Need help from engine rebuilders/urgent
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 1,917
Likes: 109
From: Crystal lake Il
2022 Corvette of the Year Winner -- Modified
2021 C4 of the Year - Modified Winner
Need help from engine rebuilders/urgent
I just sold my 87 convertible to a fellow in GA. He picked it up from my house in Illinois and drove it back. I rebuilt the engine with a friend of mine(who is very experienced in rebuilding), and the engine has about 2000 miles on it. He called me today and informed me that the low oil light came on as a got within a few miles from his house and he cheked the dipstick and there was no oil registering. There is no sign of leaks, or a loose filter. No oil in the coolant. I did use Mobile 1 5W-30, when i changed the oil after about 1000 miles. Could the rings not be set, and the Mobile 1 leaked passed. Any ideas, I am extremely upset as is the new owner. Any ideas...i can't believe this happened as we were very careful wiht the assembly and I used Clevite 77 bearings and rings...the block was checked/honed etc. Any input would be appreciated.
Lgaff
1990 corvette
Lgaff
1990 corvette
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 40,156
Likes: 45
From: San Pedro CA
Re: Need help from engine rebuilders/urgent (lgaff)
there is a chance the rings had not set in yet. load the engine with dino oil... and run that until 3000 miles... at least... you might want to do 2 more changes using dino. then at about 5000 miles, swap over to synthetic.
Racer
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 265
Likes: 0
From: Levelland, TX USA
Re: Need help from engine rebuilders/urgent (lgaff)
You are in a tough predicament and may not want to wait for several thousand miles to know what's wrong. Is the car smoking? If so does it smoke on acceleration or deceleration, or all the time? One fairly easy and quick thing to do is a compression check. While the plugs are out see if they look wet from oil. My guess is, if all the plugs look about the same and the compression is similar in all the cylinders, then maybe just more breakin time with different oil. If one plug looks wet or you get significantly different compression readings in one or several cylinders, then maybe (God forbid) some rings installed in incorrectly.
To burn that much oil, it has to be smoking. If it smokes more on hard acceleration, it is usually ring related. Smoke more on deceleration, generally valve related. Some types of rings take longer to seat than others, but most of them settle down within a few hundred miles. I don't know if the Mobil 1 could be so good (slick) that maybe there is not enough friction for the parts to wear together. I've never used that oil during breakin. Good luck.
To burn that much oil, it has to be smoking. If it smokes more on hard acceleration, it is usually ring related. Smoke more on deceleration, generally valve related. Some types of rings take longer to seat than others, but most of them settle down within a few hundred miles. I don't know if the Mobil 1 could be so good (slick) that maybe there is not enough friction for the parts to wear together. I've never used that oil during breakin. Good luck.
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 3,620
Likes: 2
From: Hillsboro OR
Re: Need help from engine rebuilders/urgent (lgaff)
Ask the guy to check/replace the PCV valve. I have had two rebuilt engines that had the same symptoms that turned out be caused by ruptered PCV valve diaphram.
Its also possible the intake gaskets have not sealed properly.
Thank god for low oil sensor.
Its also possible the intake gaskets have not sealed properly.
Thank god for low oil sensor.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 279
Likes: 1
From: Stonewall N.C.
Re: Need help from engine rebuilders/urgent (lgaff)
this is what happened to me , a fresh rebuild with rings that the parts storesold me for my application used a case of oil in 7 days, couldn't figure it out till i tore the engine down and had a machine shop mechanic tell me that they sold me metric rings wich of course were the wrong ones, needless to say the only smoking going on now is my tires, good luck!
