smoke smoke and more smoke

[chrisgarrett]

If the starter is wet, the most commom causes in order of likelihood are:
1. back of intake
2. valve cover gasket
3. turbo oil feed block leaking and blowing back when you drive
4. front cover leaking and blowing back when you drive
5. oil leak at the top of the head gasket from rocker area overflow

If the starter is wet, it is almost surely not blowby or the rear main seal. I know you have a lot of suggests here. Here is mine, which I have used on several Buicks successfully. Go to your parts store and get the UV oil leak detection kit. It consists of uv fluid, yellow glasses and a uv lite. Add the uv to your oil, use a rag to clean the oil off of the engine, put on the uv glasses, start the car and lay under it. With the little lite, shine around the engine and you will see the leak. It will show up as yellow. The uv fluid has no bad affects on your oil.
But before you do any of this, clean up the oil with a rag. Lay under the car with a light and look at the ps valve cover gasket. Is it wet? If not, I'm putting my money on the back of the intake leaking.

 

[Paul Clark]

They make a dye (or however you spell it) that you can add to tranny fluid.
It shows up under ultraviolet light.
Any tranny shop should have some - and the light.
Might be a way to find out what kind of fluid it is. ??
Good luck.

 

[alittlev6]

If the starter is wet, the most commom causes in order of likelihood are:
1. back of intake
2. valve cover gasket
3. turbo oil feed block leaking and blowing back when you drive
4. front cover leaking and blowing back when you drive
5. oil leak at the top of the head gasket from rocker area overflow

If the starter is wet, it is almost surely not blowby or the rear main seal. I know you have a lot of suggests here. Here is mine, which I have used on several Buicks successfully. Go to your parts store and get the UV oil leak detection kit. It consists of uv fluid, yellow glasses and a uv lite. Add the uv to your oil, use a rag to clean the oil off of the engine, put on the uv glasses, start the car and lay under it. With the little lite, shine around the engine and you will see the leak. It will show up as yellow. The uv fluid has no bad affects on your oil.
But before you do any of this, clean up the oil with a rag. Lay under the car with a light and look at the ps valve cover gasket. Is it wet? If not, I'm putting my money on the back of the intake leaking.

ok i will try to get one tommorrow,and check that out about the UV detection kit. If its the back of the intake leaking,what should i do? buy a new set of intake gaskets? inspect for cracks? thanks for this good info!.

 

[alittlev6]

update****

well i decided to jack the car and put it on jack stands. I clean the underneath of the car with brake cleaner and also with a rag do get all that oil out. after that,i stayed undercar for a good 10 minutes visually inpecting the whole underlayer. didnt found anything,so i fugured it was time cumsusing until it started leaking again. So i got out of the car,and decided to turn the sucker on. i went back under the car,and inspected closely until i say a trail of oil steaming out along the upper passenger part of the bellhousing!..dripping on to the crosspipe and starter...what do yall think?

 

[chrisgarrett]

As I said:
1. Back of intake (most likely)
2. ps valve cover
3. ps head gasket (not likely but possible)

When the engine is cool, lie under the car and put your hand up onto the back of the engine behind the intake or put push your hand under the coil back and feel the back of the intake. I will bet dollars to donuts it's your intake seal.

 

[alittlev6]

As I said:
1. Back of intake (most likely)
2. ps valve cover
3. ps head gasket (not likely but possible)

When the engine is cool, lie under the car and put your hand up onto the back of the engine behind the intake or put push your hand under the coil back and feel the back of the intake. I will bet dollars to donuts it's your intake seal.

i will do that now,i took the car to work today so i have with me ,always at close eye,lol . i have feeling its the lower intake. i did however felt around the passenger head,did,not see leaks there,and also around the converter,oil pan gaskets,no leaks there neither...your right chris,it must be the lower portion rear of the intake...should i put a new gasket on,or silicone? like i said the motor was built like 2-3 months ago?

 

[flattype]

Im betting its your intake rear seal leaking. I just did mine not a bad job you just have to take a lot off stuff off and back on. If you take the coil pack off you can see for sure if thats it. (only loosen the 2 lower bolt the bracket slides out.

 

[alittlev6]

i will take the coil pack and see,thanks for the tip. im new to the buick gn game so im closely learning new things with these buicks engines. but i canbuilt you a killer nitrous SBC,lol

 

[alittlev6]

also i just visually look behind the coil pack,i can see alot of black/burnt oil along the coast of the upper bellhousing? is that a sign of intake gasket failure?

 

[flattype]

Yep thats it whoever did the intake probably didnt fill the joint in between the head and block. you have to put sealer under and on top of the rubber seal.

 

[chrisgarrett]

You need to buy the Felpro intake gasket at Autozone part # MS96033 PB. It's not a hard job, but it's time consuming. You will need to drain the fluids and remove the coil pack, and intake. You will get a lot of opinions on whether you should use the rubber end gaskets which come with the Felpro kit. Some guys throw them away and just use a bead of silicone on the front and rear; others use the end seals. I have done it both ways with success, but I prefer to use the rubber seals.
The bottom line is that if you don't learn to work on your own car, it will end up costing you a lot of money in repairs. These cars are temperamental and need lots of attention to run properly. For me, half the fun of owning t TR is working on it. The guys on this forum will see you through the job.
Just be sure it's not the ps valve cover gasket that's leaking. You can tell by sqeezing you hand behind the cover and seeing if it is wet.

 

[alittlev6]

another update

You need to buy the Felpro intake gasket at Autozone part # MS96033 PB. It's not a hard job, but it's time consuming. You will need to drain the fluids and remove the coil pack, and intake. You will get a lot of opinions on whether you should use the rubber end gaskets which come with the Felpro kit. Some guys throw them away and just use a bead of silicone on the front and rear; others use the end seals. I have done it both ways with success, but I prefer to use the rubber seals.
The bottom line is that if you don't learn to work on your own car, it will end up costing you a lot of money in repairs. These cars are temperamental and need lots of attention to run properly. For me, half the fun of owning t TR is working on it. The guys on this forum will see you through the job.
Just be sure it's not the ps valve cover gasket that's leaking. You can tell by sqeezing you hand behind the cover and seeing if it is wet.

In all, thanks for every boards member for their inputs,thoughts and ideas,especially chrisgarrett. I think i found the problem,it was the valve cover gasket all this time, i squeeze my hand once again,the back of the passenger head was wet and soaky,so i took the coil pack off,clean it with brak duster,closely inspected ,it was there. So i went to autozone,bought a set of rubber felpro gaskets,put silicone on every corner of the gasket and valve covered,fired it up,and it worked!...thanks alot guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!