BayAreaZT Posted September 4, 2002 Share Posted September 4, 2002 I changed my head gaskets in my 327 recently and it seemed to run fine afterwards. Then my starter died and the car was sitting for 2-3 weeks. I just changed the starter and now it's blowing white smoke. Is there anything other than water that would cause this. What is the correct torque spec for small block chevys? I probably should go back and re-torque the heads. Could there still be water in the oil from when I took the heads off? I changed the oil afterwards, but it was after I ran the engine for a while. Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmanzo57 Posted September 5, 2002 Share Posted September 5, 2002 According to the Summit site, it's 65 ft lbs. http://www.summitracing.com/tech/charts_guides/tz_02cht_gds_chvytrq.htm It could be oil getting sucked in the intake ports from under the manifold. You should be able to tell by the smell if it's oil or water. Why did you need to change the head gaskets? Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grog Posted September 5, 2002 Share Posted September 5, 2002 I changed my head gaskets in my 327 recently and it seemed to run fine afterwards. Then my starter died and the car was sitting for 2-3 weeks. I just changed the starter and now it's blowing white smoke. Is there anything other than water that would cause this. What is the correct torque spec for small block chevys? I probably should go back and re-torque the heads. Could there still be water in the oil from when I took the heads off? I changed the oil afterwards, but it was after I ran the engine for a while. Any ideas? Dale, It appears that when you changed your head gaskets, there might have been some particulates on the mating surfaces of the block and heads around the water jackets that prevented a good seal. Also, a faulty or torn gasket could contribute to this problem. Either way, after sitting for several weeks, this allowed some water to seep into certain areas of the engine such as the oil pan or cylinders. White smoke is the tell-tale sign of burning water. Check the oil dipstick for a gummy, tan-like residue. That is oil and water aglomerating, and serves as a confirmatory check for a gasket leak. Also, there could be a sealing problem at the intake manifold that is allowing water to infiltrate into the intake runners (similar problem. I would check the intake gaskets first. Changing the oil before you find the leak won't help at all. Additionally, do not re-torque the head bolts. This will not help an already existing sealing problem. The head torque specifications for your engine depend on the heads, bolt/studs used, any the type of lubricant applied to the head bolts/studs (per the manufacturer, if any). If it is a bone stock 327, consult a Chilton's or Hayes manual for the year and displacement of the engine you are using since they differ based on what Chevy did to it from the factory. Grog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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