Long post, but totally worth the read if your car is burning oil or blowing blue smoke due to worn rings!


Okay, I am still a month and a half away from an engine rebuild. I blew my oil rings a few months ago and my car billowed blue smoke like crazy. Every time I drove my car, it progressively got worse (to the point where I could not drive my car at all)

I searched and searched for a temporary fix until my buddy gets back from his military duty to put my endyns/eagles in, and came up with different fixes from different people. The most 'popular' answer was "use thicker motor oil. Okay to keep this short here's what I have tried:

1. Thicker non-synthetic oil (didn't work...went as thick as 20w-60!!)
2. STP Stop smoke (slowed it down a bit but still billowed under load)
3. Rislone Ring Seal (nothing)
4. A complete engine flush, new oil, and filter (actually mad things worse)

So, completely frustrated and ready to throw in the towel, I did some last minute reseach during my free time at work. I read this article about a guy who had an old beat up truck he had bought for like $800. He was saying how it ran well for a while an then it started to burn smoke really badly. This got my attention 'cause it home.
He finally pulled into the a car shop and asked what would stop his car from smoking so much, the person at the counter replied 'engine overhaul'...like duh!!!

He then took it to a nearby gas staion and asked the mechanic what he could do to stop the car from smoking. The mechanic gave it a once over and told him, "I can fix your car for $20....guaranteed." As I read this, I was about to shut my PC off, because my bullshit meter was redlining.

But then I decided to read on...the guy went away for a few minutes and wen he came back and the car was done. The mechanic then said, drive it around town for a few minutes, don't go over 35 miles/hour, and drive it like that for at least 50 miles.

As he drove, he notice the smoke slowly tuning into a trickle and then, totally disappear.
What did the mechanic do? Well all he did was give the truck an oil change and added a product called "Alemite CD-2"

So I was like, "yeah right...another B.S. ad for product that won't work."

After a day or so, for some reason I couldn't get that article out of my head. So, I figure...okay I'll bite...what is it gonna hurt? Its only <u>+</u>$3.00. So I ordered a bottle on an online store.

Well, the stuff finally arrived tonight. So I immediately emptied the bottle into my crankcase (which already had the 20w-60 motor oil that I had changed lat weekend)...I started the engine and let it warm up for about 5 minutes....It was still billowing blue smoke, but I remembered the article specifically saying that I had to drive the car.

So I waited till midnight so that there's less traffic on the road and less chance of being pulled over. I drove around the block a couple of times and looked in to the rear view mirror...as expected SMOKE SCREEN FROM HELL. So I drove a it around a couple of more times and then pulled into my driveway, ready to call it quits.

I stop the car and turned the iginition off and the turbo timer kicked in. As I got out of the car (as it idled on the timer), I looked toward the back of the car...HOLY **** !!! NO SMOKE!

So I decided to drive it around some more....after about 10 miles of continuous driving at a steady 35-40mph the smoke was reduced significantly. It only smoked under really heavy load. So I decided to take a drive to Tokyo, which is about 15 miles away.

By the time I got to Tokyo, the smoke was gone even under heavy load...it did smoke still under low boost....so I stopped boosting. I then drove back to my house in Yokohama....so by now I have already put close to 40 miles on my car....the smoke is now completely gone under normal driving (no boost). I'm going to drive it around even more tomorrow.

Bottom line. Alemite CD-2 Oil Burning Formula ******* really works!!!! Its not a fix by any means, but it will buy time until you're ready to rebuild!!

Secret to making it work:

1. Use very thick motor non-syntetic motor oil (single weight or really think multi-grade) 10w-40 or 10w-50 should be okay (I went for the extreme 20w-60)
2. replace filter
3. one bottle replaces a quart of oil....the article recommended 2 bottles, but 1 was enough for me.
4 Drive like a grandma for at least 50 miles (no boost) don't rev past 3500rpms..high gears !

The stuff apparently builds up between the piston and cylinder wall resealing the combustion chamber off from the bottom of the engine. The seal is not extremely strong, so high boosts, or high rpms will not allow it seal...so the key is to drive slowy at first in high gears. And the stuff seems to work better with very viscous oil.

So again...its not a permanant fix, but it will buy you time...I'm happy to have my car back!! woohoo!




[Modified by MiraiZ, 3:39 AM 12/1/2002]

 

wish i would have known about that back in 94 when my old civic used to create clouds.

 

Great info. THX!

 

Where can I order some of this? Will it work as well if I'm using 10W-30 oil? I've tried all of those 'no-smoke' liquids w/ no luck, so if this stuff actually works like you said I'd be very happy. Thanks!

 

very interesting info, dude. its good you posted it up.

 

This is where I got mine

http://www.usahardware.com/inet/shop...d2/4101_12.htm

Get Red not Black

10w-30 should be okay...but I'd go a weight heavier....heavier weight seems to work faster and better


[Modified by MiraiZ, 4:43 AM 12/1/2002]

 

Ever tried SeaFoam? It works in a similar mannor and has worked miracles for me in stopping smoke, quieting lifters, etc...

 

Miraiz,
you blew your engine finally?? sorry, i only hang out here once in a while now that my car was stolen. Well, you will find that after rebuilding the engine, that you'll say "why didn't i start out this way?" .

 

... my thoughts exactly!!!

 

Where is this Seafoam avail. Jared?

 

i think ive seen this stuff at the parts stores, i might get some for my winter beater.

 

I'm already thinking that Gruvy...yeah the MF2 crap contributed to my rings going...but I guess it'll be a blessing in disguise. The car runs good now.


[Modified by MiraiZ, 12:51 PM 12/1/2002]

 

bump...just wanted to give an update...day 2...still no smoke...even under low boost now...I think my compression came up a bit too, because th car is a bit more responsive. Best $3.00 I've ever spent!!!

 

just my opinion,

when I cracked my ringlands spiking to 9psi on FMU, I took my pistons out, and there was one piece that was compeltely out of the piston and the only thing that held the one piece was the carbon deposit from the blow by.

if you;re planning to re-use the block wihtout sleeving it, I'd recommend to tear it down immediately to prevent further damages to the cylinder walls, if you're planning to sleeve it, I guess you can do this for a while...

just my $ .02

 

nice info!

 

i second that suggestion. my 2 pistons had cracks in the ringlands that allowed them to move freely between the rings. would have been only a matter of time until one of the peices broke free.

 

only a temp solution...by no means am I racing around like this....beside, I don't this stuff would work if the problem was really serious

 

... update?

 

well said

 

MiraiZ : i found these two at pepboys... is this the same stuff that you used?... like you, i cant get this out of my head ... lemme know... thanks...

 

the silver bottle dude!

 

... sweet!!!... i am gonna pick a bottle up tomorrow... also, got any recommendations on what oil and filter to use?... also, got any updates?... like is all the smoke still gone?... does the "***-dyno" feel a little better performance?... how about under low boost (how much)?... thank in advance...

 

stock oil filter should do....no updates...I only drive it on weekends so that I don't break anything...Bu it did look and feel good...good product!

 

how much boost is low boost (to you)?... curious... will be doing this during the weekend... thanks...

 

.4 maybe .5 bar MAX!...but I didn't even boost that high...kept the RPMs below 4000