Hey all,
My 1.8L is sucking down the oil, this time at an alarming rate. No puddles under the car, just slow, steady drain.

I'm still assembling the turbo parts and really want to fix this before I add boost. Is this a ring/clearance issue? Am I running too hot and vaporizing the oil?

All advice is appreciated. As of now, I am going through 2 quarts extra every three months. I use 10W30 Penzoil Dura-Blend.

Thanks,
AC

 

Hey Curtas, I too have a 1997 Tib 1.8l 5speed. I was having similar problems and i can probably attest that it is due to high milage. I don't know how many miles you have but i have around 112,000 miles. Now, i was consuming about 1 quart of oil by the end of 3000miles (not quite as drastic as yours but still more than typcial i think) without any leaks or blowing blue smoke (knock on wood..can't be tooooo safe). As a matter of fact i dynoed 116whp (@ 105k miles) with just an intake & header (105whp stock) so the engine is running good and smooth. Then i used 4 cyl. engine restore a couple of times every other oil change and it did the trick...for a while. A few oil changes after the last i noticed oil consumption kicked up again (slowly) and i was using a Valvoline synthetic blend oil 5w-30/10w-30. Now i'm using a Valvoline High-milage oil (10w-30...couldn't find a 5w, pitty since we're having some cold @ss weather). I haven't checked my oil level yet but i think it'll be okay. I'm sure we could use some new seals around the valves (i don't notice any smoke though upon start up) and the pistons (yeah but still no smoke while driving) but hey, if we don't "see" any smoke it's probably so small we just don't notice. I plan on trying to add a quart of Lucas Oil stabalizer as part of my oil change. I used 1 quart (50% as stated)of this stab. in my transaxle and this baby shifts as smooth as silk...during the coldest part of the day even if its the first shift of the day or in a couple of days!! Great stuff. They also advertise reducing oil consumption so if this "high milage" oil doesn't do the trick, i'll add some Lucas Oil Stabalizer (purchased at a Advanced Autoparts store for around $7.00). I plan on finding a used 1.8l and rebuilding it, hopefully for a turbo kit (Apexi or the new revised Alpine kit) and swapping it in. Let me know what happens man. Nice to see someone from the same state.

 

2 quarts every 3 months...doesn't tell us much.
How many miles do you drive in 3 months?

1 quart every 1000 Miles is considered "normal". You'd have to consume more than that for it to be considered a problem.

Have you ever replaced your PCV?
What mods do you have currently on the car?

We need more info to help you.

 

Okay, more info:

I only have 50k miles on my 1997 Tib. I don't drive to work and pretty much only drive on weekends. I'm averaging about 2,000 miles per oil change (every three months). What bothers me about the consumption is the fact that I don't drive it that much and it's still eating oil.

Mods right now are: custom CAI drawing from where the battery used to be, Ractive filter. Onpol special bored throttle body and ported intake manifold. Pacesetter monza exhaust (I know, I know). That's it for the engine, I'm using NGK copper power V plugs. Every other mod is handling-oriented.

I changed the PCV valve two summers ago and have been giving it a couple of cleaning squirts (carb cleaner) every summer. Every time I work on the intake, I notice oil buildup in the elbow and throttle body. This is why I'm suspecting massive blow-by.

koreandude,
I was thinking about getting a project motor, but I don't have a garage. So I'd have to store it outside under my deck (covered with plastic, fenced yard), but still it makes the swap much more difficult. I've been looking for a rental garage, but to no avail. I'll keep looking though.

thanks,
ac

 

Just do a compression test; we'll know more from that. If you have a low reading on a cylinder, try putting a little oil in it and reading compression again; if compression goes back to normal, then it's probably a ring problem. If two or more adjacent cylinders have low compression, then it's likely to be a gasket problem.

Anyway, do that and let us know smile.gif

 

Do we need any special type of compression tester? Who makes/sells a good one? By default I'd go to Sears, but they only had one available.

Will I need an adapter for our deep spark plug holes?

thanks,
ac

 

"standard" compression testers should come with 2 spark plug adapters. One for large plugs, and one for small plugs. The smaller of the two will fit our plug holes.

Most C-testers come with 12-18" of hosing, so the long hose will fit down inside the plug well with no problems.

Some things you should know.

#1. Pull the wires off the fuel pump, or pull the fuel pump relay.
#2. Block the TB wide open with a screw driver. your Compression readings will be way off if you do it with a closed TB.
#3. Crank the engine until the gauge stops moving. Do all 4 cylinders, and if you got any goofy readings, go back and do that cyinder again. If it's still goofy, reseat the hose/spark plug adapter and do it one more time. If it's still goofy, you found your problem.

Stock spec is 213 PSI. Down to 199 is considered acceptable. With my Alpine headspacer on, I'm usually at 180 psi (+/- 5psi).

If you get a low reading on one cylinder, put 2 cap fulls of oil in the cylinder. Let it sit 30 seconds, then test that cyinder again. If compression raises, then you know you have ring sealing issues. If it doesn't, then the problem is valve or head gasket related.

 

cool. thanks.

I'll probably still be snowed in this weekend (unless the rains come, but I still can't work on the car).

Hopefully I'll give her a test next weekend.

thanks,
ac

 

Bahahaha.... my dodge shadow is running a dry 105-100-95-110 PSI lol

Poor thing's had a hard life. Can't wait for my 250 HP turbo swap smile.gif