OK guys this is really frustrating me here and I need some suggestions on what I should do. I have an 88 GTA. Right now it is leaking and burning oil. There is 105k miles on the engine. It also seems to have too much crankcase pressure which in turn pushes the PCV valve out under moderate load. With the engine burning and leaking oil plus it being my daily driver, what do you suggest I do with it? I want to upgrade my whole engine periodically whenever I have the funds. Mind you right now I only have 500 bucks to my name. Since it is my daily driver, I cant afford to have it down for much more than a week probably. Would it be best to do a rebuild like changing gaskets, seals, etc? OR buy a cheap used block or whatever with it? Considering I only have as much money as I have, I guess it would be the obvious choice to just rebuild it now and then worry about fixing it up later for performance. Rebuild kits for 350's only cost somewhere around 150 bucks right? With the problems I mentioned would my engine just need a simple gasket/seals rebuild kit? Sorry for so many questions, but not having money and it being my daily driver, it is really depressing to say the least. My dad and I both work different schedules so even time is somewhat tight to work on it. Thanks guys.

 

Doubtful it is just a gasket problem, more like excessive blow by in the cylinders. If the engne runs ok and you think it will hold together a while, then I would invest in another engine. Start with a block (check local machine shops) or short block if you can get one for a good price. Then slowly as money permits, start building, you should be able to find good used parts (heads, TPI, etc) for a good price. Rebuilding your current engine really wouldn't be an option if you need the car to get around

 

You may be getting blowby from stuck rings. Many mineral oils will do that if not drained religiously at 3,000 miles or less. Some oils have a greater tendency to create ash and sludge. High viscosity ranges tend to do that, like 5W-30 and 15W50 oils. Pennzoil and Quaker State also have more ash formation in my experieince.

You could try to flush the engine with ATF to clean some of this up. Get the engine warmed to operating temperature then shut it off. Remove the oil filter (not the oil) and install a new (cheapo) filter. Add a quart of ATF to the sump to replace what was drained with the filter, then start and run it for a few hours under light load. Drain the oil and remove the filter. If you can repair the leaks, install clean synthetic lube. If not, use a good quality mineral oil (like Mobil 0 or Delvac) in a moderate viscosity range - no more than 10W30. Install a new oil filter of good quality, like a Wix or AC/Delco. Make sure the PCV valve is clean and the hoses are unobstructed and not leaking.

Monitor the oil level and condition frequently - like at every refueling. Don't be surprised if the new oil gets dirty very quickly. That's the sign of a very dirty engine, and could be a good thing, since the engine is getting cleaned. Just don't wait to change it for more than a couple of months. Drive the car on more than just short trips - short runs will kill the oil in a matter of weeks. Getting the engine running at normal operating temperatures and at highway speeds is necessary every ten days to two weeks to prevent deposit formation.

Once the oil stays clean for a normal period, revert to the 3,000 mile change interval but con't exceed that. Don't go back to inferior oils or those with a wide viscosity range.

If you're lucky, you can clean the ring grooves and oil rail expanders, and stop the blowby and oil consumption. If not, the engine should still be cleaner when you tear it down.

A $500 repair budget isn't going to get you very far if you need rings, bearings, machining, etc.

 

Thanks. Ok I'll try that stuff. PAW has an ad in the Car Craft magazines which sell a rebuild kit for about 150 bucks. It includes piston rings, rod bearings, main bearings, oil pump, engine gasket set, and a timing chain set. Will this do as far as a small rebuild of the engine and hopefully get rid of my burning and leaking oil problems? That is all I really want to get rid of right now. The engine runs pretty well other than that, it just isnt the greatest to have those two things happening to your engine. I appreciate all your help so far. I know 500 isnt that much of a budget to have, but I just need to at least get it running right. I dont care too much about the rest of it all. Anyone else?

 

ttt

 

What that rebuild kit doesn't include is machine shop labor, fluids, assembly supplies, valves, pistons, and the oil pump. You won't get through the project on five Hamiltons.

Beyond that, engien wear at 105K miles shouldn't be so severe that it can't be run for another 50K miles. Unless the maintenance was severly neglected, the rings and bearings shouldn't be that badly worn.

 

Can you tell me why Im badly burning oil and have a bad oil leak? I put 2 quarts in it every 4-5 days usually. I know at 105k it cant be that bad, but well it is. All I want is to fix that problem. I dont want to do a complete rebuild as I have already stated. So I dont think I need pistons etc. Is there any other reasons I could be burning oil that bad. It seems as though I have one cylinder not firing usually. Maybe from a clogged injector or bad plug wire. Im not trying to put your comments down Vadar, because you seem to be one of the most knowledgeable people on the board, but maybe Im just not getting the answers Im looking for. The work will be done by my dad and I, so machining shouldnt be a problem since Im not doing a COMPLETE rebuild. Thanks

 

Your burning/leaking oil could and probably is coming from multiple places. The small block chevy is known for valve stem oil seals leaking, they were just little rubber "O" rings on the stems and they get brittle and break apart after long exposure to head and oil. This will be most noticable on start up and when taking off from a long stop at idle (ie long red lights) Burning can also come from the piston rings no longer sealing tightly, as Vader explained.
Leaking usually happens on valve covers, oil pan rails, and the dreaded rear main oil seal. If you have all of these going on (leaking and burning) you'll go through some oil pretty quickly.

