Oil Consumption, 383 LT1 Build
03-15-2010, 01:23 PM
#41
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Not sure at this point, it was pretty wet, once I get the intake pulled it will reveal a bit more but I have never noticed anything on my TB previous to the rebuild.
Havent checked it yet, but even if there was a problem there from the previous posts it seems it wouldn't cause it to burn this much.
I'm thinking about adding an air/oil separator on the CCV line, hose everything down with brake cleaner, and see how the TB and intake look after a few hundred miles.
Anyway, I'm not trying to hijack your thread- it just seems we have a very similar issue and what you find may help me as well.
Anyway, I'm not trying to hijack your thread- it just seems we have a very similar issue and what you find may help me as well.
03-15-2010, 02:45 PM
#42
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I'm having the same symptoms in my LT4 383, less than 6k miles on the clock since rebuild and it consumes a quart in every 600 miles. This is how the thorttle body looked when I pulled it off:
that looks pretty bad
03-16-2010, 05:35 PM
#46
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
03-17-2010, 08:39 AM
#47
Safety Car
I think it is very simple. Low tension oil rings. Your plugs will look fine, compression test is fine etc.
I went through this with my 396LT1 with SRP pistons, which are a little tighter than there other pistons, JE. But the low tension rings was/is a oil consumption problem. It gives a little more power, but uses much more oil. My 2 top rings were 1/16 "at .018 and oil rings were 3/16 at .018. Pretty darn tight, and pistons were 30 over with .003 clearance.
Search my name, steve40th, and there are many threads on this, on many forums.
I just changed my rings, with about 5000 miles on them, to standard tension rings, and now I am around 1200-1500 miles per quart, which is better than the less than 750 a quart before.
Thats my 2 cents.
Ask your builder what rings he used.
I went through this with my 396LT1 with SRP pistons, which are a little tighter than there other pistons, JE. But the low tension rings was/is a oil consumption problem. It gives a little more power, but uses much more oil. My 2 top rings were 1/16 "at .018 and oil rings were 3/16 at .018. Pretty darn tight, and pistons were 30 over with .003 clearance.
Search my name, steve40th, and there are many threads on this, on many forums.
I just changed my rings, with about 5000 miles on them, to standard tension rings, and now I am around 1200-1500 miles per quart, which is better than the less than 750 a quart before.
Thats my 2 cents.
Ask your builder what rings he used.
Low tension rings would be my first guess.
03-21-2010, 01:10 PM
#48
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Its throwing a lot of blue smoke at startup too. If it was the oil rings wouldn't have been burning that much oil from day one. This was a gradual thing. Decided to just pull the throttle body to take a look, any signs in these few pics? Some oil behind the throttle body gasket.
Last edited by n1kki6; 03-21-2010 at 02:01 PM.
03-21-2010, 01:34 PM
#49
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Got a flash light into the intake, im thinking that it not the problem at this point.
Read this on another forum.
"Running into this on my Vette. My recommendation would be to vent both valve covers to a dual input breather tank (catch can with a breather filter on top, no vacuum source), leave the stock PCV as-is since you're not FI, and empty the catch can as necessary. Right now I bet you find an oily mess behind your TB from the sounds of it."
COuld something as mentioned abover help?
Read this on another forum.
"Running into this on my Vette. My recommendation would be to vent both valve covers to a dual input breather tank (catch can with a breather filter on top, no vacuum source), leave the stock PCV as-is since you're not FI, and empty the catch can as necessary. Right now I bet you find an oily mess behind your TB from the sounds of it."
COuld something as mentioned abover help?
03-21-2010, 08:08 PM
#51
Burning Brakes
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That looks just like what I've got going as well.
Is you PCV full of oil too?
If the catch can is the vented style, won't that defeat the system?
I'm thinking about experimenting with one of these $16 ebay specials:
Is you PCV full of oil too?
If the catch can is the vented style, won't that defeat the system?
I'm thinking about experimenting with one of these $16 ebay specials:
03-23-2010, 08:56 PM
#52
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Im not running with a catch can right now, which is probably alot of the problem. Im can do some engine work but didn't do anything on this build, is this something I should add?
