I had my valve job and valve seals installed at a local machine shop.

1) He recommended a 5-way valve job - so I just consented
2) New OEM seals were installed

Car loses about 1 quart of oil after about 3-4 days of driving, which is approximately 300-350 miles of mostly highway.

Tried various weights of oil with the same result.

* When autocrossing, it didn't look to lose any oil at all. This can be anything from 4-10 runs of about 1-1.5mins at a time at high RPMs.

 

Have you noticed any strange noises? Maybe get a valve lash and take it back to the shop and bring this to their attention. I dont know though... man that sucks. Good luck

 

I've been reading about how a valve job is done... is it safe to assume that even with a bad valve job, if the seals are sealing, it shouldn't eat oil?

 

take it back to machine shop, did they install new guides?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by amit &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">take it back to machine shop, did they install new guides?</TD></TR></TABLE>

I'm trying to be sure without having to take the head off since I used this car to get to work everyday.

 

If the engine is a high miler , the increased valve seal will overwhelm the old piston rings ability to seal .

Thats assuming there is no valve guide or seal problem .


By chance , is your engine having spark knock ? Thats another thing that can de-stabilize the ring pack and make for an oil burner and also overfilling the crankcase .

 

unless the valve seals are leaking, then a bad valve job wont have an effect on oil burn.
go get yourself a leakdown test done. that will tell you the condition of your rings and valve seal

 

the only way it would burn oil is if they installed the valve seals a installed and un-enstalled the valves with the new seals in.

it might be piston rings or pcv system.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mountainmotor &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If the engine is a high miler , the increased valve seal will overwhelm the old piston rings ability to seal .

Thats assuming there is no valve guide or seal problem .


By chance , is your engine having spark knock ? Thats another thing that can de-stabilize the ring pack and make for an oil burner and also overfilling the crankcase .</TD></TR></TABLE>

What is "spark knock?"

This motor is freshly built and probably has about 10-15k miles on it. I guess I'll try to get someone to let me use their compressor...

On the dyno, I blew no smoke at all - all acceleration, no deceleration in gear... which makes me think that this is not a ring problem.
However, on the highway, if I downshift & go WOT, there is a grayish cloud of smoke...

I'm running the Endyn Breather kit with the big filter so I don't believe this to be a PCV issue. I check my oil every 2-3 days and make sure it's in the middle of the dots. I don't overfill.

Thanks for all the replies so far.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by projectTeG &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the only way it would burn oil is if they installed the valve seals a installed and un-enstalled the valves with the new seals in.

it might be piston rings or pcv system.</TD></TR></TABLE>

What are you saying here? That there are seals on top of seals?

 

well if valve seals are new i dont know what to tell you......

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Takumi Fujiwara &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

What are you saying here? That there are seals on top of seals?</TD></TR></TABLE>

once the valve is placed inside the seal you are not suppose to remove them. it will damage them.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by projectTeG &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

once the valve is placed inside the seal you are not suppose to remove them. it will damage them.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I had all my valve seals replaced with new OEMs ones. I did not receive any specs on clearances or anything though...

Looks like I may end up just having to send it to portflow and getting the works, just to make sure nothing is wrong with it...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Takumi Fujiwara &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

I had all my valve seals replaced with new OEMs ones. I did not receive any specs on clearances or anything though...

Looks like I may end up just having to send it to portflow and getting the works, just to make sure nothing is wrong with it...</TD></TR></TABLE>

does it smoke any if so at idle, wot, start-up, or decell?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by projectTeG &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

does it smoke any if so at idle, wot, start-up, or decell? </TD></TR></TABLE>

It smokes if I downshift into high RPMs on the highway and step on it. That's about the only time I see it blow smoke...

When I was getting tuned on the dyno, during WOT acceleration, I didn't blow any smoke... that's coming from 2 witnesses - dyno operator & the tuner. I couldn't see any out the rear view mirror either. Unfortunately, on the dyno, I couldn't let the car engine brake...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Takumi Fujiwara &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

It smokes if I downshift into high RPMs on the highway and step on it. That's about the only time I see it blow smoke...

When I was getting tuned on the dyno, during WOT acceleration, I didn't blow any smoke... that's coming from 2 witnesses - dyno operator & the tuner. I couldn't see any out the rear view mirror either. Unfortunately, on the dyno, I couldn't let the car engine brake...
</TD></TR></TABLE>

honestly id say rings or something to do with crank pressure. but id say more into rings. valve seals smoke normally on start-up and at idle.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by projectTeG &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

honestly id say rings or something to do with crank pressure. but id say more into rings. valve seals smoke normally on start-up and at idle.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I hope your wrong... I really don't feel like having to pull the block again.

 

won't a leakdown test be able to diagnose this thoroughly??

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Tad &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">won't a leakdown test be able to diagnose this thoroughly??</TD></TR></TABLE>

yup if its a ring problem i believe

 

Looking for leakdown testers right now...

 

Where are you located?

 

Not sure but it would seem logical that if the stem-to-guide clearance of a valve is out of spec., even with new seals there may be some oil leakage...because of stem movement within the guide as it opens and closes....just a thought of possibility...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by LsVtec92Hatch &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Where are you located?</TD></TR></TABLE>

MASS

 

Leakdown tests will only tell the condition of your top (compression) rings. If for whatever reason there is a problem with your oil control rings it will not help you with that. If there is a problem with them you can have great compression but eat oil. This is pretty rare, though, for an older block. Could also be that you have scratches on the cylinder walls caused from contaminants, wear, or dirt/etc sucked in from the intake. Like someone else said, check the PCV valve also. Go ahead and check the plugs too. Also take a peek into the cylinders with the plugs out and let us know if you see oil on top of the pistons. If its dry when parked and wet later on, its valve seals. If its wet all the time, rings. Go ahead and compression test if you can, too, theyre not too effective but it may help. Just stuff like that, but check it all and let us know the results and we can all help you more from then, I really hope its something easy, Ive been through it also and it sucks!!!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by xxxmikenicexxx &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Leakdown tests will only tell the condition of your top (compression) rings. If for whatever reason there is a problem with your oil control rings it will not help you with that. If there is a problem with them you can have great compression but eat oil. This is pretty rare, though, for an older block. Could also be that you have scratches on the cylinder walls caused from contaminants, wear, or dirt/etc sucked in from the intake. Like someone else said, check the PCV valve also. Go ahead and check the plugs too. Also take a peek into the cylinders with the plugs out and let us know if you see oil on top of the pistons. If its dry when parked and wet later on, its valve seals. If its wet all the time, rings. Go ahead and compression test if you can, too, theyre not too effective but it may help. Just stuff like that, but check it all and let us know the results and we can all help you more from then, I really hope its something easy, Ive been through it also and it sucks!!!</TD></TR></TABLE>

also the spark plug grommet seals.