Newish engine blowing smoke?

[Edz]

Had a tick in my newish motor after 5000k or so.

351W hydraulic roller stroker, rebuilt 2 years ago by a engine place in the Canberra area. The engine builder only uses/recommends Penrite HPR30 which is 20W-60, quite thick. I think he's old school as he mainly does old school V8s and drags a blown Ford.

A mate in my car club who is a mechanic and builds motors says my Mahle Hydraulic Roller lifters shouldn't have higher than 40w oil or they will tick! Doh, maybe they don't like 20w-60?

Checked the specs with the original engine supplier in the US, they reccommend 10w-30 oil after run in.

One thing I and the engine builder did notice, is the oil was really dirty when I gave him the filter with about 100k on it? No idea why it's so dirty, maybe it's running rich but it's got Holley efi and the O2 gauge shows 12-13?

I put the top of the engine back together and did 100km with some new 15W-40 mineral oil and dumped the oil, dirty again. Hopefully that means the motor is now getting cleaner inside?

The ticking has gone!

However, now the motor blows quite a bit of smoke - see pic?

I then filled it with 15W-40 synthetic oil since the motor now has about 5k on it. The motor still blows quite a bit of smoke?

What's next? I don't want to go back to 20W-60 HPR 30 to stop a newish motor blowing smoke? I could throw some stop smoke in it but then I might get the tick again and I imagine it gums things up?

If I talk to my engine builder but he'll just say 'I told you to run 20W-60 HPR 30!' even though he's been a bit arrogant and can't explain the tick?