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burning oil, opinions...

2K views 50 replies 10 participants last post by  DOUGAL 
#1 ·
Oil consumption doesn't seem to be dropping off like it should - I compression tested it tonite as well and all seems to be ok - a couple of cylinders seem to need a little throttle, but they all make 160psi (standard pistons + pockets remember)

oil is semi synth 10W40, so not too thin - engine has done about 850 miles now, so rings should be well bedded

plugs are fine too.

I'm sure I've noticed some faint signs of smoke at high RPM too.

am I missing something obvious ? - it is possible a ring or two haven't taken quite right and would give the above symptoms ? - it's the only thing I can think of :confused:

Also - would running an engine leaner cause it to burn oil ? - at the mo I've got it set for economy up to site 9 (lambda 1) - I'm sure it's not my imagination but the oil consumption seems to have increased during the last two outings, as the ECU has adapted the fuel...
 
#2 ·
arse. interesting you mention fuelling i have set mine back up 5 psi (and its holding it now) and theres less getting chucked out the back, but at 7k odd changing gear oil gets sucked through and is burnt in a glorious ford styleee (its not bad really, but i could do without it. that combined with the loud and constant popping on overrun makes people think my car's fecked lmao)
 
#3 ·
aye I definitely get a good puff when changing, which is understandable - it's when I hold it at high revs it seems to burn a bit too.

just hope the rebored block I got wasn't duff.. although I didn't do much more than a glaze bust type hone, there was no wear - it had been done recently.

it's the only thing now that's bugging me :mad:
 
#7 ·
that's exactly what I got..

hmmmm - wish I had Xray vision, what the fluke has been going on in there..

the rings I used were AE, nothing fancy, shouldnt've worn out already - unless I honed it or ran it in wrong.

mebbe I primed it silly - but redline assembly lube should've protected it during priming.

thinking out loud...
 
#9 ·
Not glazed the bores or something? Modern engine tuning's making me paranoid.
In running in it says something like
"if you do this and don't do that then they will glaze if you do this and don't do something else then they still might glaze. If you're religious then they might not glaze etc"
 
#14 ·
i followed mikes and garys advice with running my xe in..... £4 halfords **** for 200miles no more than 2k rpm, filter and flush new £4 oil another 800 miles at under 3k filter and flush and vaux semi, increased revs 500rpm per 100miles

on 3k miles now and am still above min on the 2k old vaux stuff so used less than 1/2 a liter in 2k miles
 
#16 ·
i was told on strict orders (from ****) to assemble with the bores 100% dry (brake cleaner rocks!). Apparantly it helps the initial bedding in process.

And it appeared to have worked too.... now the block's stripped, ther's no glaze on the bores, and no wear either.
 
#17 ·
aye that's what I thought - so I didn't oil them, just used a tiny bit of lube so they weren't completely dry - I used so little you could easily hear the rings whispering on the hone.

I'm toying with the idea of whipping off the head to see what's up - mebbe glaze bust it and try again.

anyone - how long for rings to bed properely then ?
 
#20 ·
It does sound as if your oil control rings arent bedded satisfactorily, did you 'gap' them before fitting? I'm not really a fan of three stone hones either, flex honers do a better job.

There is a remedy that I have to confess I've used before, a little Vim or Ajax scouring powder sprinkled into the inlet while the engine is idling can often help to glaze bust the bores and assist the bedding process. Cant guarantee it will work though..

Dave
 
#21 ·
I do realise now that a proper honer is something I'm going to need - I agree, especially now, that the 3 leg tools are too hit and miss.

when you say gap them Dave do you mean the 120 degree spacing (yes if so) or something else ?

I wasn't aware that the control rings actually 'bed in' as such, however that would go some way to explaining the symptoms - I'll compression test it again I think and use a little throttle on all the pots this time - the test I did last night wasn't conclusive - a couple were down, but came up fine when I opened it up a bit.

what do you favour when you do a CT - leave the throttles at idle position or open a bit ?

one last one - the 'roughness' of the hone - would one that is too fine (as I suspect mine was) conceivably run in the compression rings ok but miss the control ones ? - I'm theorising well beyond what I know here but would the control rings need that extra roughness to take properely ?
 
#25 ·
Those are all modern creams and gels, the stuff you want is good old fashioned scouring powder..

'Gapping' is measuring and adjusting the ring gaps before fitting the pistons and rings, you put the ring in the bore , ensure it is square and measure the end gap, filing the ends if the gap is too small, if the gaps are beyond tolerance then you need oversized rings or a rebore.

Oil control rings dont expand as much as compression rings so even slightly oversized bores can go beyond the authority of the oil control rings expander spring resulting in poor oil control. And yes, oil control rings do need to bed in just like an other ring and they are quite hard, normally chrome plated.

You need to crack the throttle wide open to do a compression test and make sure the engine is hot.

Dave
 
#26 ·
Animal said:
i was told on strict orders (from ****) to assemble with the bores 100% dry (brake cleaner rocks!). Apparantly it helps the initial bedding in process.

And it appeared to have worked too.... now the block's stripped, ther's no glaze on the bores, and no wear either.
so what was with the oddmobile shaming blue smoke then ?
 
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