Hi, Ive recently been having some problems with my GSR and Im looking for some help and advice. Ill try to include as much info as I can here.

Here's the setup as of now:
-GSR block
-PCT Pistons (CTR)
-Ported/Polished GSR head
-PCT Cams (CTR)
-OEM GSR valves/springs/retainers
-Port matched Skunk2 Intake Mani
-BBK 70mm throttle body
-DC 4-2-1 header (mainly for ground clearance )
-MSD Ignition/blaster coil
-AEM rail/regulator
-260cc injectors

A bit of history: I did not build the motor. When I purchased the car it had 4,000 miles on the fresh rebuild. It now has about 30k on it. The car was tuned with a Hondata S200 on this setup at RPM NYC about 4 years ago, shortly after I got the car. It made 215 whp on a Clayton dyno with an 8500rpm rev limit. Its always ran strong, the only issues ive had were a bit of normal oil consumption (1 qt every 3000 miles) and black smoke in high revs with a lot of carbon buildup on the rear bumper.

Within the past 3-4 weeks ive noticed the car is burning about twice as much oil and has a significant power loss, especially in high RPMs. It still feels very torquey down low but when revved out it feels very sluggish. As I said, the car used to blow a good amount of black smoke but now it appears to be more grey, which makes sense to me because im going through more oil. My first thought was the rings, so yesterday I performed a compression test. The motor was hot, I let it cool for about 20-30 mins, pulled all the plugs, and shut off the fuel pump via a cutoff switch. I cranked for a full 10 seconds on each cylinder. The numbers were:

1-300
2-295
3-300
4-300

I know those numbers are pretty high but I was cranking it for a while. To me this indicates that the rings are fine. I inspected the plugs and they were all white, indicating a hot/lean mixture (small, maxed out injectors!). So now im thinking maybe the valve stem seals are shot. I know that could be the source of my oil consumption, but would that also cause such a drastic power difference? Is there anything else Im overlooking? And as far as the black smoke ive always had, ive heard that could be from running very rich (which I doubt I am) or possibly a clogged PCV? Any insight to that? Im guessing a leakdown test would be the next step but I dont have easy access to a tester. Any help you could give me would be much appreciated, and if I left anything out please let me know.

 

new PCV valve is like 4 bucks do that and a leak down and see where you stand

 

do you have any block ventilation besides the factory pcv?

and i think you need some bigger injectors and a retune...

 

No Im just using the OEM PCV system, and I know its a cheap fix so Ill replace it and see if that helps anything.

And im aware my injectors are too small but at the time it was all I could afford. Im planning on upping them to 310's or maybe 370's and getting a new tune but I need a healthy motor first

 

 

Your compression #'s come from your compression rings. U also have oil control rings and an oil expander ring. Pour a cap full of automatic trans fluid its a trick that can break loose rings if they're stuck on your ringlands. also how does the car idle? U may very possibly have bent slightly bent valves. I had 6..damn overlap..and the car idled low and had low compression in 1 cylinder from a valve not seating. But I had 2 dead cylinder....go figure.

 

The car idles perfectly.

 

^^^you can have good compression on all cylinders and still burn lots of oil. they are two different rings. could also be your valve stems. it sounds like something is slowly giving way since it was only burning a certain amount before.

its either the stems or the oil rings. sounds like you are burning a lot of oil.

 

So it could still be the oil rings even though the compression test came back ok? I really wanted to avoid tearing down the bottom end. im hoping its the stem seals. is there any sure way of telling if they're bad besides doing a leakdown test?

 

yeah, you can still have good compression and bad oil rings. your best bet is a leakdown test.

 

Thanks for the help, I just have to find someone who will let me borrow their tester, so far ive had no luck. I changed out the plugs and it feels a lot better all of a sudden but I still need to address the oil consumption/smoking.

 

my 1994 gsr made 161whp and 126tq and ate about 2-4 qts of oil a week depending on how i drove it. my valve seals were shot. talk to bobby he can do headwork installing things its just the machining needs to be brought somewhere

 

Yea bob was with me when I did the compression test so he knows about the whole thing. I just want to make sure its the seals before I tear everything down.

 

x2 install a breather system asap
but if its been puffin black smoke for 4 years then



NAcoupeNA Re:
Your compression #'s come from your compression rings. U also have oil control rings and an oil expander ring. Pour a cap full of automatic trans fluid its a trick that can break loose rings if they're stuck on your ringlands


and a retune

 

do a leak down test to figure whats burning,i would start with the head its cheaper to install valve stem seals than to do a rebuild.Could be valve guides or valve stem you'll be able to tell from looking from the chambers if its your seals.Most likely it your rings.

 

you could pop your intake and header off make sure there is no fuel going to threw the lines and have a buddy help you .. crank the car and look at the stems and guides and see if oil is runing down them ... this could be a bad idea but unno

 

That sounds like a terrible idea, LoL.

Im gunna try and get a leakdown test done somewhere. Hopefully it will reveal that the valve seals are bad and Ill replace them. Then Ill go for a retune somewhere.

 

I see this post is a little old but having kinda the same problem. i got a 00 gsr with about 100k on it (change the oil religously), a while back noticed a little blue gray smoke when i first drive it in the morning mostly and sometimes here and there while driving it also went through some oil a quart every 2 weeks and pcv kept gettin alot of oil in it, also got a oil leak maybe rear main or tranny havent pin pointed it yet and the dam black box, took it to a cheapo shop had them test the head (suposdly) but he juss half assd it an tested it for coolant leakage didnt test the valves put a new oem(honda) head gasket and put some 00 typeR cams in it with a valve adjustment, ran alot better probly the cams obviously) but still smoked the same. did a compression test and it was off between 185 to 145 was the lowest cant remember exact. what yall thinks goin on bad valve seals/stems or guides? got the head off taken it to get rebuilt tryin to figure out if i should mess with the bottom end or not, daym another thing i use to have a apexi cat back and put a stock exhaust on thas when i started noticing it, thanks for reading my book