Question about mild smoking

Ok here is what has been done recently. I replaced the exhaust manifolds and all new gaskets. While I had the manifolds off I also replaced the gaskets under the valve cover. Before I put the boat in the lake and gave it some test runs I put a hose in a 13 gallon bucket and ran the boat for a little bit knowing to never let the water run out. At higher rpms I noticed a a little bit of either stem or smoke, nothing to terrible noticeable or smelling of really anything.

So I was wondering if this is the result of just putting some new gaskets on and it being normal or since the water was cold tap water and it being about 100 degrees out is that producing what I was seeing? Everything was running well other than this observation.

Thanks

If the smoke is white is is probably just water vapor and nothing to really worry about. If the boat has sat for a while condensation will accumulate and will burn off after you run it a while.

If the smoke is blue, then it is oil based and means you are burning some oil. Either way if it is not too much I would just run it.

As pointed out, you really need to establish if it is steam or oil burn coming out of the exhaust, and the white or blue is right on.

I know when I hit the throttle hard out of the hole shot I get a good puff of steam out of the exhaust, in particular on the cooler mornings or evenings, but the steam you can see very quickly dissolves into the natural humidity in the atmosphere. I assume some of you down in the southeast may not even get this due to the higher temperature and humidity in those parts, although it's meant to hit 99* here in Syracuse today!!!

If it is blue burning oil smoke, it will linger a lot longer and you can even smell it if you get up close to the exhaust outlet.

I agree, if it is just a little oil smoke, in particular shortly after you start up, I wouldn't worry about it. On older engines even in good shape, a little oil can leak past the valve guides into the cylinders after you shut off and leave it to set for a few days or even overnight, but will burn off once you start up for the first time. This can often cause a little puff of blue (oil burning) smoke when you first start up.

Good luck,

Tony

UPDATE: Mild smoking was determined to be all the PB blaster that was used to get the bolts out of the manifold. As the engine got hot it created that smoke. Thanks for the input ya'll