My 89 civic is burning oil. My local mechanic says that I need to replace the piston rings; however, I don't think it is the piston rings. Does anyone have any recommendations for fixing this?

 

compression and leakdown test

 

Will that indicate whether or not I need to replace the valve stem seals?

 

No, but I bet it is the rings.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Runnerdown &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">No, but I bet it is the rings. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Most of the time it is; luckily for me it was just a bad valve(s) in 1 cylinder.

 

id say check the valm stem seals

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by dan89crxsi &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">id say check the valm stem seals</TD></TR></TABLE>

yes... people always point to the rings when most of the time its due to bad valve seals

 

I think its the pistons it when you get on it, it bellows smoke. If it smoke while sitting still, i believe it is the valve seals or something of that nature. Someone correct me if im wrong.

 

Here's a question. Can valve seal problems be mistaken for bad valves?
I was htting 80 psi on a compression testo n my 1st cylinder. Told it was a bad valve. Poured little oil in the piston to "check/prove" it.. could it be the seal at all or is that 100% valve?

 

Hold on here...

When bluish smoke comes out of your exhaust, that indicates burning oil.

Now if the smoke is always present (idle, WOT, decelaration) it is usually rings

If the smoke only appears when the car has been sitting for a while, but then dissappears, then valve seats are usually the cause.

2 ways to determine this...

1. compression test and wet test: take compression reading from cylinder and then retake with one capful (1-2 tablespoons) of oil to the cylinder with low compression. Let it sit for 5 minutes to allow the oil to flow down and coat the sides of the cylinder and piston. If there are any gaps in the rings, the oil will seal them for the next few minutes.

If the reading improved significantly (more than 30 psi), your rings are probably worn.

2. Take an old spark plug, remove the inside from it (the electrode and top metal part) so it is hollow. Attach a length of rubber tubing to it. Set the engine at the top of the compression stroke for cyl #1. You should be able to see piston at the top of cyl.(make sure it is not the exhaust stroke). Blow compressed air into the tubing then listen for where it comes out. If you hear it in the exhaust, you've got a bad exhaust valve. If you hear it in the intake i.e. thru the throttle body, you have a bad intake valve. If you hear it in the crankcase, you have bad rings or a cracked piston. If your coolant starts bubbling, you have a bad head gasket.


fs

 

how about if i only see the smoke when i floor it?? I usually see smoke come out of my exhaust when i pass floor it and pass 5k rmp, but if im driving normal even past 5k rpm, no smoke... what can that be?? i have no leaks anywhere and i gots to add oil frequently...

 

crxtreme27, depends of the color of the smoke...

If it is black, then that indicates a rich condition... most probably an O2 sensor problem.

fs

 

valve stems usually drip oil down either onto the valve itself or into the combustion chamber (if valve is open), while your car is off...sitting in the garage overnight, while your in the store getting your groceries, etc. Then when you start the car up the oil will burn up for the first few seconds and your exhaust will blow "blue" smoke.

If it blows more smoke when you drive harder it is most likely your rings.

I could be wrong but this is the general rule of thumb and 99.9% it's right.

Vince

 

thanks for the info.. i am not what color smoke it is, but i think i will just be rebuilding the motor again... it has been about 90k miles since i rebuilt it.. the motor has been redlined a few times a day.. hahaha.. squeezin NOS and just beat the sh*t out of... im just better off rebuilding it..
thanks...

 

get a b16 and it will fix the problem...sike...good info peeps....

 

If you have the head off and the top of the pistons are black, but the cylinder is clean.....what is your prognosis then?

 

Depends on mileage. But i say that is normal...

fs

 

I would recommend cleaning the carbon off the surface of your piston heads. If you don't the carbon will heat up when running and cause a preignition in the cylinder, will run like a diesel. Your engine will run smoother as a result. I don't think this is a normal condition; however, I do think that it is caused by valve stem seal leak by, oil drips on the pistons and then has to burn with the fuel, thus leaving the carbon deposits. Replace the valve stem seals and clean the piston heads with a wire brush or a dremel tool with a wire wheel attachment. Let me know how it goes.

Dave