Jack it's fairly obvious at this point that at least the head has to come
off...
The puff of smoke on start up is usually attributed to valve seals or
guides.... it comes from oil seeping down on top of the valve while the
engine is static.... my Corvette used to do it all the time before I put
some miles on it...( the car sat for years and the seals just needed some
time to soften up and work again )
Constant smoke is usually a sign of a ring but since the situation is
predicated by the seal/guide issue I'd be surprised if it's a ring issue.
I have a tendency to use a leak down these days rather then a compression
check.... same concept except I can hear where the air is going to when
something isn't right.... if it leaks out the breather it's a piston
issue.... if it leaks out the tail pipe or intake I can tell which valve is
bad....
Keith
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