mryan_davis

I have a 1990 Chevy 1500, it has a 350 TBI and an auto trans, when I start it after its been sitting for a few hours, like on my way to or from work it starts fine but then i get a cloud of light grey smoke coming out of my tailpipe, it also happens when i gun it to pass people on the highway or something. My truck only has 145,000 miles so i'm not sure whats going on, last weekend I did an oil change and put castrol gtx high mileage in there along with a quart of lucas oil stabilizer, but it didn't seem to help much if at all, any ideas?

therewolf

Gets me thinking two things:

1)Worn piston rings(hey 145000 miles is a good run)

2)It's old enough to smoke now. If it was a daughter, you'd have to put her thru college, so count yourself lucky. R&R is cheap compared to college tuition...

Two options:
1)Find a newer, more efficient drivetrain at a junkyard-

2)Carefully plan an R&R of your original drivetrain, keeping in mind this time would be perfect for additional upgrades and add-ons...

mryan_davis

great.... alright I appreciate the input, I'm guessing its decently expensive to replace the rings?

therewolf

Costs a lot more if you have it done. It's a good excuse to R&R your system, if you can do it yourself, and you can upgrade to other better components at the same time.

For about what a shop would horn you on labor for the job, you and some buddies could probably revamp your system with a fresh block and tranny from a junkyard with a couple cases of beer over a weekend.

Personally, I'd rather cut off my arm than pay a shop to just replace the rings. But that's just me.