Idle Oil Burning Diagnosis

[ryan90]

What up guys,

Here is the story,

Once the car is up to operating temp, I will roll up to a stop light, sit and idle.... light is green and as i hit the gas a nice poof of blue smoke comes out. The longer I idle, the longer the poof. I am burning about a quart every 500-600 miles. The car probably ran pig ass rich due to a failed thermostat... sometimes it burns while idling too. the warmer the engine the more it smokes, it will not smoke until it's close to operating temp.

the prev. owner told me it got a new HG and T-Belt comp. change. (he said he changed the HG b/c it was burning oil)

My initial thoughts are compression check (will post results tomorrow)

my turbo has some side to side play but very minimal (if any) in and out and pipes look good.

I noticed that there is a bolt broken off in the block that holds the oil pan which leads me to believe that the oil pan has been off for some reason??

I have my fingers crossed it's been reringed and that my compression test reflects that. This might be worth mentioning, idk, but it runs damn well, running 10psi (need to do boost leak test), and I get very good gas mileage for my driving habits, 25 city, 30-32 highway driving like grandpa 85% of the time and drivin the piss out of it the rest

my goal is to fix this over xmas break but if not no big deal, just tired of spending more on oil than gas, and this is the last thing on my "MUST FIX" list and I can start saving my money for things i don't need

comp tests tomorrow guys!!

 

[DSM1G90]

Bud, you got shot valve seals. Change the seals out and then you can say "good-bye" to smokey stop lights visits and say "hello" to decreased oil consumption.

Check out the Tech Article Archive section in this forum on doing valve seals.

Good luck - DSM

 

[ryan90]

Test Results

140 150 150 140

a wet test brought the 140s up too fyi

There's good news at least.

However, I may have bad news, the smoke was thick white today. granted, it was 13 degrees here and ice on the road, but I was puffin a little more than others. I am pretty sure it was usually blue.....

I think I am just paranoid but the oil level did drop in 100miles (just changed oil). The oil tasted the same as new oil and felt the same. The rad. fluid did drop a bit and when opening the radiator top it hissed less than i thought it would (this was bout 20 minutes after I shut it down for the comp test).

I am going to buy a compressed air to spark plug adapter and fill the cylinders and find the hissing.

I am thinking this is head gasket now but the HG it has now has only 15,000 miles on it, however, I do question the mechanics competency b/c he could not figure out how to adjust the slave cylinder. I am hoping he cut a corner and did not machine the head.

Thoughts??

I think i am going to just remove the head and put new valve seals, HG, then resurface the head.

Things i need will be head bolts, head gasket, valve seals, cam seals, tensioner tool, v-cover gasket, valve spring compressor, and other tools. Anything else I should change? (my tbelt components and h20 pump are pretty fresh)

*edit

I think I am going to try and retorque the head down first

btw, I have found oil on the plugs. not everytime I pull plugs tho

 

[ryan90]

alright.... some other thoughts crossed my mind while at work today.

My intercooler piping is clean, but i only checked the upper.

I am leaning on possibly turbo b/c the amount of smoke i saw does not match the amount of coolant I am low on.... plus my car runs great... I am checking the LICP tomorrow

lets cross our fingers here

 

[Colt4G63 also]

It's still your valve seals. Change those and be happy.

 

[VETTE_50_TH]

My car does the same thing. And my turbo doesnt leak oil nor is it the culprit of burning oil. It def. is the valve seals. My symptoms are EXACTLY the same. Trust us, just replace them. Don't resurface the head and all that. Don't waste your time if you don't have to. Well, you know how the saying goes....

James

 

[DSM1G90]

He ask for thoughts and we give it to him on what we believe and to say we know what the simple problem is. due to the lot of us went down the same 'bad valve seal' road ....yet, he's gonna go his own route.

So, why did he waste his time asking for help and ours in trying to help him to go the easy route.

....go figure

 

[hpexperts]

its the valve seals that is the reason why it consumiong your oil, change that and you will be done. but if you are going to do a head gasket do the water pump all the belts tentioners and remove the balance shaft.

 

[ryan90]

going another route?? I am just diagnosing other probable causes.... geeze.

Nothing like throwin money and parts at it without checking other things.

I am going to buy an adapter to compress the cylinders and listen for hissing in the vcover and pulling licp today.

-Ryan

 

[ryan90]

licp is dry as a bone and so is what i can feel in the intercooler.

I just bought a tool that is proven to work on compressing springs on our heads still in the car.

Soon as I get a friend's car back together and the tool in, I will order the seals and vcover gaskets and get going on it.

-Ryan

 

[hpexperts]

keep us posted

 

[ryan90]

i surely will. The smoke was white from running a tid rich. That's been resolved. this will probably end up being a christmas eve/day project.

I am putting a full exhaust, FMIC, and 190lph fuel pump for mods once I get it running tip top. Nothing else tho for a long time. Will felpro valve seals be okay for my slightly more than stock goals/plans??

 

[Colt4G63 also]

Yes, Felpro valve seals will work fantastically. You won't burn a drop of oil anymore. Your pistons will thank you.

 

[ryan90]

got the tool in today. Looks very well made and designed. I will post a parts review after I use it. Ordered my felpro stem seals and vcover gasket. Will be here early friday and done by lunch.... hopefully

 

[ryan90]

I am getting eager guys!!

I forgot about the miller tensioner tool. My friends will be needing it too so I went ahead and ordered one. That I am going to go ahead and order two front cam seals.

So the hold up will be on getting the tensioner tool in. Hopefully I receive it before New Years so I can do it all then.

 

[toofast82]

I have done many a t-belt without the miller tool. It sounds most likely its your valve seals to me.

 

[ryan90]

well.... i already bought the tool, I might as well use it. I tested the tool out on my friends head and got pretty good at gettin the retainers seated right. I am doing it the old zip tie trick and then I am going to somehow rig something to keep tension on the Tbelt so the timing is close when I am done.

The day i get the tensioner tool is the day I start and hopefully finish.