It could be my engine...help. - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

bluec10 · 02-27-2003, 12:47 AM

I thought I'd check with the experts...

A student of mine is running a '76 Malibu with a 350/350 combo, just like the one I've got in one of my trucks. He pulled the car over to my place to check-out why it wouldn't start. I put a charger on the now run-down battery and just let the car sit in a warm garage (You haven't had a February until you've had a Canadian February!). After a few hours I got the car running....here are the symptoms.

It started hard, but started. At first it belched thick, black exhaust that left a mess on the garage floor. It wouldn't idle worth a rip, but I could drive it if I kept the rpm's up. It ran well on the highway, but stalled at every stop sign. When I got home the car smelled gassy and under the hood the right front fender tub and right hood had oil on them. I couldn't tell where the oil came from by looking at the engine, although there was a bit at the end of the snorkel. I checked in the carb and noticed some smoke inside of it and some parts above the venturis were oily.

At first I was thinking that he had just flooded it in a big way, or that it is just running rich. The oil has me baffled. I'm thinking that this thing has really worn/cracked rings that are allowing oil blow-by and causing poor compression leading to poor idle. Any thoughts?

benwantland · 02-27-2003, 12:57 AM

I'm totally pulling this out of my rear, but maybe.... if it still has the PCV system, the PCV valve is shot, stuck closed, and so all the crankcase breathing is taking place through the breather, which would be connected to the air cleaner. The breather might not be baffled well inside the valve cover, since if the PCV system were working right, it would only be letting air INTO the crankcase..... so now oil is migrating through the breather hose into the air cleaner assembly, choking the engine and leaking out of the snorkel..........

72CustomCamper · 02-27-2003, 01:08 AM

I'm with benwantland on this one. Halfway through your description I thought, "this must be the most catastrophic failure of a PCV Valve ever"!

Check everything associated with a good tune-up:

Plugs
Wires
PCV
Breathers
Vacuum lines

..or there some major engine damage...like a dropped intake valve?

Good luck

Radical Cam · 02-27-2003, 02:09 AM

definately check the PCV with the February's that we have here it is most likely frozen because there was some moisture in there. Where I work at a garage we have had a couple cars with this problem in the last couple of weeks.

02-27-2003, 12:47 AM	#1
bluec10 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Manitoba, Canada Posts: 663	It could be my engine...help. I thought I'd check with the experts... A student of mine is running a '76 Malibu with a 350/350 combo, just like the one I've got in one of my trucks. He pulled the car over to my place to check-out why it wouldn't start. I put a charger on the now run-down battery and just let the car sit in a warm garage (You haven't had a February until you've had a Canadian February!). After a few hours I got the car running....here are the symptoms. It started hard, but started. At first it belched thick, black exhaust that left a mess on the garage floor. It wouldn't idle worth a rip, but I could drive it if I kept the rpm's up. It ran well on the highway, but stalled at every stop sign. When I got home the car smelled gassy and under the hood the right front fender tub and right hood had oil on them. I couldn't tell where the oil came from by looking at the engine, although there was a bit at the end of the snorkel. I checked in the carb and noticed some smoke inside of it and some parts above the venturis were oily. At first I was thinking that he had just flooded it in a big way, or that it is just running rich. The oil has me baffled. I'm thinking that this thing has really worn/cracked rings that are allowing oil blow-by and causing poor compression leading to poor idle. Any thoughts? __________________ Present: 2015 Tacoma. Yeah, not a GM, but I love it. 1969 GMC 32,000 - fix, drive, relax, fix... 2019 BMW R1250 GSA - Yahoooooooo 1979 Honda GL 1000 - retro touring at its best. Past: '05 Sierra 4x4 - Had 270,000 KM and running well when it was written-off by a stop sign runner. '94 F-150 from the "F word" company. I'll admit it...good truck. Sold what was left of it for $800 to a guy who came to pick it up at 11:00 PM with cash in hand. Hmm. '79 Sierra Grande (Black) organ donor - perfect rebuildable 4-bolt 350 and a good TH350. '76 Sierra Grande (Orange) - hate isn't too strong a word. Kid who bought it turned it into a hot rod. '68 C-10 R.I.P. - Dad's old truck...too far gone to resurrect. '59 C-50 - with hoist. Truck is gone, wife isn't. Nuff said.

02-27-2003, 01:08 AM	#3
72CustomCamper Registered User Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Bremerton, WA Posts: 86	I'm with benwantland on this one. Halfway through your description I thought, "this must be the most catastrophic failure of a PCV Valve ever"! Check everything associated with a good tune-up: Plugs Wires PCV Breathers Vacuum lines ..or there some major engine damage...like a dropped intake valve? Good luck __________________ '72 GMC C20, "2500 Super Custom", Custom Camper, New 454 '93 K2500 Suburban, Old 454 (157K)

02-27-2003, 12:57 AM	#2
benwantland Registered User Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Iowa Posts: 71	I'm totally pulling this out of my rear, but maybe.... if it still has the PCV system, the PCV valve is shot, stuck closed, and so all the crankcase breathing is taking place through the breather, which would be connected to the air cleaner. The breather might not be baffled well inside the valve cover, since if the PCV system were working right, it would only be letting air INTO the crankcase..... so now oil is migrating through the breather hose into the air cleaner assembly, choking the engine and leaking out of the snorkel..........

02-27-2003, 02:09 AM	#4
Radical Cam Registered User Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Oakbank Manitoba Canada Posts: 73	definately check the PCV with the February's that we have here it is most likely frozen because there was some moisture in there. Where I work at a garage we have had a couple cars with this problem in the last couple of weeks.



Register or Log In To remove these advertisements.

Register or Log In To remove these advertisements.