Smokey engine

[Spec BSC]

Can't believe im typing this after completing only 3000kms on the new engine.

So when you let the car stand for a couple days when you start her up there is quite alot of smoke from the tailpipes. Also when pushing on the car smokes from the exhaust and after a few hundred kms there is an oil deposit on the rear bumper. Oil is being used at a rate of approx 500ml per 500kms. As this is a built engine I was expecting some oil usage but not this.

I'm pretty sure its valve stem oil seals as the engine still pulls ok, I know the engine builder never checked the heads ffs . What do you guys reckon with my diagnosis and can they be changed without taking the heads off?

[McDoof]

You should buy a lottery ticket or something. All of the bad luck you have with this engine must have some sort of equal and opposite reaction right?

[RX25SE]

Fk me, you have having an unbelievable run.

Your oil consumption seems excessive, even for a fresh engine. My H6 will blow a puff of smoke on start up every now and then (quite normal IMO considering the cylinders are parallel to the ground) but over the 5000k service intervals it uses less than 0.5lit of oil.

If it were stem seals or worn guides, the usual symptom is smoke on overrun as the manifold pressure drops to minimum (max vacuum) and draws oil down the intake valve stems. The seals (only) can often be replaced without removing the heads by filling the cylinders with compressed air to keep the valves closed. On a H6 at the very least the engine will need to come out and I'm sure the cams will need to be removed, so it is not a small job.

Was the engine adequately loaded when running it in? This is what seals the rings.

Best of luck with it mate and yes, buy a lottery ticket.

[jslayz]

I would be going back to the workshop and demanding a fix.
Unacceptable that the heads were not checked while apart!

Oil control rings incorrectly installed will do this too.....ask me how I know...

2 potential issues, I would say oil controls if motor didn't do this before.

[Spec BSC]

Thank you gentlemen.

When the engine was being assembled they did mention that on oem pistons there is a location hole for the oil control ring to locate in, because I had custom pistons made which were supplied with all the rings there was no location hole, so they did mention there maybe some increased oil usage.

I had a friend follow me yesterday, under normal driving there is no evidence of smoke, when pressing on there are puffs of smoke and on gear change.

So it sounds to me like I have a valve stem oil seal issue and the oil control rings. Yay.

[RX25SE]

Im having trouble with the fact that the custom pistons and their supplied rings will be the cause due to the lack of a locating hole.
Is this hole in the base of the ring groove?

[Spec BSC]

Yes the location point was at the base of the ring groove and is there to prevent the ring rotating in the bore and the gap being at the bottom.

[Spec BSC]

I would be going back to the workshop and demanding a fix.
Unacceptable that the heads were not checked while apart!

Oil control rings incorrectly installed will do this too.....ask me how I know...

2 potential issues, I would say oil controls if motor didn't do this before.

Go on then let me know how you know

[jslayz]

muppets that pass off that they know what they are doing produce work as below:

Top head is from cylinder with the issue:


See below:

[norbs]

muppets that pass off that they know what they are doing produce work as below:

Top head is from cylinder with the issue:


See below:

[RX25SE]

I can see the muppets have allowed the expander to overlap from the pic (I wouldn't expect even an apprentice to make that mistake!) but I can't see how the oil ring would locate in the hole as you mentioned above Richard.
Commonly the rings on four stroke engines are free to rotate in the ring grooves. To me, the holes in the pics are purely an oil drain.

[jslayz]

I can see the muppets have allowed the expander to overlap from the pic (I wouldn't expect even an apprentice to make that mistake!) but I can't see how the oil ring would locate in the hole as you mentioned above Richard.
Commonly the rings on four stroke engines are free to rotate in the ring grooves. To me, the holes in the pics are purely an oil drain.

That is my issue, Richard has not posted any pics of his yet.

I could have done a better job than my previous so called 'builder'

[RX25SE]

That is my issue, Richard has not posted any pics of his yet.

Yep, got that. I was assuming the holes in your pistons would be the same as Richards.

Compared to Richard's, how bad was your oil consumption J? Did it score the cylinder wall?


I would be interested to see pics of his pistons but hopefully he won't need to disassemble the engine again!

[Spec BSC]

The location holes on my pistons are very small and at the bottom of the the groove.

Typically the engine builder is saying there is nothing wrong, I was told the engine would use some oil just live with it.

[Shaheenis]

That type of oil consumption isn't even close to being acceptable. I have an EJ22 with Wiseco pistons and it occasionally blows oil smoke at start-up, more evident when the car has been sitting on an angle and one head favoured. Something to do with the forged pistons and oil escaping under the rings but I never really knew the cause. It did it from run-in and was built by a very reputable builder and the reason was never explained. Glazed bores due to rich run-in tune were a theory. While the engine is cold you can smell burning oil out the exhaust and all of that still results in less than 1ltr consumption per 5000ks which is a lot less than yours.