siguy

puff of death question can it be a head gasket ?

got a buddy of mine who has a similar set up like mine ATI procharger set up 383 low miles set up for boost (15#pounds)

problem is that i am seeing a little puff of death coming out of the valve cover

but the strange thing is that thee is zero oil coming out of the tail pipe ... i know when i cracked my ring-lands I had a ton of oil and smoke coming out of the pipe under boost.... so am i missing something here could it be a head gasket problem? or something else? (motor makes great power and runs great nothing on the plugs compression good (lower compression motor)

Kevin Blown 95 TA

Maybe it's from his ring gaps. Can you just barely feel puffs out of the hole or is it blowing smoke rings and stuff?

siguy

if puffs enough where you can feel the pulse ... but not enough where its shooting oil out of the valve cover or spitting out the tail pipe also plugs look great and motor still makes power etc ... (just did a compression test and all cyl and all are within the same sec as each other ) so i am puzzled ..)

(spec on motor forged crank je low compression pistons 4 bolt main caps etc etc.) arp studs on the heads etc

WS6 TA

unlikely it's a headgasket, the only way that would happen is if you messed up the headgasket between a cylinder and the lifter valley, and although I suppose it's possible, I've never seen or heard of that happening (usually it's between cylinders or a cylinder and a coolant passage).

you can get the "puff of death" just from ring wear, typically it won't be as bad as if you broke something, and I've seen cars run for years after that started showing up.

siguy

i am just puzzled that i still have full compression on all cyl's i was expecting to find something when i was doing the compression test but nothing ?

WS6 TA

what's "full compression" "within the same sec..."?

Again, if it's just worn you could have even compression and still be getting blow by.

siguy

upper 190's this is a low compression motor... (i will check with my buddy again about the readings)

would a bad valve seal create the same problem?

I am still kinda stumped to whats going on.

dangalla

have you tried a leak down test

WS6 TA

unlikely, valve stem seals should never see the same kind of pressures that causes rings to do this.

siguy

Have not done a leak down test yet will do when I get a chance

BigBadLou

If you're talking psi, then 190's is very high, it would be around 13:1 compression ratio which isn't a low-compression motor.
I would suggest checking with your buddy on the readings.

Lou

siguy

will do again i did not take the readings but i will check in with him to see what he got thx