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Blue Smoke

02-Z66

02-Z66

Full Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2002
Messages
12,580
Location
Newport News, Va
  okay, my day was going good until i started my AV yesterday morning.  there was a big puff of blue smoke when i first started it. :E: :E: :E:  i called the dealer to let them know since i had to take it in today for the warranty suspension clunk repair.  hoping they will cover the smoke problem too since i am out of warranty.  some how i doubt it.

  what i am going to do is see what they are going to do.  if they are not going to cover it i think i may go with an SLP Performance Package (heads & cam) to take care of the bad heads, and give me some added power while i am at it. >:D  my thinking is GM is going to charge me an arm & a leg if i have to pay for it.  if this is the case i might as well upgrade.

  my luck has been sucking lately. :(  i need some prayer's.  my buddy tells me i should get rid of the truck, but i can't do that.  not only do i not want to start making payments all over again, but there is nothing out there that does what the AV does for me.  and with he things that have been going since my warranty expired (just hit 40k today and have had the seatbelt re-tractor start squeaking, front suspension clunk, driver front shock exploded, now blue smoke on cold-starts); kinda hard pressed to get another AV only for this same stuff, or similar things, to happen to me again.

  did i mention i need some prayer's?
 
If it would do it all the time, I would be concerned, But if it does it only on start up, Depending on how much smoke. I would'nt worry about it that much.

40K miles, She is just a baby still. Unless it has been really thrashed. Should be no problem.

White smoke from heads

Black smoke from rings/oil

Sam
 
Blue smoke on start - valve guide seals, a historic problem with small block Chevy motors, and one they managed to keep as tradition in the Gen-III motors.
 
SamHouseIII said:
If it would do it all the time, I would be concerned, But if it does it only on start up, Depending on how much smoke. I would'nt worry about it that much.

40K miles, She is just a baby still. Unless it has been really thrashed. Should be no problem.

White smoke from heads

Black smoke from rings/oil

Sam
Click to expand...


? truck is definitely not thrashed. ?that's one of the reasons i can't see getting rid of it. ?if it does it again i will have to pay more attention to the color of the smoke. ?it looked like it was a white/ blueish mixture. ?if it were the rings/ oil would it not do it as i am driving as well?
 
DougD said:
Blue smoke on start - valve guide seals, a historic problem with small block Chevy motors, and one they managed to keep as tradition in the Gen-III motors.
Click to expand...


? ?that's sounds more like what i experienced.  also, the conclusion i came to.
 
Replacement of the seals isn't a terribly difficult thing to do, involves either a special fitting on a compressor for pumping the cylinders up, or the magic of a rope stuffed in the cylinder.
 
  i helped replace seals on a Camaro before, so i am familiar with the special tool needed to keep the valves from falling into the cylinders.  not real crazy about adjusting valves after replacing seals.  seemed a little tricky for me when we were doing that Z-28.
 
PUNISHER said:
i helped replace seals on a Camaro before, so i am familiar with the special tool needed to keep the valves from falling into the cylinders. not real crazy about adjusting valves after replacing seals. seemed a little tricky for me when we were doing that Z-28.
Click to expand...

You're describing a solid-lifter setup, there won't be any valve adjustment in this case.
 
Or my father's method - tighten till it strips, then back off 1/4 turn :)
 
PUNISHER said:
i think i might have used that method once, or twice, too.
Click to expand...

It's an improvement - he used to like the "tighten till it snaps" approach.
 
  they did not get the smoke to appear when they had the truck at the dealer.  they did fix my other problem however (clunking when going over bumps on driverside).
 
DougD said:
Blue smoke on start - valve guide seals, a historic problem with small block Chevy motors, and one they managed to keep as tradition in the Gen-III motors.
Click to expand...
definitely the seals
 
  has not happened again.  yet.  not sure if i will just fix it, or use it for an excuse to get new heads & headers. >:D
 
You might want to try changing your PCV valve.  I had a 2003 Silverado with the 5.3, and it would occasionally blast out a large blue cloud when started cold.  After several trips to the dealer, they  replaced the PVC valve.  The new valve cured the problem for good.  This part is cheap, and might be worth a try if the problem persists, but just be sure to use a real AC Delco PVC valve because most aftermarket ones don't work correctly.

Lee
 
redz7103 said:
You might want to try changing your PCV valve.? I had a 2003 Silverado with the 5.3, and it would occasionally blast out a large blue cloud when started cold.? After several trips to the dealer, they? replaced the PVC valve.? The new valve cured the problem for good.? This part is cheap, and might be worth a try if the problem persists, but just be sure to use a real AC Delco PVC valve because most aftermarket ones don't work correctly.

Lee
Click to expand...

If I remember correctly the 02 had a PVC valve replacement service bulletin ....
It sure wouldn't hurt to put a fresh one in anyway.

BTW, they replaced the valve seals in my 02 also.
 
We bought a new PCV valve for ours but we aren't smart enough to figure out where it is on our 02'! Someone care to enlighten me??

 
Item 8 in this post:

http://www.chevyavalanchefanclub.com/cafcna/index.php/topic,44372.msg718848.html#msg718848
 
I just replace my old pcv a month ago. Then today came out to start the Av I also saw a puff of blue smoke. Av been driven daily. Well it being sitting there till evening today. Any ideas of the cause?
 
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