Smoke on startup

[SynergyGreenSS]

Hey guys, my camaro has been having an issue where it smokes on startup, sometimes not much and sometimes a LOT. The smoke is definitely burning oil. I have a Mighty Mouse wild catch can and speed engineering billet valve covers. I mention the valve covers because they have almost NO baffling, allowing oil to splash up into the AN lines for the catch can and fill it up usually in less than 100 miles. I had this same catch can with different valve covers and it filled up WAY slower so I plan on getting motion raceworks baffled valve covers. Anyway, I don’t drive the car all that much anymore but recently I’ve been driving it a bit more. I let it sit for almost two months without starting it (bad, I know) and the first time I started it, it smoked a little for a few seconds after I started it. Just about every cold start since then it has smoked and yesterday after not starting it for 10 days while I was out of town, I started it and it smoked very heavily for probably 30 seconds or more. Once it heats up it goes away but this was the worse I’ve seen it. I will mention, it was parked on an incline and I feel like I’ve noticed the smoke being worse when parked on an incline. Maybe it’s not but I thought I’d mention it. Do y’all think this could be an issue with the catch can/valve cover situation? Or do you think it’s motor related? The engine was freshened up top to bottom around two years ago but it’s probably got only 5-10k miles on it since then. Any help is appreciated

[SynergyGreenSS]

I just started the car and no smoke after sitting for around a full day

[SS Blinder]

How's your oil level? Does it change as you have been emptying out your catch can?

[SynergyGreenSS]

Originally Posted by SS Blinder

How's your oil level? Does it change as you have been emptying out your catch can?

Oil level changes pretty similarly with how the catch can fills. Meaning that every time I empty the catch can I add oil

[SS Blinder]

have you checked for blow by?

[SynergyGreenSS]

Originally Posted by SS Blinder

have you checked for blow by?

The car has some blow by, not much. The rings were gapped a little wider than stock when the engine was freshened up a few years ago because of the supercharger. Prior to installing these valve covers the car didn’t have an alarming oil consumption issue. I’d add a little bit here and there but nothing like I do now. Since that’s really all that’s changed I’m pretty positive the valve covers are my issue but I’m no expert so I wanted to hear other thoughts

[HOJO]

When you redid the top end do you think you could have possibly damage a couple of valve seals. Not saying it’s Seals but one more thing to consider.

[SynergyGreenSS]

Originally Posted by HOJO

When you redid the top end do you think you could have possibly damage a couple of valve seals. Not saying it’s Seals but one more thing to consider.

I’ve considered valve seals but the car didn’t used to smoke at all, maybe they’ve worn but the top end was 100% new as I installed a set of LSA heads and did all new valvetrain components when the motor was refreshed. I’m thinking about disconnecting the catch can completely and driving like 100 miles or something to see if the oil level drops, and also to see if it continues smoking on startup

[SS Blinder]

Easiest thing is to swap the old covers back on and do the same sequencing of startups, then go from there

[SynergyGreenSS]

Originally Posted by SS Blinder

Easiest thing is to swap the old covers back on and do the same sequencing of startups, then go from there

I have a set of stock covers but the only reason I haven’t put them on yet is because the covers on it now have -10 AN lines coming out of them (which I neck down to -8 to match the catch can). So I felt like it would be kind of annoying to have to swap those lines back to fit but I guess in reality it’s not all that much work