[daveEM]

'87 Chevy Pickup, 4.3L, th400

It does use oil & leaks a bit but I usually don't see blue smoke. I think yesterday I had her in a perfect position as she just shifted into high and I let off the gas. I then applied the gas to get her going again. I'm thinking she wanted to go back to 2nd but stayed in 3rd and was a bit loaded. I was able to repeat the following process several times.

Touch the gas, she would ping and much blue smoke. Let off the gas, touch it again - ping like crazy and much blue smoke.

After a few times I gave it a rest and drove normally and didn't really notice blue smoke. Something really must be stressed when it pings to create all that smoke. I'm sure someone has some ideas.

The truck was a 'city' one. Low mileage (75K) but I'm thinking now maybe it idled 24/7 for many years.

I was told by the local garage that #2 intake valve could be wiggled - #2 does get oil fouled and that #3 had a burnt exhaust valve (air thru the muffler).

I was going to change the heads thinking all my problems might be solved but now with the above I'm wondering if maybe the rings are toast or would the pinging just stress the valve guides more and allow more oil to burn?

Dave

[454C10]

What came first, the chicken or the egg?

Oil in the combustion chamber will make an engine pingy.

I think your are getting oil into the chamber which is causing it to ping, not pinging causing it to burn oil.