My piston rings are gone...what are my options

[Sawbladz]

Just took the car for a drive...noticed oil burning. When I would decellerate to a stop light I would leave it in gear and let off from ~3500 rpm to 2000 rpm. Doing this would cause the car to billow blue smoke. It is my understanding that this is the result of worn piston rings (220,000km). If I am wrong in this assumption, please correct me.

I will be doing a compression test some time in the coming week to confirm my suspicions.

So what are my options? How expensive is a ring job (if I payed for it or just for parts and I do it myself). Would I be able to pull this off with no experience? How long can I drive the car like this with no ill effects?(keeping in mind I check my oil 3 times a week). This car is no longer my DD so it will see weekend/car meet use only.

 

[JustAnotherVictim]

You'll need to get the cylinders honed/possibly bored, depending on how smooth they are, and get the crank checked and change the bearings while you're there. Doing that shouldn't kill you price wise just depends on what else you find.

 

[Sawbladz]

You'll need to get the cylinders honed/possibly bored, depending on how smooth they are, and get the crank checked and change the bearings while you're there. Doing that shouldn't kill you price wise just depends on what else you find.

That's just it..I'm a little worried about what they will find and if I can afford it at the time. Being in school sucks that way. If I knew it would just be rings and bearings and I could find a decent price I would do it for sure. It's just the "what if" factor that concerns me.

 

[JustAnotherVictim]

That's the problem.
You sticking with OEM hg or gonna use a mhg? If mhg add decking the block and head surface to that list.
It's not a dd like you said so you have the benefit of not being in need of a car as well.
Get it checked asap you'll do more damage by continuing to run it.

 

[mattjk]

compression test won't really help, you'll need a leak down, but even that really won't tell the story. Could even be your valve stem seals, but if you don't smoke right at start up, it's probably not stem seals.

Anyhow, really bad rings will cause smoke while cruising... constant blue stream of smoke.

LOT's of 1j's have this problem and it's due to the turbo seals. ct26 acts a bit differently however.

Are you running a K&N or some other filter that let's in alot of dirt?

 

[JustAnotherVictim]

A compression test will at least tell him if his cylinders are at the proper psi.

The car may not smoke enough to tell while cruising too. Four of my rings went out and the only time I really noticed smoke was once I stopped. It's never an exact science though.

 

[mattjk]

well, one thing he could try before tearing the motor apart would be to convert it to NA, and test drive. A set of NA exhaust headers or manifolds will be fairly easy to do.

If anyone has a true test for rings, please chime in.

 

[Jaguar_5]

I was under the impression that a dry/wet compression test is sufficient to check the rings ability to seal

 

[mattjk]

you're testing compression rings, not the oil rings.

I've seen compression rings put out low compression numbers, but little oil burning... just lot's of blow-by.

 

[mattjk]

I bet Jet Jock will have answers.

 

[johnathan1]

I bet Jet Jock will have answers.

Buy an oscilloscope.

Sounds like your turbo seals are starting to go...

 

[Boostedstr8six]

I'm kind of in the same boat but mostly just on decel. I went from a ct that I knew was on the way out the door to one that has quite a few miles (120K) and more shaft play than I thought I would get. Anyway, I still get smoke on decel but not as much as with the other turbo.

I would like to determine the condition of my rings though. What would a normal amount of blowby look like coming out of the oil fill port with the vent tubes blocked?

 

[Sawbladz]

I hope its my turbo because I have experience changing those (have it down to 3 hrs with stock oil lines) and it doesn't require any labour costs. The turbo on the car is a stock replacement that I bought for $150 but it didn't have much/any play when I got it but I don't know it's history.

I don't think it is valve stems because I already had that problem and I know the symptoms. They were replaced last spring when I put on a MHG. The newish turbo was put on shortly after when I noticed all the fins were chipped on the old one.

The filter I have on the car is not the best. It's a HKS SMF with one of those foam filters. I don't trust it too much and it's on my lost of replacement.

How do I perform a leakdown test and where would I get the equipement?

 

[TurboWarrior]

compression test is the easiest and fastest way to tell if something is wrong. If nothing shows up then move on to the next test. It took me like 30 min to do one on my car. and its just becuase its my fist time doing it.

Just pull the efi fuse so fuel won't pump and get the engine hot before starting. This just makes it more accurate. You should see the bad cylinder(s)easily.

EDIT: you can rent the tester at canadian tire or parts source for free.

 

[Mr.PFloyd]

if all else fails, contact graeme at CCH. he should be able to tell you whats up, he is a 7m guru and is actually building up my current motor. localish to you too (well oshawa isn't THAT local, but it is some what close to North York. Check em out
http://www.cylinderheadtech.com/

 

[p5150]

Compression test

Pour a table spoon of oil in the spark plug hole and re-test

If the rings/walls are worn the oil will provide a temporary seal and increase the indicated compression.

If the compression does not increase and all of the pistons are uniform in compression and up to specification than it is most likely a different problem.

If you need a new motor go 2jzge - T; but thats just my opinion.

 

[Sawbladz]

Compression test results.

1 165
2 150
3 130
4 130
5 145
6 155

I forgot to put oil in the cylinders to retest but I don't think that should be necessary because this head was fully rebuilt last spring when the HG was done.

Also, I checked my turbo and noticed some shaft play. There isn't alot up and down but it has considerable front to rear.

So what do you guys think?

 

[JustAnotherVictim]

+/- 35psi is definitely not good.

 

[Jaguar_5]

I forgot to put oil in the cylinders to retest but I don't think that should be necessary because this head was fully rebuilt last spring when the HG was done.

The wet compression test has nothing to do with the cylinder head, read what p5150 posted again, wet test is for checking the rings / cylinder walls ability to seal.

Soo, what JaV Said!! Sounds like you need new rings, and maybe a new turbo

 

[Sawbladz]

I understand what he said about the wet compression test and I should have done it but I forgot. However, if adding the oil didn't affect the results then the problem would be with the head. Since I feel that there shouldn't be any problems with my head, I think that this test proves my rings need replacement.

Are the results I posted really bad? It's my understanding that you want them to be within 10% and some of mine are double that. Does this mean that I should not be driving the car? Also, could my shaft play be contributing to the oil burning I am experiencing?