Replacement Engine -- Loud Air Noise

[RonD]

Glove test is 100% accurate so no bounce = no cylinder leaks

When you burn gasoline(H) with air(O) you get the by-product of H2O............water
This is why exhaust systems rust from the inside out, water vapor stays in the exhaust system when you shut off the engine, as exhaust system cools down the water vapor turns back to water and settles in low spots and starts the rusting.

And why in colder outside temps you see that water vapor condensing as soon as it exits the tail pipe, in warmer air it exits without condensing
This is also why tail pipes drip water.

So white smoke will smell like exhaust if its just water vapor, it will smell Sweet if its got coolant vapor in it, really no mistaking the smell.
It will strike you as an "odd smell" if its coolant

 

[backporch]

How often do the lower dintake manifold gaskets fail?

 

[croatankid]

I don't know the whole story but consider this. Your engine might be pulling transmission fluid into the combustion chamber because of a leaking vacuum modulator on the transmission. That will give you white smoke too.

 

[backporch]

I have a manual transmission, so probably no issues there.

I think I am going to get the truck ready to be on the road... tires, registration and get some miles on it to see if this is really a problem. I am satisfied that the worst case scenario of a head gasket repair is not the issue.

 

[backporch]

Finding Accessory Drive Noise

I am still looking to troubleshoot the accessory drive noise.

Does anyone know if it is safe to disconnect the harness from the alternator while it is running/spinning? I am just looking to eliminate any signal for demand on the alternator so that it might spin quietly and I would know it is the source of the noise. Saw someone do this on youtube, but don't know if there are side dangerous side effects.