WD45 smoke at startup

Forgot to mention I took the valve cover off. I can move the valves side to side in the guides.

For the last two weekends I've been going backwards. I think I'm gonna have to step away from it for a couple weeks and work on a different project.

just for giggles, what type of motor oil are you using?

My FIL's 45 was doing that also after we redid his engine. I suspected the valve guides were the issue. At first there was a little puddling on top of the piston. It wasn't really an issue with him but it bothered me. This was last spring when we got it finished and has since ran the piss out of it. It has since stopped or lessened since. It doesn't use oil like it did before. It would drop a quart and then stop using any more. My WD does the same thing and I have never figured out why.

He is happy as a clam with it because of the increased power and just overall good.
He bought it new in 55 and farmed with it for years. Better than it ever was and than some.

He uses JD oil and will not use anything else...period!
I don't know what the viscosity is but according to him it's the best thing since sliced bread.

79fordblake wrote: Forgot to mention I took the valve cover off. I can move the valves side to side in the guides.

79fordblake wrote: I'm using 30w break in oil. I was going to switch to 10w30 afterwards. Hey Don where do I need to send this head to get good parts if it don't work out with this machine shop? I can get valves and guides from Sandy Lake. Anybody know if the ones they offer are still made like originals? I know a few of you have said it's normal to see maybe a little because of the design of the engine. But I haven't seen any WD or WD45 do this at all of the shows or pulls I've been to unless it was a worn engine. Heck the old engine I took out had no telling how many hours on it...getting down to almost no oil pressure and starting to have a little noise in bottom end....still no smoke on startup.

I understand you being all pi$$ed off at the shop, I have a story that might help you see what might have happen to your head. back over thirty years ago we had a new guy come to town opened a engine rebuild shop and after two or three months he stopped by my tractor repair shop to have me look at some heads he had come back to him for rework.
So I pulled all the valves out and looked at the new guides and valves he installed all the guides had way to much wear inside them and after a short talk about how he did the work we found the trouble he had in the rebuild, he was just blowing the new guides out and not washing them and running a brush in them and then oiling the valves before installing the springs. This was in the good old days before China junk was a problem.
I'd go talk to the shop and find out just what they cleaned the head out with before putting it back togather. To find a good shop to take your head to I'd look around for the local race shop and have them work on it, might cost more up front but save you money in the long run. Good luck and if you don't find a shop I can tell you about my shop. FYI I do most of my head work in-house, know just what was done to them.    


Edited by Don(MO) - 12 Feb 2017 at 9:38am

You know Brian, he has more money in his motor that you probably had in the whole '69 Torino. I tell you I'd be jumping up and down having a fit if this was my motor and I'm a real calm type of guy. LOL I wish my son was still in the biz. He knew what he was doing and was dead honest with his customers. That was probably one of the reasons he closed the shop and went to work for  another guy. He said he enjoys the less stress. Other than what Don said, which is a real possibility, 

I know where you can find most or maybe all the NOS parts for it. PM me if you need them.

I agree Dick. They never gave me an answer on the valve to guide clearance. I don't think it was checked.

Yeah I know this just kinda complicated everything and alot of extra trouble. The place is about a hour away and they are closed on Saturdays. I work 10hr days sometimes 12 and they are not very forgiving on leaving work to do things unless it's an emergency. I'll have to use some of my vacation days just to get this done. When I get this figured out I'll make sure I report what happened.

DickL is right on the money,you cant move a valve side to side with good guides by hand, you need a dial indicator to measure the clearance,if they move side to side they are your old guides still.

I'm taking a vacation day Friday and I'm taking the head back to machine shop and I want it disassembled and clearances checked while I'm there.

Probably didn't use the new guides and stuffed the new valves and springs in. How you going to know any different? Get any old parts back?

I didn't get any old guides back but got everything else. Gave the chit head the benefit of the doubt. I know better but didn't.

Blake, I sure hope you get the satisfaction you deserve out of this.  I have that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.
Bet you wished you'd of sent it to Don to get it done now.  Hind sight......

79fordblake wrote: 2K just for machine work. NOS pistons/sleeves. Rebuilt distributor. New manifold. New clutch kit. Thermostat housing, water pump, NOS governor fork, new bushings in timing cover etc etc.

You have to ignore some of the guys on here when the topic of coat comes up. Alot of them have the tools and skills to do the machine shop work themselves and don't consider how expensive it gets for those of who are not mechanics or Machinest.   I have spent so much on my d15 I am pretty sure I would be better off dollars and cents to have never bought it. But I do like the old tractors even if they are expensive and burn alot of gas.