90 festiva with oil in places it shouldnt be

[t-scene]

Ok I have a 90 Ford Festiva and I noticed a recent smoke out the exhaust not much just enough to notice and a slight missfire... so i pull the plugs out and the number one plug had oil on it. I replaced them with new plugs the missfire quit but the smoke came back. I took the intake hose off and saw that there was oil in the intake...................so what could it be... rings, valve seals, bent valve, or bad PCV valve?

[t-scene]

Ok I took off the intake hose and it was full of oil all the way to the air flow meter so I cleaned it up put a new pcv valve in it and it still smokes so I took the head off all of the bores look good with just a slight ring groove at the top all pistons look normail but number one is clean of carbon on the edges near the bore and oily in the center.....but i can move the pistons side to side in the bore is that normail like they are too small for the block but i can see the rings touching its like maybe a 1/8 or 1/16 gap or so between the piston and bore on when i push it back or pull it forward.

but anyway the head looks good but the intake valve and plug on number one cly. is oily so does this mean that the valve seal is shot?? or what is causing the smoke
and is the piston and bore normail?


it seems like its got good compression it fires up on the first crank and has good power it just smokes

[FB71]

It's #1 valve stem seal, and possibly the valve guide and or stem.

[jglutz]

How may miles?

1/16(0.0625) to 1/8(0.125) is way to much......factory clearance is 0.006". Best to be double checked.

Could have been the PVC...Could be the valve stem seals...would have been best to do a compression and vacuum test prior lifting the head.
The plug change worked because the previous plug was fouled...the new plug won't last long.

A little information the valve stem seals...they prevent oil from being sucked down the guides...this would explain the smokey exhaust....it does not explain oil found in the intake circuit...unfortunately....oil in the intake is more likely a shot PCV...shot valve seats...or shot rings (all results of excessive crankcase pressure)

[scitzz]

I agree^^^^^^^A compression test would have found the prob quick....

[t-scene]

I pulled the pcv and the other intake hose to the valve cover removed and it didnt seem like it had alot of blow by just normail

and the gap between the piston and the wall wasnt alot just enough for me to noice the gap n just enough for me to move the piston

so would it be save to say.. it just needs the head rebuilt (valve job)

[roycehof]

Not sure if this helps you any - But when I was running a 4 speed transmission, I got some oil in the intake part prior to the throttle body. When I put the 5 speed back in problem was gone. I think running up and down I-95 turning 4K rpm may have been more than the PCV system could handle. I would make sure that the PCV circuit is not partially block (Like I suspect mine might be). Also if cylinder one plugs is oils soaked you will need to change cylinder one valve seal (Should really change them all while you are at it).
Good Luck!

[jglutz]

wasnt alot just enough for me to noice the gap n just enough for me to move the piston

so would it be save to say.. it just needs the head rebuilt (valve job)

Sorry but I'm not to sure...typically on any engine...if all is well...you shouldn't be able to move the piston in the cylinder.