365 Engine problems, need some help

[Alex-57]

Hi all -

  Hello to the Forum! This is my first post but I'm sure there will be more. The posts here seem to be a lot more knowledgeable so I hope you guys will be able to help me.

I purchased a 57 Cadillac about 6 months now and am finding some of the reasons why it was sold in the first place. It needs some work.

I've been wondering why this car always smells rich even when I lean the carb. way out. Well today with the help of the trusty girlfriend we found that blue smoke only came from the drivers exhaust, not the passengers ( there is no exhaust cross over tube, and the intake manifold exhaust bridge is blocked off) . When the car is warmed up at idle you can see a trace amount of blue smoke exiting the drivers side exhaust. If you rev the car up you get a nice cloud of blue smoke. When I first got the car we did a compression check on the motor and seemed to get decent numbers ..

Here are the numbers -

1 - 187 (w/ oil?)
2 - 162
3 - 169
4 - 174
5 - 165
6 - 168
7 - 170
8 - 183 (w/ oil?)

For cylinders 1 and 8 we think some oil may have gotten in the cylinder (valve covers were off for other trouble shooting reasons) hence the slightly higher psi.

So since the compression test seems good and the car seems to have power, no oil in the coolant that I can tell and no coolant loss, I'm uncertain of why I am getting the smoke from the drivers side only . I'd really like to fix this car to get it to drive right (also so I can work on the other issues that are wrong with the car). Any ideas? Any experience from people that have worked on Cadillac 331,365, or 390's ? Thanks!


Alex

[Coupe Deville]

Hello Alex. Welcome to the fourms! You will find alot of nice helpful people on this fourms. Someone will be able to help you trubble shoot your engine issue. Maybe you should perform a leak-down test on each cylnder. Many others will have ideas. Congradulations on your new purchase. I aquired a 57 a few moths ago also. Good luck!

-Gavin

[J. Gomez]

Alex,

I would second Gavin’s idea, but before you take that road try on small tip.

You will find a funny looking brass coupler on the right (passenger) side block just hidden by the starter. There should be a tube from it to a 4-way manifold/valve over at the firewall. This is the vacuum assistance line for the wipers.

Disconnect it and plug both sides, and try it again.

The coupler is a valve which should close the vacuum from the pump which is under the oil pump during normal conditions. If this valve is stuck open and the one at the firewall is also bad oil (when warmed) will find its way into the cylinders.

Just a quick tip!

Good luck..!

[Alan Harris CLC#1513]

Your compression numbers seem ok. Does the blue smoke begin on start up and go away after running for a while? That would point toward valve stem seals or valve guides rather than rings.

[Alex-57]

Sooo. I did do a road trip in it back 3 months ago with no change(about 150 miles). The exhaust smells rank..almost like old gas but worse.. that started my looking into this.. I'm guessing its the oil..   you smell one side of the exhaust and it smells normal.. like a classic car.. yummy.. the other side will lay you out and make you want to dawn 100% oxygen.

Ill look into the vacuum line tomorrow after work.   One guy on HAMB said it may be from the transmission getting fluid bypassed through the modulator.. this is my first automatic car so I'm not sure what that part does.. ill read more about that tomorrow as well.. But again.. the blue smoke / deathly smell only comes from one side.. the drivers.

It does the light smoke from the drivers side all the time.. if you rev it up a little you get a smoke show out the back a big cloud of blue smoke I could spray neighborhoods for bugs almost .. again coming only from the drivers side.  No smoke from the passengers side exhaust.  Thanks for the help so far.. id really like to drive this car rather than getting to know it by yanking the motor out. Thats why I thought I bought a decent one.

Alex

[Glen]

The original transmission on the 57 Cadillac did not have a vacuum modulator, that did not happen until 64 and the THM 400. 

I think Gomez’s suggestion on the line from the vacuum pump is a good one as is the valve stem seals. 

[Walter Youshock]

How is your vacuum at idle?  How is the heat riser that is only on the driver's side?  One benefit of having true dual exhaust is that you can isolate each bank of cylinders by looking at the exhaust.

What carb do you have--the Carter or Rochester?

[Dave Shepherd]

Good info by all, just make sure, the oil is not fuel contaminated.  Pull the dipstick and smell it.

[Alex-57]

Not sure of the vacuum at idle, I need a gauge. Both heat risers are blocked off with metal in between the intake and the heads. The car's vacuum wipers are deleted and the tube from the pan has a cap on it.

Alex

[Alex-57]

I'll take a video of the smoke tomorrow. Maybe it'll help?

Alex