99 1mz-fe v-6
 

Just installed spark plugs, valve cover gaskets. timing belt with water pump kit,cam seals and oil change.
Car sounds ok at start-up. A minute or two car sounds great. After car warms up you can hear rubbing ? as the motor sits there and idles.
1st day, warmed up car drove 35 miles to work, in the dark. Car seemed fine. Sounded great and no leaks when I left work.
Started car and left work, no warm up. Left parking lot and drove away and looked in rear view, white smoke everywhere. Let off gas and slowly drove to stop sign, no smoke.Drove into traffic with white smoke for 100 ft? Up the ramp to highway and drove home , no smoke. rpms dropped 3 or 4 times, I was watching guages. Car drove fine, turned right into driveway, 10-15 feet of white smoke. Put car on jacks and looked at it after dinner. No leaks, oil 1/2 quart low, anti freeze and power steering fuild same levels as yesterday. Started it up and thick white smoke and engine noises. When an got some Lucas engine leak stop and ran egine awhile. No change.
2nd Day see start of post. light white smoke and finally stopped.Took upper timing belt cover off no sign of rubbing and belt sligtly cocked. 1/4 in of rear cam gear visable and front cam gear belt is hanging off less than an 1/8. all though testing belt remain there. Pulled pvc off rear valve cover and ran car. No smoke in engine bay. only other issue, power steering is leaking. Not important right now, need to fund engine nouse. will post when I find it.

noise , front cam gear
 

ticking from under near front of front cam gear now. Let engine run and ticking changed to a rubbing sound, same but different than this morning.

1995 Camry, V6, LE, 230.000

I am going through something similar since installed new timing belt, water pump, pulleys, tensioner, seals, and ac clutch. Well in the process probably knocked something since power steering leaking. Figure it's the hose. Just need to find it.

I did have white smoke come out my back before the work but did not come back. It was sitting a long time when that occurred, I think. There is a thread on it somewhere.

Also setting the timing was difficult for me. May need to recheck marks.

It seems every time you do work on a car something else breaks.

Suggest removing the upper timing belt cover and taking a look.

Did you happen to smell the smoke as oil, coolant, etc?