C16XE problems

[Aragorn]

ok as a few of u will know ive finally got the 16v installed

fired it up yestarday to be greeted with a cloud of blue smoke and a metallic rattling sound coming from what seemed like engine internals

i drove it about 5 miles home and over that distance the blue smoke turned into grey under load, engine was misfiring like fuck, loads of flat spots and could barely get it to pull thru the revs in anything other than 1st

engine management light came on about half way home after i floored it outta a junction but i havent had a chance to look at yet to read fault codes

when i got home the water level had dropped quite a bit, so i filled it up and started it up again and revved it for a bit

within minutes the headertank was looking like a geyser, it would erupt with loads of air bubbles etc and then settle down for a little bit and then erupt again, each time the water level dropping substantially

if it was just the grey/white smoke i;d have assumed the head gasket was fucked, but coupled with the metallic rattle on startup and the blue smoke at startup and tickover im not too sure

any other ideas??

[Alex]

I got a rattle when my head gasket went on sunday.

[Chris]

how long had the engine been stood?

Could it not be that the tappets have seized up (giving the rattling sound) and maybe holding a valve or two open (giving the misfire and smoke) but that wouldnt explain the water level. When i put my 20XE in mine it had been stood for 3 years but started up straight away (rattled like fcuk)and i left it running for about 1 hr then changed oil and filter and it seemed a bit better. I couldnt tell you if it was misfiring but it was very smokey but after the oil change and some tlc driving it was fine :D

Chris

[Will F]

It was running rough as f*ck and you were flooring it!
Nice move!

It sounds like a strip down is in order tbh.

[Snowface]

ouch! if the valves were stickling open wouldn't the piston hit them, then u'd know about it. Or is the 16XE engine a 'Safe' one?

I take it you got the ignition and cam timing correctly done?

[Aragorn]

well i doubt its sticking lifters as the metallic rattle went away after it had been running and warmed up

im guessing its either just the headgasket meaning low compression on a few cyls giving the misfire and crappy running along with the smoke - however the amount of blue smoke was kinda worrying

which means it might have knackered valve stem seals or piston rings too

[Ben]

on the two engines ive had both have had dodgy oil stem seals.