Festy Burning Oil

[Paul39]

I bought what turned out to be a neglected & abused 89 Festiva. It has 128,xxx showing, rust free, lightly hit in front - pushed in radiator support, cracked grill. Just passed inspection and is road legal. (White Rocket)

I bought it for the body as my 88 (Black Rocket) had the jack go up through the body rather than raising the car.

When I got it home it was running badly, changed plugs, old carboned and one oily, distributor loose - set it half way between running slow in one direction and the other, just a bit of black oil showing on the dip stick - changed oil and filter.

There was a crack in the radiator top tank - replaced radiator. Newish exhaust system but catalytic converter removed, air supply from air cleaner welded into pipe where the cat was.

After I did the above, it runs like a scalded dog. When first started BIG plume of oil smoke, as it warms up, less, driven gently little smoke, but when accelerated more smoke.

Next time I drive I'll go down a long hill in 3rd, foot off gas, then accelerate at bottom. That should show if oil is being sucked around valve seals.

I have only driven it about 60 miles since fixing the above. It is possible the rings are stuck, carboned or gummy. This may resolve itself with more driving. It is also possible that lack of oil and overheating has scored the cylinders. As far as I can tell it is not showing blown head gasket or warped head.

Next thought is to pull the plugs and put about 2 oz. kerosene in each hole, put car in 4th and push it back and forth to move the juice around, let sit overnight, crank to blow out kerosene, plugs in, and drive it.

Any recommendations on favorite mouse milk to do the above. I'll do a compression check while I'm playing with it also.

Any thoughts, speculations, or advise.

Thanks, Paul

[ckiesman]

Sounds alot like mine. when i first start it i get a cloud of smoke so bad birds fall from the sky (not really, but its enough to notice). i'm leaning towards valve seals. i have a new set kicking around in my glove box awaiting the day i can buy a valve spring compressor and spark plug adapter so i can hook air to it so the valves wont drop into the head.

[WTFestiva]

Just to make sure these plumes of smoke are coming out the exhaust?

[Paul39]

Just to make sure these plumes of smoke are coming out the exhaust?

Good thought, I'll check that tomorrow morning.

I undersized it this morning, about 45 miles on the interstate, long runs of 70 mph, short ones close to 80. Not much smoke at steady state running, a bit if I floor it at 65 - 75. Starting from near stop on an on ramp 15 in first, 30 in second, 50 in third, 75 in fourth; at the lower rpms in each gear not much smoke, more as I got to the shift point, very little at cruise.

Going down hill in 2nd or 3rd, foot off throttle, then accelerating, did not provide a plume of smoke. Leads me to believe it is not sucking much oil around valve guides.

I'm going to let it cool, pull the plugs, put some kerosene in the cylinders, and rotate the engine by hand and then let it soak overnight.

Stay tuned, Paul

[TorqueEffect]

Sounds alot like mine. when i first start it i get a cloud of smoke so bad birds fall from the sky (not really, but its enough to notice). i'm leaning towards valve seals. i have a new set kicking around in my glove box awaiting the day i can buy a valve spring compressor and spark plug adapter so i can hook air to it so the valves wont drop into the head.

When I changed mine, all I had to do was figure out if the cylinder I was doing was at the top of it's stroke by sticking a long screw driver down the spark plug hole and turning the engine by the crank till the screw driver stops moving up, and then just let the valve rest on the piston after you remove the spring and keepers. It didn't hurt anything, got all 8 seals changed that way, and the engine no longer burns oil, and runs great.

Also Autozone, and probably other autoparts stores loan out valve spring compressors, you just have to pay the deposit which you get back.

[ckiesman]

i wasn't sure if the valves were long enough to do that. looks like i'll be doing that this weekend. and there's only two parts stores around me. napa and a parts plus. neither will rent out a compressor. its only 30 bucks but still, its 30 bucks. lol

[Paul39]

You can also stuff a piece of rope clothes line into the spark plug hole and turn the engine by hand until the piston comes up against the clothes line and valves.

Paul

[william]

i would bet on rings with it smoking all the time.
a compression test will tell you a lot.
i like sea foam for the piston ring cleaning.
pour a few ounce down each cylinder. let it set over night then fire it up and watch the spoke show lol
really bad rings might require more than one one soaking.

[Paul39]

Last night I pulled the plugs and rather than kerosene gave a good long squirt of carb cleaner in each hole, rolled the car back and forth in gear to smear the juice all around the piston, then repeated.

This morning I put some engine oil in each plug hole, moved the car back and forth to oil up the cylinder walls a bit, put a rag in front of the plug holes and cranked it. Didn't blow out much oil.

Put the plugs back in, platinum - that I have used for everything since they were affordable.

Fired it up, If I had done this in Los Angeles I would be in jail and the car would have been taken away and cut up by the smoke police. HUGE!! cloud of smoke from the tail pipe, that reverted back to a bit more than I had before. I drove about 4 miles on surface streets with the same smoking that I had before treating.

I went on the Interstate about 10 miles running 60 - 75 mph, then got off and went a mile on the surface streets, no visible smoke. Went down an on ramp to the Interstate, 20 in first, 40 in second, 50 in third. No visible smoke, went up the fairly steep street to my house and romped it pretty well, no smoke. JOY AND HAPPINESS!!!

Now to sort out the clunking in the suspension, and pull out the radiator support which has been pushed back 3/4 of an inch.

Paul