ok guys first to let everyone know i DID search through 12 pages of archived threads looking for a definite answer to my problem but i didn't find what i needed.
i got this b16a2 motor and the block has approx 28K miles and the head has approx 50-60K on it. it is completely stock other then intake/header/and act stage 1 clutch. when i assembled it i used NEW OEM timing belt, waterpump, tentioner, headgasket, spark plugs, intake/exhaust manifold gaskets, camshaft seals and new pcv. im running a stock p28 also. i have put 1500 miles on the motor and changed the oil the other day before i went to seattle and back. The thing is that if i drive it and keep it out of vtec then it will burn absolutely no oil. once i hit it at WOT and vtec engages then i see the puff of smoke out the rear. No smoke during decelerating though.

As stated above i just changed the oil with factory oil (5w-30)/filter and i accidently over filled it just a bit past the second notch. so yesterday i took it up to seattle area and i stopped when i got there (approx 200 miles non stop) i gassed it up with premium chevron and checked the oil and it was perfect (because i kept it out of vtec the whole way) on the way back i hit vtec a few times (about 5/6 times) on the way home and when i got home and checked the oil again it was in the middle of the 2 dots. So im sure that it tasted atleast 1/2 to 3/4 of a qt of oil.

So here is my concern....the head came off my other b16 motor after i jumped timing. But i took it into a shop to have it checked for bent/leaking valves and the shop said that i needed to have a valve grind done on the 2 exhaust valves in the #1 cylinder so i did. the machine shop said that i needed to have the valves adjusted when i put the head back on the motor but because i don't have the special honda valve adjusting tool i could not do so.

The tech question is: can having misadjusted valves cause this much oil consumption??? Also the head did go through alot of high rpm's (sometimes up to 9K, only once or twice) so could it possibily be the valve stem seals??

I pulled the plugs out tonight and looked at them. #1 looked normal, #2 had some oil but not bad, #3 had some crusty white ish all over it, and #4 had considerably more oil on it. So i think my problem is in the head and in the #4 cylinder. Also checked the pcv valve and it looked fine. Compression numbers starting with 1 to 4 are 215/212/215/220. Looking to get this fixed right.

Thanks for all the info in advance!!

 

I think you have a oil ring problem. Also, why are you beating on the motor with a stock P28? I would only use that for an emergency.

 

what is a way to test the oil rings. also im not beating on this motor at all, i was taking it into vtec to test and see how bad the oil burning was.

 

Theres not really any test for the oil rings unfortunately. This has been the source of every oil burning b and d series honda I have taken apart.

 

that seriously sucks...well can't i test the valve seals with a leak down test?? or a vaccume test?? if i can be sure the valve seals are good then i know by default that it is the rings. it is funny because this block is suppose to only have 28K miles on it and it looked really clean and the pistons were really tight in the sleeves. sucks if i have to take this motor out.

 

any other opinions?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Runnerdown &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Theres not really any test for the oil rings unfortunately. This has been the source of every oil burning b and d series honda I have taken apart. </TD></TR></TABLE>

you can perform a dry and wet compression test to check if the rings are worn. first you need to get ahold of a compression tester, (sears like $24.99). follow instructions on how to use it for a dry test. record all your readings from each cylinder. then you will perform a wet test, put a few drops of oil through the spark plug hole and test again the same way as the dry test, if the compression goes up a lot, then your rings in that cylinder are gone.

 

Oil rings will not show up on that test though, thats the catch. Compression rings still seal fine. The oil rings are very low tension and when some carbon builds up in the grooves they stick. I have pictures if you want to see of a B18c and D16y7 the last two motors I rebuilt with this problem.

 

yea you can post some picks....i checked the oil again today and it is perfect, however i did notice that there was some oil accumilation where the headgasket sticks out by the block code. it wasn't much and the cylinder still has good compression. when i looked down the sparkplug hole before i did my compression test i noticed that cylinder 1/2 they looked clean but 3 had some oil on the plug but the piston looked ok. the 4 cylinder had more oil on the plug then 3 and the piston looked like carbon was on top of it and it looked like thete was a thin film of oil on top of the piston. whatever the problem is i think it is in cylinder 3 and 4. might have to take it to a shop.

 

Here is my favorite picture, exhaust valve from the last gsr engine