i bought a 97 gsr about a month ago and have been trying to slowly work out the problems as money allows im 17 and have a part time job my first problem is it burns oil but just when in vtec and i did a compression test and it pulled 180-185 on all cylinders so would this mean valve seals what else would i need to fix the head if this is the problem and when u use the brakes it pulls to the left pretty hard and i dont know alot about brakes so i would appreciate any help thanks

 

i would try replacing the valve seals first. if it still burns it is most likely the rings. take your wheels off and inspect the rotors to check for warping. you most likely have un-even pad wear also

 

Compression is awfully low. With those kind of low numbers, i would guess there are some bent valves or rings are bad.

Have you done a leakdown test yet?

 

i dont have a leakdown tester is there any other way to do it and what should my compression be more like?

 

how many miles, rings and seals

 

the milage is kinda up in the air the title says 98k and the odo has been switched twice that i know of

 

Compression should be ~250 across the board for a GSR.

Take it to a shop and have them do a leakdown test to see where it might be coming from.

 

Mileage has nothing to do with bad rings or seals. My seals were going bad at 60k miles. There is no specific mileage where things start to wear out. Its more like keeping up with maintenance and driving habits.

 

on your brake u should resurface your disk rotor and see if it still pull to one side and resurfacing the disk is very cheap so u so get that done.when i take them off and get them done its cost me from5- 10 bucks but that if u take off the disk yourself

 

okay the smoking problem is only gettiing worse the more i drive it about 3 weeks ago i installed rod and main bearings in it because the oil got low on it and they were lightly scarred..im planning on taking out the engine this winter and rebuilding it should i go ahead and redo the lower end while im there? and what do you guys recommend for rings and gaskets to use im not sure what direction to go with it as far as n/a or turbo i would like to boost it later but not sure if i should thanks for the help so far

 

With consistent numbers of 180-185 across the board, I'd say the OP's compression is fine. If there's a problem you're more likely to see a big drop in one or maybe 2 adjacent cylinders.

More than likely the compression test itself may not have been performed 100% like it should have been, but at least it's consistent.

 

i cranked it over for about 5 seconds with the throttle wide open and thats what i got which makes me wonder if the rings are getting worn out but pretty evenly?

 

what is a good brand of rings to go with i have some money saved up and plan to tear it apart for a rebuild as soon as the first snow hits

 

On my freshly build b18c1 with usdm itr pistons the compresion was 240-245psi after driving it for abour 200-300 miles.....ssoo 250 psi is kinda missleading.
OP as long as the psi is witing 10-15 psi of each opther then youre good to go. If its like 180 185 135 180 then u know that there is a problem in the 135 one. also what oil ticknes do you run...? I use to burn a quart a week if not more. After new valve steam seals and new compresion rings and new oil rings. I hardly se a drop in oil level beetween oil changes unleess i was betting on it then that self explanatory that vtec engine burn oil a lil.

 

alwasy disconect youre fuel pump so it wouldnt spray fuel during compresion tests.

If you have the money. Get oem rings.

 

On your brakes, a stuck caliper piston on one side will make the car pull like you described...also check tire inflation to ensure one tire is not way too low, and front wheel alignment.

 

"i have some money saved up" - if thats the case then yea i'd say original rings. I installed the cheap ebay nippin rings and I dont see a problem so far after 6k miles. Tossed them in, cleaned up the bore and i was good to go. now, if I plan to turbo, then I MUST change the rings cuz they won't hold.
So if your 17 and plan to keep the car for a while then I'd install something good.
Good luck

 

OEM rings is a good choice if N/A engine build

 

has anyone used hastings rings i have read they are good? i have found some decent prices on them and i found a guy selling a partial turbo kit heres a link http://www.kcsr.org/showthread.php?t=78297 would that be worth the money for a start?

 

anyone?

 

don't go tearing down your engine just yet. you haven't isolated a problem.
try pouring a teaspoon of oil down the spark plug hole just prior to the test of each cylinder. if you get higher readings then you do without the oil, you have a problem with the rings. it's just assurance. you want to be sure what you're fixing is broken

 

would valve seals make it burn as muc oil as it does? it doesnt smoke when your first start it and what do you guys think of that turbo kit for the price dorry for the typing its on my cell phone