Let's talk about burning oil:
 

Background: I had Kelford 272s, SuperTech valve seals, retainers, dual-valve springs etc. installed by STM earlier this year. About 2 months later, I started burning oil. After a trip back to STM, it was discovered that the dual-valve springs had dislodged the valve seals, thus my source for burning oil.

Now, I've started burning oil again. I suspected it for the first time last night, and checked for sure this morning. The car didn't appear to be burning oil at startup like it did last time when the valve seals were leaking. I drove the car a few miles and let it warm up. After warming up, it was puffing blue-ish smoke. Definitely burning oil.

I'm crossing my fingers that it was the dam valve seals again, but I suspect something else since it doesn't burn oil until after warmed up.


Piston rings? :confused:

Thoughts?

rings or turbo worst case.

hopefully maybe just PCV problem.

do a compression and leakdown.

When you say leakdown test, do you mean a boostleak test?

Burning the midnight oil? :D

On a serious note I had the same problem. Did they just pop the old ones back on or replace them? If you remove the valve cover you can look into the springs and see if a seal popped off again.

^^ Yeah, we replaced them the 2nd time around. They said that this has happened 2-3 other times where the dual-valve springs pop the seals off. And if my car did it again, we might have to go to a smaller set of seals.

However, the way in which I'm burning oil is different than last time (when it was the seals). It takes the car a little while to warm up before it starts puffing oil. And when it puffs, it really is obvious. I walk away with my turbo timer running for 1 minute and when I look back at my car, there's a blue haze behind my car.

And it was only about 9pm... so burning the 9pm oil.

I had this same problem and it wound up being I had drag racing valve springs. I got new inner springs with new seals and its been fine since.

Damn 9pm oil:mad:

No, a leakdown test is different from a boost leak test

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leak-down_tester

like he said.

the leakdown may show you a problem on a certain cylinder.like if you had three at 5% and one at 15%,you definitley have an issue on that cylinder.i think you can buy a good leakdown tester for $50-100.

honestly,it could just be those seals again.

Well, as mentioned, I am hoping it is the seals again since they are only a $25 part.

Regardless, I'll give STM a call and see if they can do a compression test and a leakdown test for me too.

Going to pull the intake off and check for shaft-play in the turbo.

Any news on your problem Craig?

+1 ?

Yea any updates? Looks like I might have the same issue:crap:. I was hoping mine was the seals again but it wasn't. I replaced them again to be sure but it didn't fix my problem. Seems to only burn oil at idle. When I'm in boost it doesn't smoke. Hard to say but I think it does it if I coast down in gear and then when I come to a stop and push the clutch in the smoke comes out of the tailpipe. My next step is to check my lower I/C pipe for oil. If that's not it well I guess it could be the rings.

Im know this is an old thread but i was wondering if there was an update to this. I heard that running a VTA style oil catch can that it can cause crank case pressure and possible cause smoke when coming to a stop.

Iv been having the issue of burning oil and the block has less than 5k on it, less than 2k on the turbo and the valve seals were replaced just 500 miles ago. still blue smoke when coming to s a stop, its making me crazy. i refuse to believe my rings are bad.