Steven

iTrader: (19)

The valve stems seals are inside the valve springs. The valve cover spark plug gaskets won't be causing your oil burning issue. Your spark plugs are tightened down in the head so at worst, the oil will puddle around them. If oil was seeping past the spark plugs to the pistons, you would have compressed air blowing past the spark plugs while the car is running.

Valve stem seals aren't a quick replacement. You'll have to either remove the cams, or pry out the rocker arms. Then you'll need a tool that allows you to attach compressed air to the spark plug hole to keep the valve from dropping, or use the old rope trick. Then you'll need a valve spring compressor, or the magnetic tool that catches the keepers when you push down on the seat. It's a several hour job at best for an experienced person, or an all day job for a mechanically inclined person. Have fun!

snafufx

iTrader: (14)

Thanks, I greatly appreciate it. I found a diagram online but looking at my springs, I could not see the seals, much less determine if they are damaged. Not a lot of room to see them without taking the cams out. The spark plug gasket is ordered, guess I'll wait for the tax return to down it and get it taken care. Thanks again.

xRoguex

iTrader: (15)

Your not getting specs of oil out the exhaust. That is water and carbon.

AWDBus

iTrader: (9)

If oil is pooling around the spark plug it will have to go somewhere when the plug is taken out. But on that note, you will also have oil covering the top of the spark plug and also the socket you use to take it out. I just replaced a VC gasket due to it leaking in to the spark plug rings and all over the front and rear of the block (Chevo Aveo). It would fill up on the plug, then would drain into the motor when I pulled the plugs and drip on every part of the plug. Cleaned them, replaced the gasket and used copper spray and sealed it back up. Told the owner it would smoke for a bit due to the oil that dripped down.

snafufx

iTrader: (14)

At first I thought just that, carbon and condensation from having a test pipe but the loss of oil baffles me. Another thing is I can drive home, in and out of traffic and still get that splatter on my hand from the exhaust so it isn't just at warm up. Like clockwork, if I got wot it smokes heavily. That and see it on the passenger side, clean every bit off and a week later I check and it's splattered so I can't determine where it's originating. I don't think much is going through the spark plug gasket since the housing is completely dry and clean. Isn't there a liquid type test to determine where the leak is? Like I said, the car runs like a champ besides at wot. I'm using two catch cans in case it was crankcase pressure but it didn't help and I'm only collecting residue on the intake filter side. Pcv side is clean.

barneyb

The only things the valve cover gasket does is keep oil from leaking down the outside of the engine or into the spark plug holes. It looks like your spark plug holes were dry. But, even if they weren't, with spark plugs in place there is no way for oil to get to the exhaust. The other possible source for oil to the exhaust is the turbo.

I had to do a valve seal job on my DSM. The startup cloud of blue smoke was becoming embarrassing. This was a different car but essentially the same engine. BTW, just to make things interesting, the work shift rotation I was on gave me a weekend to do this work about every 5 weeks.

I ordered a spring compressor and the seals. So, I was set. Since the cams had to come out this was also going to be a timing job. So, I had new belts and pulleys on hand too. As I started pulling the timing cover I encountered sticky yellow grease. I had a holed axle boot. So, instead of a seal job that weekend, I installed new axle boots.

Five weeks later, time for the seal job. I started pulling the timing cover and encountered black grease – the color I used with the new boots. The outside boot looked like a pregnant guppy and was again throwing grease. The grease the boot maker supplied with the boot was not compatible with the boot. So, new boots but from a different supplier went on.

Five weeks later time for the seal job. All the cam caps removed have to go back in the same order and same orientation so I was careful with that. The valve spring retainers are tiny, I think I dropped every one but I had all the drainback holes plugged.

I used the rope trick. Fill the cylinder with clothesline rope and turn the piston up tight against the rope. To pop the retainers loose I needed something to push the valve against. The seal goes over the valve stem and snaps onto the boss on the head. I used a small socket to install them. I put everything back together and done.

The problem some people have had with certain aftermarket valve springs is that the stock seal gets hit and knocked off. So, if you can see the seals at all, look for seals that are higher than the rest. There's also the possibility, with a big lift cam, that the seals are getting hit from above.

snafufx

iTrader: (14)

Lol, sounds like my luck and my work schedule. Luckily I'm on days this month but not confident enough to do this myself. After reading I have to take cams out knowing timing belt had to be moved, I knew this wasn't for me. My luck I'll put it back on one tooth off and blow my new engine. I just wish I kept this almost stock and l throwing money away building it to go from work and back. I already checked the turbo and seals are good to go. Zero shift play but it's basically new as well.

xRoguex

iTrader: (15)

still just carbon.

oil wouldnt make it through a 1000 deg turbo/manifold and a cat.. if you have one.

meckert

iTrader: (11)

Ok you have a new engine rt? How many miles and has it been "using" oil since the rebuild? Was it tuned after the build?-- I agree with the valve stem seals, however it may be you are running rich all around, causing the pistone rings to wash out hence your burning oil..So what kind of mileage you getting...if its crap, start rt there with a retune--betting your rich by a lot--fix that and fix your oil issue--if that s not it then the stem seals--if it more thenthat your builder didnt do his job... GL.

snafufx

iTrader: (14)

Not new, rebuilt. 72K miles but a little over 15K on the rebuild and my builder, which is sad to admit, is the first person to touch my car that I trust. I've gotten screwed by just about every builder around here. I have to check my gas usage since I use my odometer for oil change miles. I replaced the spark plug gaskets and talked with my builder to find I was using the wrong weight oil. I was using 20W50 year round, but he told me to use 10W40 for winter months. I switched all that out and it's still smoking off and on depending on the weather. When it's in the 50's, no smoke so that tells me it may not be the valve seals. Now you have me thinking the tune. The tuner didn't realize my AEM AFR gauge stopped at 11.0 (old style) until the tune was almost complete. He adjusted it some to hit 11.1, but some parts of the lower band still read 11.0 (which could mean 10.5ish since I can't read it). Maybe this weekend I'll do some pulls and see how its running. I recently did a boost leak test and everything is solid. Maybe I'm just running rich in colder weather.