Unless your father owns a machine shop, it is going to get expensive, even for a re-ring job. Once you go that far into the engine there are things that you just "have" to do or else you are just shooting yourself in the foot. Bearings, get the cylinders checked for out of round and wear (if they require boring, you'll need new pistons too) getting the crank shaft checked for endplay and checking the journals for excessive wear (could result in a crank needing replaced) Heads coming off? You really should have a valve job (re-grind and seat) All of these things add up quickly. There is no guarantee you'll have any problems when it is taken apart, but you should know what you may be looking at.

 

Well I guess you are right. There is more into it than I thought. I guess that my idea of just doing what needs done wont work just in case other things could be wrong as well. So since I dont have much money to work with are you guys saying I should just run the motor as it is now and wait for more money to even bother any sort of rebuild? If it is really gonna cost that much, I'd probably be better off just building a new engine rather than spend 500-1000 or more just to rebuild this one. Anyone agree or disagree? I'd rather not spend money where I dont need to which is why Im asking for the help and what you would do if you were in my situation with Pizza Hut as a present job. lol

 

Try Vader's suggestions for the burning oil. Do a search here on how to change the valve stem oil seals (not hard just time consuming) Track down your leaks and fix them with new gaskets, the rear main oil seal is the one that may give you trouble since it is a one piece seal.
If you are serious about keeping the car, then a slow build up of a replacement engine is probably your best bet. Do lots of research and set yourself a realistic budget. And above all, ask questions when in doubt.

 

I'm guessing that you don't have to do a complete rebuild. But doing nothing and hoping that it will go away by itself will certainly drive you to a new engine soon.

Your dead cylinder may well be from oil fouling of that spark plug. Many of your problems could probably be solved by cleaning your engine and repairing the external leaks. Losing 12-15 quarts of oil a month is no bargain either. You're wasting the money that you could be saving. Even at 89˘ per quart for cheapo, no-name engine oil, that's more than enough wasted in a month to pay for rocker cover gaskets, or intake end seals, or whatever is leaking so badly.

Here's what I would do

1. Clean the engine thoroughly with engine degreaser, a self-service car wash pressure sprayer, laundry soap/brush/garden hose, or whatever cleans up the grime the best for you. Clean off the oil pan and transmission/flywheel inspection cover as well.
2. Monitor your oil level closely, and keep it full. If that means adding a pint every day, so be it.
3. Clean of replace your PCV valve and make sure the hose is in good condition. An inoperative PCV will contribute to oil leakage if the engine is already loose. A working PCV will help hold that oil in.
4. Watch the engine (and driveway) for signs of oil leaks. Note where they are in relation to the engine so that you have a good starting point for your search.
5. Search the suspect areas for signs of fresh oil leakage. If you find a cover gasket leaking, try gently tightening the fasteners that hold it on first. If they are tight, clean off the oil and watch for another day or two. Many times, oil pan gaskets, rocker cover gaskets, and timing cover gaskets can seal again of the bolts are merely kept snug.
6. If you determine that you have a leak that cannot be tightened away, replace the seal or gasket in that area.
7. Clean again and monitor for more leaks, and address every leak you have.

For the internal engine contamination

1. Remove the oil filter as described and replace it with the cheapest filter you can get. DO NOT reuse the old filter. The filter will get clogged in short order, so a new one is essential.
2. Add a quart of ATF or whatever volume it takes to fill the sump.
3. Start and run the engine until the oil is hot and flowing. After it had warmed up, get the engine RPMs up to about 2,000 to flow more oil under higher pressure and to splash oil onto the bottoms of the pistons. You can drive the car but keep the loading to a minimum (no hard starts or burnouts). Get at least a good hour of engine running on the ATF mixture.
4. While the oil is still hot (be careful) remove the filter and drain the oil completely. Allow the oil to drain for quite a while so that any sludge that is loosened has a chance to ooze out.
5. Install a new oil filter, and use a good one, like AC/Delco or Wix. Install the drain plug after inspecting the gasket for cracks and leakage. Replace it if it is damaged.
6. Fill the sump with good mineral oil (as described earlier). Don't use any of that "high-mileage" engine formulation, since it will only create more sludge, and your rings will never clean out. If your temperature will remain above 40°F for the next few months, I'd suggest Mobil 0 10W-30. Forget about 5W-anything, since it will not provide the protection you need.
7. Drive normally and monitor the oil level and condition. Keep it full, and change it as soon as it looks black or within 3 months. It probably won't last that long. And "driving normally" would include periodic trips that allow the engine to fully warm up and flow oil. Frequent short trip driving is one of the worst things you can do to your engine - far worse than constant racing at normal temperatures.

Keep clean oil in the engine and stay ahead of the leaks, and many of your problems may go away.

You'll probably spend less than $50 on the entire excersize. You stand to save that much in lost oil between scheduled 3-month changes, so it could likely save you some cash in a very short time.

You should also plan on investigating the dead cylinder. Inspecting and cleaning/replacing spark plugs would be a good start.

Incidentally, neglecting any other maintenance will have similar consequences, so don't overlook that, either. If an engine is out of your price range, a transmission will wipe you out in a heartbeat.