If you don't already have one, get a telescoping magnet. I keep it in my pocket any time I work. Always reaching in some crack or crevice to retrieve a bolt.
18" Telescoping Magnet

 

Its been a long process for me to do this head gasket job with 2 kids under 4 and a full time job. I finally got everything put back together and started it tonight. It ran really high for a little bit and then came back down. After it came back down there is smoke coming from the engine bay.

You cant see if very well from the video but I could really use some advice and guidance as I have no clue what to expect. Sorry i change the video angle you can see the smoke best at the end of the video but its hard to see in the video. Nothing seems to be leaking from what I can tell.

Can't seem to upload the video so here is a link... https://www.dropbox.com/s/wjcfwe0ibu...o_1_1.mp4?dl=0

Is this normal due to the truck sitting for 2 months and then getting all new stuff?

Did I do something wrong?

Any help is appreciated. I installed new of the following items in the repair.

Head Gaskets
Head Bolts
Exhaust manifold gaskets
Exhaust down pipe gaskets, studs and bolt
Valley gasket
Intake manifold gasket
Valve cover gaskets and new bolts
Oil pan gasket
New spark plugs and wires
Fresh Oil
180 LR thermostat
Fresh Coolant and bleed
Injector O rings
Transmission Oil Cooler
Water pump was done a couple weeks before the start of HG job

I think that covers it all and I torqued everything according to the rave and followed it very meticulously.

I am pretty bummed right now

 

I don't see anything alarming. If you can't see where the smoke is coming is coming from, I would creep under it with HiD flashlight (or whichever the kind that has the purple-ish/blue light) and see if you can find the source. Could it be penetrating/lubricating oil burning off the exhaust manifold or exhaust pipes? Looks like pretty good work to me. What made you skip on the oil pump gear replacement? You should really get that done after the top-end rebuild that you just did. Oil pump failure is a close to second to head gaskets from everything I have read. Do that, make certain your coolant operating temp is right around 200 and you should be good for another 100K

 

So should i just let it run and keep an eye on it?

Didn't know anything about it is that something i can do fairly easily later? I just want the thing to run good at this point.

 

Well do you remember spraying a bunch of chemicals on the engine? If so, then that's what it is. I mean, what else could it be? If it was the gaskets that you just did, it would be noticeable. Get underneath and see if it's burning off of the exhaust

 

It is fairly normal for you to get some smoke and burned oil smell on a first startup after a job like you just did. residual oil on exhaust manifolds will burn off. Just keep a close eye on fluid levels and leaks.

 

Ok thanks guys. I think I am just paranoid and honestly expecting the worst. I will try driving it a little tomorrow and see how it does. I let it run longer and the smoke is gone just some a smell in the engine bay now hopefully just residuals like you mention.

Thanks

 

give yourself a pat on the back.

that is a pretty big job, that a lot of people wont even try.

all kinds of people come on here asking all the little tricks to doing head gasket replacement,
then post back that they *ussyed out and brought it to a shop.

Now your ready for just about anything else that LR can throw at you.

ps re-pressure test it would sux to have it over now because of a loss hose clamp

 

Reminds me of when I sea-foamed my engine. We think our engines are sealed and the only place gases exit is through the tail pipe. When we can see the gas, it comes out all over the place. Kind of makes me wish there was a harmless color added to fuel so that when burned it would create a colored exhaust. Then I think when we see what comes out of our cars and where from, we'd have a whole other outlook on combustion. I don't mean create a haze like in China on a bad day - but you know what I mean - like a dye for coolant, except for exhaust.

 

You will get smoke after the head gasket job from
spilled fluids on the exhaust pipes.

That's OK.

Great job there. Congratulations!

Now make sure you bleed the cooling system.

You may not bleed it all in one shot.
Sometimes a few bleeds are needed.

It took me two hours to bleed mine - but I bleed by raising the coolant bottle and running it.
I don't use the bleed screw.

In fact it took me two days to get around to bleeding it again.

After that I ran it for two years and sold it.

There were no issues.

I did not even have the heads milled. Just put them back on.
The gaskets just fail.

My gasket had a crack from the crown to the water jacket.

Well it sure was fun.
Hard work too.

Glad you are all set.

It took me TWO WEEKS after work to do this in the dark with a light and the weekends too.

Best.