burning oil @4k

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a_bob36
Posts: 19
Joined: Mon Jan 03, 2005 10:15 am

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Yeah it is me again. After getting my head rebuilt, timing all back together, re-tightening a loose lifter(should fire the dude who fixed my head) and fixing a bad freeze plug. My car has been running great. However, around 4000 rpms I noticed that my exhaust turns a lil white. It is definately oil and that is the only time my car begins to smoke.

Now it didnt do it after I had the car back together and running, but I did remove my AIV, and took the valve cover off again to fix a noisy lifter. My car has no external oil leaks, but I noticed that where my intake meets the tb it is cracked and that where the hose from the intake meets the valve cover it is split. I was hoping that perhaps could my intake be sucking oil and throwing it through my combustion chamber? I have tried gluing those pieces for temporary as I have an Injen coming in 2 days.


NISTECH
Posts: 10585
Joined: Sun May 25, 2003 4:17 am

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oil smoke is blue not white, white typically indicates coolant.

a_bob36
Posts: 19
Joined: Mon Jan 03, 2005 10:15 am

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Yea im sorry it is faintly blue. I know it is not coolant and definately oil because it smells like oil and after a week i need to add half a quart of oil.

NISTECH
Posts: 10585
Joined: Sun May 25, 2003 4:17 am

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check your pcv valve you may be getting blow by in the intake.

a_bob36
Posts: 19
Joined: Mon Jan 03, 2005 10:15 am

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Thank you. I will do this tomorrow since its work on car day.

a_bob36
Posts: 19
Joined: Mon Jan 03, 2005 10:15 am

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Well, after installing my new Injen intake and a new pcv valve, the car is still burning oil and perhaps coolant. I checked my radiator fluid and it was a tad low but not too much. When I started the car it had what looked like a little bit of moisture burning off. Then once its revved up and nears 4k or so it starts burning oil. I am going to do a compression test but I think it is a headgasket eventhough I just put one on...any other suggestions? Could removing the aiv and capping the vacuum lines cause this at all? Oh and could a bad temp sensor cause this at all? I have not run my engine constantly at higher rpms but I have read that sometimes bad valve stem seals can cause some oil to leak onto the cylinder and once it is heated up enough it burns off.
Modified by a_bob36 at 6:49 PM 5/5/2005

NISTECH
Posts: 10585
Joined: Sun May 25, 2003 4:17 am

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No capping the vaccum lines wouldnt cause this, The coolant temp wont cause it to burn oil either. Yes valve stem guides could cause it to burn oil if they are leaking. Its possible you nicked the gasket during the install.

a_bob36
Posts: 19
Joined: Mon Jan 03, 2005 10:15 am

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OK Finally got me a compression tester and everything. Engine was warm from daily driving but it had been off for about an hour and a half. I had all spark plugs out, wot, and let it crank about 6 times

Dry test: 1=165 2=165 3=169 4=159

After adding cap of oil:1=179 2=184 3=186 4=179

I had also noticed that my oil was a bit low and I checked my coolant and had to add quite a bit of water. So I am guessing that this is headgasket related?

NISTECH
Posts: 10585
Joined: Sun May 25, 2003 4:17 am

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your compression readings look fine. If it were a head gasket your initial readings would have been much lower. Are you sure the cooling system was properly blead before? It is very easy to get air trapped in the system, especially after doing a major engine tear down.

a_bob36
Posts: 19
Joined: Mon Jan 03, 2005 10:15 am

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I have no idea...lol what would a proper bleading consist of? does that cause coolant and oil to burn off? AND I have never found oil in my coolant or vice versa...

On a side note I forgot to mention before that the #3 and #4 spark plugs had what looked like some oilyness(that a word?) on the threads.
Modified by a_bob36 at 6:20 PM 5/9/2005

NISTECH
Posts: 10585
Joined: Sun May 25, 2003 4:17 am

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The coolant may not have burned off as it might not have been there in the first place. The fact you had to add a lot of coolant means that some of the air may have made it to the radiator. If you were burning coolant you would see a huge white clowd behind you all the time,,well till it ran out of coolant anyway.

The oil on the threads is not as important as if oil is on the electrode area of the plug. The oil could be from a valve cover leaking.

a_bob36
Posts: 19
Joined: Mon Jan 03, 2005 10:15 am

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So...what else could it be? I am still burning oil and losing coolant (possibly thru burning or air bubbles) have not found any oil in my coolant or coolant in my oil...compression seems to be fine although its lower on the 4th cylinder...and its not a constant smoke, only above 3k(slightly at 3k then more as it revs higher).

And just to make sure I am not confusing you I have added coolant before-this is not the first time. Could there be too much oil? As in the dipstick is WRONG (yeah right) and it is just burning off the excess? Today I added about half a quart because my dipstick read on the L, but not once have I had overheating issues or anything of the sorts.

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p00t
Posts: 780
Joined: Thu Feb 13, 2003 2:42 pm

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#1 what car do you have

#2 i am assuming this is a 240sx.... or altima... if not well this might not apply... On the oil issue... first thing to check is if you have leaks. Check around the engine for leaks ESPECIALLY on the front of the engine under the crank pulley. If it is mucky with fresh wet oil, this is probably a good culprit. The new seal for this is $2 and 1-2 hours of your time.

#3 Check cooling system for leaks check around the radiator...hoses... check around the water pump, there is a weep hole that coolant will drip out of when the water pump bearing seals are toast. After this, make sure the system is bled correctly, with the car on level ground and completely cooled take off the rad cap and the bleeder bolt (located on the intake, just follow the top rad hose it will be around there). Pour coolant into the rad SLOWLY untill water trickles out of the bleeder bolt. install the bolt, tighten lightly (only 8 ftlbs!) then fill the rad all the way.

If you still are losing oil and coolant after this you have a head gasket problem. If the car was burning coolant before they worked on the head and this is still happening... it sounds to me like they replaced valve seals and such but DID NOT shave the bottom head surface... Which means it would exhibit the same symptoms it had before even with a new head gasket! Try and see if they did this! It will have to be done to remedy the problem.

s13EastTN
Posts: 486
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2004 1:42 pm
Car: 91 s13 hatch, 95 Honda Civic

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Try some lucas oil additive. I swear by it. My KA24DE and D15B6 both stopped smoking when getting on it when I put a quart in.


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