Oil Loss But No Blue Smoke

[Thoughtful_One]

I've had my SR for exactly one year now, and when got back this summer, I've found that it's been going through oil. My commute every day is short, around 6 miles round trip each day, and every two weeks, I need to put in like 1/2 quart.

My turbo has very little to no shaft play, and the intercooler is fairly clean.

Had a leakdown test done last year and results were great. Since then, I've done nothing except add a FMIC and different air filter. Recently shimmed my wastegate, but I stay away from boost for more fuel efficiency.

Engine had a new rear main seal going into the car.

I can see oil coming out from the lower timing cover, and there is a bit near the crank pulley, but it's not enough to say that it's dripping out. It's just a little stained. I just cleaned the front off today, and I'll see how much accumulates.

There is no blue smoke, at idle or even under boost from what I could see.

Pulled the cap on my radiator the other day the coolant is perfectly green, no discoloration at all.

I pulled the oil pan 6 months ago, but made sure to seal the pan really good, so I know it's not leaking from there.

Engine seems healthy, and has no problem with breaking tires loose.

The only thing I can think of is that when I came from from not using the engine for 3 months, I couldn't start the engine because the engine was seized. Had to put some WD40 and engine oil in the cylinders to break it loose manually, then I started it. Can't think of any other way that I could've started it. I hope that didn't damage the cylinder walls... Other than that, my last oil change used Amsoil synthetic rather than regular...

What should I check at this point?

[streetbikestunta420]

check the oil pan son

[SlideWayzS13]

Rings are probably not seating.....you said the motor was sezied?? When you broke it lose I can put a lot of money on the rings are F**ked....Do a compression test??

[boro drift]

I'd do another leak down test. If the rings rusted to the cylinder walls you will probably have to re-hone the cylinders and replace the rings. Where were you storing your car when it seized up?

[Thoughtful_One]

Stored it right in my driveway. Didn't think that anything would happen

I'll get a leakdown in the coming week and post results. I REALLY hope it's just something dumb like valve seals. Anything else, and I might have to give up the car...

[Justin35ll]

Yeah I was thinking the rings too, but if it's not blowing blue smoke then idk. Check for leaks

[Thoughtful_One]

Something really weird is going on...

I checked around and found no oil leaks. Nothing around the pan, timing cover, front main seal... Rear main seal was changed so I know that's good, and there is no way I'm dropping the transmission... Pulled the coilpacks and cylinder one has just a couple drops of oil in it from me pulling the VC the other night to paint it.

** Took it to the shop to get a leakdown done. Put pressure in the cylinders, and the leak was so bad the gauge wouldn't even register a leak percentage... The cylinders that were tested were always done at TDC... EVERY single cylinder wouldn't register a percentage.

Pulled the oil cap, and it was very audible that air was leaking out, so I guess the valve seals are bad possibly?

Pulled the dipstick and heard air so I guess rings are bad too?

The strange thing is that the car still pulls hard at only 8 PSI. No oil out of the BOV, though I have it after the intercooler near the throttle body.

He brought a small camera and stuck it down into the cylinders and the bores still had the cross-cathces from honing, and there was no scoring or galling. 1st cylinder piston had no holes or anything either.

I've never really come across an engine which burned oil, so I started it in the morning, and I couldn't see any blue tinted smoke. There was white smoke, but I know I'm not burning coolant, and it's hard to tell anyway due to these cold days and condensation ni the exhaust. Def. didn't smell like it and I can't see it in the radiator.

[Spegt]

Half a quart ecery 2 weeks.With a 6 mile commute. Sounds to me like the engine insnt warming up enough. Thus the pistions are not expanding enough to seal the rings. #1 reason for premature wear and oil consumtion are very short commutes.

[Thoughtful_One]

Sorry, but it just doesn't make sense to me.

Look at this situation: Person A and person B..

Person A and person B live in the same house but go to 2 different locations.

Both follow each other for 20 minutes, then A pulls over for work, while B keeps going for X amount of time. The inital amount fo time that they drive is the same, and which means that they put the same amount of wear on their engines for the first 20 minutes.

How is it that driving X amount of *MORE* time will lead to lower engine wear?

Sorry for the weird analogy, but that's the only way I could think of it.

[Thoughtful_One]

Also, if my engine has such bad leakdown test reults, why would my boost/vaccum gauge read 18 mmHg (or is it inches, I don't remember...)?

[boro drift]

A well seated set of standard rings will leak down 10% to 12%, so you will hear air in the crank case while doing a leak down test. If your leak down tested poorly, the percentage gauge should have read a high percentage. Get someone to drive behind you and smell your exhaust under load, you can't always see oil burning.

[Thoughtful_One]

A well seated set of standard rings will leak down 10% to 12%, so you will hear air in the crank case while doing a leak down test. If your leak down tested poorly, the percentage gauge should have read a high percentage. Get someone to drive behind you and smell your exhaust under load, you can't always see oil burning.

Exhaust does smell like oil, but the car is not pissing out blue smoke (or whitish-blue).

If my compression is so bad, why is my vaccum reading so high? From what I understand my vaccum reading is in the range of a healthy reding (at aorund 700-750 RPM, reading is about 18 when warmed up).

On the way to the shop, I couldn't even see any smoke trailing me when driving hard.

[boro drift]

I think when the engine seized, it damaged a couple second rings, which are compression and oil control.

[Spegt]

It was just a diagnostic suggestion. Think of me as (House M.D.). Your last post said person x vs person a driving 20min. My theory of cold start wear wouldnt apply to them. But you are talking about 6 mile commute. Probably jump in fire it up drive(sr20det, so you are no doubt boosting her cold). Drive probably takes you 10min. So you just got the engine warm when you reach your destination. Clearances are larger(i.e. piston to wall) causing blow-by. Check your turbo outlet. Its probably covered in a nice thick coat of oil.(blow by)

[the converted]

It does sound like your rings are stuck in the ring lands. Your best bet is to re-ring it, but I guess you could soak each cylinder with pb blaster ro similar for a few hours and see if it will loosen things up. I wouldn't expect to much from it but it might help some.

[Thoughtful_One]

I really don't know if my rings are bad. My engine just does not seem to act like it has bad rings.

I really think it has something to do with the fact that I used synthetic.

Not a big deal if it is bad rings. I'll rebuild next September with forged internals if that's the case.

I am running lean though. I think my timing might be off. Going to be checking over tons of things tommrow, including CTS output, MAF voltages, TPS signal.

If it was a failing fuel pump, it wouldn't richen up after a certain speed. Same deal with my fuel pressure...

zerothread?id=303653

A put my car on the dyno last year, and for some reason it ran very lean up to about 4500 RPM, then it went down to around 12:1 AF. What could cause that?