What color is the smoke?

If its a white or light color that *typically* means coolant burning, if its dark and your tailpipe is extremely sooty that points more to a oil burning issue.

If it happens only when warm, sounds like somethings expanding and not sealing. Something may be cracked, or something may be dripping on exhaust burns only after warmed up when the exhaust is hot enough.

I would start with compression check and go from there - also check radiator level to see if coolant is mysteriously disappearing somewhere.

Not to rain on your parade but I don't think its as easy as a headgasket if it happens only when warm.

Dripping from tailpipe is normal after startup - thats just burning off condensation in the exhaust system. On a cold day my slant smokes a good amount of white untill its fully warmed up. This isn't the white smoke your refering to is it? When you say warm, I am assuming after several mintues of running, not just one or two....

Bad rings within themselves will not lead to burning water - piston rings don't seal water.

If it was the first fill of water for the cooling system, the coolant level will drop as all the air gets out of the system.


I'd fill up the radiator, then see if it drops again, then worry...............

the first time I started my slant after rebuilding it I freaked out as you're doing now. I'd follow ed's wise advice and drive the car some. If it's bad it gonna be bad anyways, but if you're burning whatever crap residues (including all the excess of oil that some machine shops spurts all over the place when they're getting the pistons into the block) are inside, a couple of minutes driving the car may actually be the cure.

How many miles or minutes have you had the motor running? (in total)

true, but then again..it was smoking the whole time it was running practically.