Intermittent smoking...burning oil...HELP!

[RSrocket]

I have a 73RS clone with a stock 2.4E MFI engine that has intermittent smoking coming from the exhaust

The engine does run a little rich but it's burning oil. Not only can I smell oil but I can see the smoke from oil being burnt coming from the exhaust

Myself and a friend of mine (certified Pcar mechanic) did a compression check and leakdown test and what we came up with all seems to be within "acceptable" range. I also took the car (twice) to a respectable mechanic in my area and he also came up with the same. The numbers he came were all within range.

What they did find out is:
1) When they filled the tank "high" on the dip sick is smoked like it was on fire!!!
2) Ran the oil tank low on the dip stick, smoked less

I am now just touching oil on the dip stick and nothing has changed. Still smokes like a chimney, but intermittent. Not sure how many quarts vs per 100 miles the car is burning. Don't drive it very much.

BTW, I started with Mobile 1, now the car runs 15-40 Motul. I really need help here...I miss driving & enjoying my car

Thanks,
Ron

[jsoderbe]

I am sorry for even asking since you seem to have a good crew, but you did check oil with engine on idle, around 1000 rpm?

I would check the crank case oil breather lines.



Johan

[afterburn 549]

There are a lot of maybes to ck.........my self? Consider it normal.spend you time looking for other ghost

[kevin-ct]

Is the dip stick the correct one. I had a car that had a dip stick from a different car. And the owner was over filling it.

[E Sully]

You don't mention how much mileage is on the engine or if it was ever given any top end work.
You may have worn valve guides and or valve stem seals. This would not show in a compression or leak down test. Does the intermittant smoking occur when you let off the gas?
Is all of the smoke from the tail pipe or could some be from leaks onto the exhaust?

[tobluforu]

I have found the stock oil gauge inside my car, 72, to be pretty accurate. Last year I changed the oil and I guess I forgot how many quarts I put in while succumbing to margaritas in the back yard. Well I put too much in and after car warms ups, at idle, the gauge was pegged at the top. This caused my car to smoke way more than normal. Loosened drain, took out about two quarts, drove it around to burn any excess oil that might be, god knows where. Problem solved.

[Joe Bob]

Never fill your oil tank full. Your reading should be taken when engine is warm and the thermostat is open. The stick should read BELOW the 1/2 mark. Check when idling and on level ground.

Otherwise you will simply suck in oil thru the intake and kill all the mosquitoes in town.

[RSrocket]

Oil was & is checked when fully warmed up and at idle. Currently the oil is below the dip stick, not sure by how much. My mechanic did mention that it could have the wrong dip stick in it. But at the time we did not have another 72E to compare to.

The engine had a full rebuild around 5k miles ago (mis shift over rev) BTW, the car did smoke a little in the beginning then all was good for a coupe thousand miles. It then came back and got progressively worse

The engine does smoke at idle, but intermittent. Also smokes under hard throttle, but not so much on deceleration. Kind of got a mind of it's own.

When I get a day off I was planning on pulling off all the upper intake stuff just to make getting to all the breather hoses a little bit easier. At least I can find out if there is any blowby coming from the breathers.

[BSNMOE]

you may have an oil tank from a 3.ltr as I have in my 2.4 73. Prior to this (my stock tank) I would add around 9.5 qts and at 190/200deg it would read between the lines on the dip stick. Now with 9.5 qts it registers a little below the min line. If I add a qt(10.5) I'm around the halfway between min and max, but my car smokes at start up.
It may be earier to drain the oil and add 9 qts and see if it still smokes.