I have a '90 civic, I bought is with a bad head, replaced the head and it runs great! It has 180 to 185 PSI on all cylinders. I checked the mileage by filling the tank, drove it and filled her back full and got 43 mpg. So the engine seems to be well, you almost cant hear it running, But, its using oil. When you rev it up 3 or 4 times about 3500 it puffs out the smoke. Blue smoke, Do you think its valve seals? or oil rings. I dont know if it used oil before. Other than this problem it seems to be a great little car. Thanks!

 

was the head rebuilt? did you replace the head gasket? blue smoke? check your valve seals

 

The head wasnt rebuilt, just pulled from a known good engine. we put new gaskets, including a new headgasket. The smoke is blue. I thought valve seals only caused smoking when you start one, and maybe when you shift gears. The car has 175,000 miles on it. But like I say, it runs like a top. If it werent for the smoking when you rev it up, and the fact it using oil, I wouldnt think it has a problem. I topped off the engine oil today, it took about half a quart, to 530 miles. thats excessive. COuld it still be valve seals?

 

yes it could be the valve seals. or bad rings

 

I wondered about rings. But it runs too good I thought, gets over 40mpg. idles so quite you almost cant hear it.

 

I hear ya

It's hard to get good head in KY.....

But seriously if you never drove the car before the head swap, it really could have been the rings all along....or a combination of both.

leakdown ftw

 

The original problem was the car bumped another car, broke the radiator and the kid drove the car home, and blowed the head. WHne i got the car home, i did a compression check, 180, 0, 180, 180.....PSI. The number 2 cylinder had a bad valve, that looked like steam blew by it and cut a groove iin it.

 

Your from Northern KY. I bought this little honda from Park hills, ky...basically Covington.