hey guys most of u know ive been looking at a few cars and i was wondering what should i look out for a a newly rebuilt motor wiht like 500 or less miles on it? i was talking to one guy and he told me "it smokes a little when it first starts up but then it doesn't smoke an abnormal amt afterwards." whats that mean??

 

It has to burn of the assembly oils and vasoline.
Just take it easy (no boost) for a few hundred miles to let the seals all seat themselves. Then use a premix with it for longevity, such as royal purple/protek R/marvel mystery oil etc..

 

Hmmm. Check the vacuum when it's idling at ~850 to 900 rpms. Should be a good 18 inches of Hg for a stock motor, maybe 16 for a ported motor. If the sucker is only pulling 12 or less (and isn't bridgeported) then I'd be wary. Keep in mind vacuum will continue to get better (read: more negative) as the engine gets broken in more--first hundred miles maybe.

As far as the smoke at startup, what color is it and what does it smell like? If it's white and smells sweet, could be coolant and that is a no go. Otherwise, it's prolly a bit of fuel, which is common.

Dave, are you sure about the MMO? Chris at RP told me the stuff is a *cleaner,* not a lubricant, and did not recommend it.