engine issue?

[sk8kat1]

well here's the deal

I have a 1973 2.0 ... it seems to run good around town but as soon as I get on it on get on the highway I lose quite a bit of oil and have to add .. it drops volume and the oil light comes on and it wants to stall at stop lights --- I usaully have add maybe a quart or so after a hard 150-200 mile in a day . around town itwould have to drive for a few days for this to happen.

it does seem to burn oil but not in that sort of volume .. and the amount of oil on the engine itself doesn't really allow for that amount of leakage.

the po said he had "rebuilt" the engine before I got it ...is it possible the rings didn't seayt well and allowing oil burn and the seal where the engine mates to the trans got tweeked .. that seemed to my best guess .. but not real sure ....

any other thoughts ? any help is welcome

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

sounds like bad rings to me. Have you done a compression check? Is it smoking at all?

[Twystd1]

A proper leak down test will tell you what you want to know as far as possoble ring issues.... And valves for that matter.

I have seen NEWLY rebuilt engine have ring seal problems.

From rings not gapped and indexed correctly.

OR: The engine ran so rich at break in, the oil was washed off the cylinder walls from the rich condition and the rings never seated. (and they never will until the cylinders are re-honed and possibly re-ringed)

You also said the engine wants to stall at stop lights. That could be a myriad of things making that happen.
Not enough info. I could guess for years on that one.
I hope it isn't from lack of oil pressure. (that would suck)

If your oil PRESSURE light is coming on at low rpms.
Is that when you are low on oil?
or does the oil light also come on if the oil is at the correct level?

Just some stuff to think about.

Clayton

[hardflex]

if it's burning oil, the exhaust pipe would be very black, gooey, and moist. Ditto for the plugs..

I wonder if it's running too lean, and it gets too hot during highway use, which thins out the oil.

[sk8kat1]

yea I think the oil pressure actually is dropping but I think from lack of volume....


too lean .. I am not sure... there is a little wet mist of black stuff at first start up out the tail pipe .. and smokes a little while driving but the mist stops after warm up so I always though it was a condesation/ carbon thing when cold .

I was thinking the same over heat thins the oil .. temp gauge is not showing hot and i do end up low on oil ... and I am running 20/50 oil ... hmmmm

[sk8kat1]

oh and the plugs don't seem to be oily either ?!

[Joe Ricard]

Then you are probably leaking it.
If there is ANY oil on the outside of the engine it is from a leak. how do you know that the leak you suspect would not add up to the amount you are replacing? are you going back and counting drops on the free way?

[sk8kat1]

I just didn't think that much oil would leak out under load in that short of a period of time... when sitting at idle or just sitting it leakks very little oil ... only a few drips

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Check on the left side of the crankcase, underneath, for the pulley wheel for the thermostat cable. If there isn't one, make sure that the bolt that would hold it on is present, and at least finger-tight. That is a through bolt into the sump, so if the bolt is missing you'll get one heck of a leak while driving! (Not much while sitting, though.)

--DD

[Twystd1]

Dam,

Nice one Dave..

Thats anudder one for me to remember.........

Clayton

[sk8kat1]

hmmmm .. that is a good one ... I will check , THANKS!