Oil Breather cap smoke...

**krinkov58** · 05-01-2009, 04:31 PM

Since the weather has gotten nice and I'm finishing up all the cosmetic B.S. with my '52 Rustmaster, I thought I'd try firing her up this afternoon for chuckles. She hasn't run for quite some time, certainly not since I've had her (November '08). I bought a 6-volt battery, ran a rubber hose into a gas can (gas tank is awaiting new sender), gave the carb a shot of ether and wouldn't you know the damn thing started right up on the first try!!! One thing though...there's a wee bit of smoke coming out of the oil breather cap and a little more coming from where the intake meets the exaust manifold (but it appears as if that's been sealed with some red gunk, which is smoking). Is oil breather smoke normal for an engine that's lain dormant for many years?
The car isn't moving when I'm starting it by the way, is up on stands. No smoke at all in exaust, runs like a top.

**Straight Eight** · 05-01-2009, 06:55 PM

The smoke is the product of combustion that has leaked passed the rings, and a certain amount is normal on these old 8's.

**52rat** · 05-03-2009, 09:43 AM

Yep, totally normal. I've got just over 2000 miles on my rebuild and it smokes a little from the breather.

Zombie

**39CENT** · 05-03-2009, 10:00 AM

just like a good ol straight 8, as long as it gets compression,gas and spark they will usually fire up. It might take awhile for the rings to exercise and get to working good, it should stop smoking. Just start it up now and then keep the juices flowing and warm.

**krinkov58** · 05-03-2009, 04:45 PM

yeah it was freaky how easily it fired up...was anticipating a few days of trial and error, I like a challenge...but it cranked right up. Now the starter's doing goofy stuff but if I mess with the battery enough it kicks in.

**krinkov58** · 05-05-2009, 06:46 PM

Okay new problem...this thing has a push-button start...sometimes when I try and start it up, it'll turn over for a sec, but it won't start. Sometimes it'll just click but most times it does absolutely nothing. Battery is brand new and kept charged. Took the front fender off today to clean up the contacts on the starter and inadvertantly bridged them with my wrench, and it fired right up--scaring the crap out of me in the process! Maybe a starter relay issue?

**njlimbaugh** · 05-05-2009, 07:41 PM

Probably scruffy connections. Clean all of the battery terminals and starter connections and make sure the starter is tight to the mount for a good ground.

**Great Balls of Fire** · 05-08-2009, 07:24 AM

Its either the starter relay (if you have one) or the push button. I've had to replace one already and I think the 2nd one is going...

**39CENT** · 05-08-2009, 08:46 AM

Well, you proved your starter 'motor' is ok. One of the most common problems is the starter relay contacts inside the solenoid. They take a big beating from hi amps and over time they degrade. the contacts wear and lose continuity and sometimes can be temperarily fixed by cleaning and turning them to unworn areas for better contact. Also wiring connections, especially grounding on 6 volt systems.

**Straight80** · 05-10-2009, 04:30 AM

Everything mentioned above is normal for a Buick to be sitting for some time. Theres one thing I think I should mention, did you check the transmission for the fluid level before you fired the engine up? What happens is the transmission oil sometimes passes through the spline seal, and over fills the rear, the result is very low transmission fluid level. This burns the front pump up, from very low or no fluid in the transmission. Dynaflow Transmission.