Heads and Cam guys...
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,759
Likes: 0
From: Round Rock,Austin, Texas
Heads and Cam guys...
I just had heads and cam done a few months back and I noticed It seems to be burning oil or it just seems to just be disapearing all together. I seem to get the low oil light almost every two months at least or close to when I need to change the oil. When I check the dip stick nothing registers on it. I have no noticable leaks and there is no smell of burning oil or smoke out the back. This is a daily driver and I do drive it aggressively. Does this seem to be normal for a moded engine?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 8,683
Likes: 6
From: Phoenix AZ
Originally Posted by RadPolo96
I just had heads and cam done a few months back and I noticed It seems to be burning oil or it just seems to just be disapearing all together. I seem to get the low oil light almost every two months at least or close to when I need to change the oil. When I check the dip stick nothing registers on it. I have no noticable leaks and there is no smell of burning oil or smoke out the back. This is a daily driver and I do drive it aggressively. Does this seem to be normal for a moded engine?
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 161
Likes: 0
From: Toronto Ontario
When I did my heads/cam swap last summer, I had the same problem.
The low oil light kept coming on. I would check my oil level and it was low. I checked my garage floor. A few drops, but not enough to cause so much missing oil.
I also had a "strange" smell. I would not characterize it as burning oil. More of a sulpher smell, but not quite.
Before I could figure out what was going on, the opti crapped out
Then winter in Canada came. So I parked it. Just recently, I replaced the opti. While doing the work, we looked for oil leaks. We could only find a small leak at the oil drain bolt.
Anyways, the car is now running great. No strange smell and oil level is fine. I figure the strange smell might have been from all the brand new components and needed to burn off.
As far as the oil level, it has only been a few hundred miles, so I will have to keep you posted.
Now if I could only get rid of the ticking noise...
The low oil light kept coming on. I would check my oil level and it was low. I checked my garage floor. A few drops, but not enough to cause so much missing oil.
I also had a "strange" smell. I would not characterize it as burning oil. More of a sulpher smell, but not quite.
Before I could figure out what was going on, the opti crapped out
Then winter in Canada came. So I parked it. Just recently, I replaced the opti. While doing the work, we looked for oil leaks. We could only find a small leak at the oil drain bolt.
Anyways, the car is now running great. No strange smell and oil level is fine. I figure the strange smell might have been from all the brand new components and needed to burn off.
As far as the oil level, it has only been a few hundred miles, so I will have to keep you posted.
Now if I could only get rid of the ticking noise...
Large Impressive Member
Joined: Jul 2003
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From: Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
Now what I'm wondering is if this has happened more than once, why you are waiting two months and for the low oil light to come on before checking the oil?! 
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 14,165
Likes: 9
My Low Oil Light is notoriously flaky. As far as I can tell my engine doesn't burn any oil but it does leak some. Your problem could very easily be an issue with the valve seals if they were not properly pre-lubricated.
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Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,759
Likes: 0
From: Round Rock,Austin, Texas
As far as waiting for 2 months, I only did that because I called the mechanic who did the install and he told me even after minor rebuilds the car will burn some oil till its broke in. Everything is brand new as far as the heads. I am going to have a leak down test done. I do have a strange smell as well but it is more like a hot plastic smell but that happened way before I did any engine work. Any suggestions on what first to do?
Last edited by RadPolo96; Jul 3, 2005 at 10:44 AM.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,759
Likes: 0
From: Round Rock,Austin, Texas
My car does have 89k miles on it and the only thing I had rebuilt on it was new bearings when they had the engine apart. They told me the pistons and the cylinders looks ok.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,596
Likes: 19
From: Portland Oregon
Check the intake manifold bolt torque. You maybe sucking oil into the intake track and burning it that way. One thing you can do is to open the throttle plates and look into the intake and see if there is an oily residue inside the intake. That would give some indication that its coming from there.
You mentioned that the shop said that the pistons and cylinders looked OK, did they replace the rings while they had it apart? If I were that far into the engine I sure would have ringed it. And honed the cylinders.
You mentioned that the shop said that the pistons and cylinders looked OK, did they replace the rings while they had it apart? If I were that far into the engine I sure would have ringed it. And honed the cylinders.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 5,889
Likes: 2
From: Castro Valley Calif.
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
I think the first thing I'd do is take a look at the plugs, since you don't mention any leaks. You could be sucking it like Tom says, or pulling it up past the rings but either way that would show on the plugs. I'm a big fan of breaking a new motor in with some high cylinder pressure to expand the rings......I know you're past that point now, so lets hope Tom is on to something here.
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 161
Likes: 0
From: Toronto Ontario
Originally Posted by RadPolo96
As far as waiting for 2 months, I only did that because I called the mechanic who did the install and he told me even after minor rebuilds the car will burn some oil till its broke in. Everything is brand new as far as the heads. I am going to have a leak down test done. I do have a strange smell as well but it is more like a hot plastic smell but that happened way before I did any engine work. Any suggestions on what first to do?
Anyways, as far as the missing oil goes, believe me, I feel your pain.
I do not know what else to tell you except look really hard for any leaks. If the car is running OK, maybe all you can do is keep adding oil and pray it goes away. That what I did. Actually, I am not out of the woods yet. I will keep a close eye on my oil level and update you by email.
Send me an email and let me know if you solve your problem or not.
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 193
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From: woodinville washington
one more thing, the torque might be correct, but if the bolts were not torqued in the right order you can still get a leak, i would loosen them and retorque with the correct pattern and torque from the service manual.
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 161
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From: Toronto Ontario
I am not sure... but I just checked my oil level and it is down slightly. So I have not gotten rid of my missing oil problem either. Tomorrow, I will check inside my intake as well and let you know what I find.