself.

It is particularly important for the individual who knows nothing to follow this pattern. Buy it with a bad motor and take it to a repair facility for a crate motor swap or whatever.

TRUST NOBODY!!!!

It sounds to me like your friend is a hard-head. He can't have checked out the intake gaskets if he hasn't had the heads off. Sounds like he's too p***ed off to communicate intelligently. If it were me, I'd side-step talking about the truck at all until he cools off and can listen to reason.

Yeah, I bought one that was "rebuilt". I wasn't going to use the engine anyway. I did a compression check first and wasn't getting more than 20-30lbs a cylinder. Rebuilt right! Pulled it apart and the cylinder bores were worn past.030 over with standard pistons in it and bores with zero cross hatch left. So like you said when someone says rebuilt don't believe it.

Tech, I fell the same way. He lives right next door to where I work and I look at the engine and found the rochester carb that was on had only 1 bolt holding it to the intake. The radiator is for the stock?(6 or 4) that came with the truck. The radiator hose was completely flat(no water getting to the engine) the intake I took my torque wrench to and found the first 2 bolts were loose and that is when he told me(I'll do it myself) so I know he hasn't done a damn thing with the intake gasket. I really think his problem is either the intake is warped or the gasket moved when putting it on. Believe it or not the engine sounds great, no rod noises to make you believe the bottom end is bad. Just smokes like crazy.

Could it be bad, or no valve seals?

sometimes its better to remain silent and look like a fool then it is to open mouth and remove all doubt

Yup,just like all racers,hotrodders are all liars, cheats, and thiefs.
Seriously though it amazes me how many folks think that a 1.98 catalog rebuild kit thrown into an old block with no machine work what so ever qualifies as a rebuilt engine.

If the intake is loose it will suck oil out of the valley. Lots of oil.