03-23-2010, 09:34 PM
#54
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St. Jude Donor '05
Tear that thing apart and find the cause of the oil problem before spending money on catch cans and forum fixes. Bet its the intake gasket.
03-23-2010, 09:46 PM
#55
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Looking inside the intake there was residue but nothing shining. I guess im really not in do it myself mode right now so I am leaning towards just bringing it in. But I can pull the intake and check and replace the gaskets easy enough. Initials fire up after the winter a ton of blue smoke was rolling out. Took it out tonight and car ran smooth, no smoke at start, crazy smoke when I got on it.
It seems likely after the 383 build that it could be low tension rings or a combination of things.
I have owned the car a couple months shy of 9 years there is no way I am getting rid of it but work is kicking my *** right now and just getting it right is my primary goal so I am thinking the fastest track to getting it fixed is to bring it in and have someone else take a look. I just don't have it in me right now to chase down the problem.
I didn't do the build and although through the life of the car I have done the clutch, flywheel, main seal, slave cylinder, intake gaskets, u-joints, bearings etc, I just don't feel like jumping into yet something else I have never done is my best bet to getting this resolved.
It seems likely after the 383 build that it could be low tension rings or a combination of things.
I have owned the car a couple months shy of 9 years there is no way I am getting rid of it but work is kicking my *** right now and just getting it right is my primary goal so I am thinking the fastest track to getting it fixed is to bring it in and have someone else take a look. I just don't have it in me right now to chase down the problem.
I didn't do the build and although through the life of the car I have done the clutch, flywheel, main seal, slave cylinder, intake gaskets, u-joints, bearings etc, I just don't feel like jumping into yet something else I have never done is my best bet to getting this resolved.
03-23-2010, 10:17 PM
#56
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
One other thing I should note as well, and 90% of my miles are highway, but since I started noticing the oil consumption my avg. mpg has jumped to about 27 from about 21 and my driving habits have never changed, the corvette has always been get out on the high way and cruise car, punch it on the ramps or open road.
03-23-2010, 10:54 PM
#57
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St. Jude Donor '03 & '05
Hey, I know its hard to hear this, but its your rings. Change them or continue adding oil.
A catch can, which I did prior to replacing my low tension rings, only allowed me to catch the oil prior to going back into your manifold.
Breathers sorta help, but not much, as I did the valve cover breathers too.
The catch can I used is from a C5 forum member who sell REAL catch cans designed for oil separation, Dave68(c5 tech section) has the most effective catch can readily available :http://www.conceptualpolymer.com/Ins...20Corvette.pdf
Anyways, look my name up for LT1 catch cans and you can see where I mounted mine. Works fine, and I get better oil longevity after changing the rings, easily doubled in all city driving which uses more oil.
A catch can, which I did prior to replacing my low tension rings, only allowed me to catch the oil prior to going back into your manifold.
Breathers sorta help, but not much, as I did the valve cover breathers too.
The catch can I used is from a C5 forum member who sell REAL catch cans designed for oil separation, Dave68(c5 tech section) has the most effective catch can readily available :http://www.conceptualpolymer.com/Ins...20Corvette.pdf
Anyways, look my name up for LT1 catch cans and you can see where I mounted mine. Works fine, and I get better oil longevity after changing the rings, easily doubled in all city driving which uses more oil.
03-23-2010, 11:32 PM
#58
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Not so much hard to hear, I don't care as long as I know what it is and can find a solution, catching he oil and spending to replace it is much better than letting it burn, and for the time being is a much better solution for me than putting the car on blocks again. Is there any sort of system to vacuum the catch can back into the crank case?
03-23-2010, 11:37 PM
#59
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St. Jude Donor '03 & '05
Not so much hard to hear, I don't care as long as I know what it is and can find a solution, catching he oil and spending to replace it is much better than letting it burn, and for the time being is a much better solution for me than putting the car on blocks again. Is there any sort of system to vacuum the catch can back into the crank case?
Vacuum pumps do work, you just need to know how to do it right. Trust me, it was on my plate, and I just went ahead and did the rings.
03-23-2010, 11:45 PM
#60
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
I'm not stuck on doing it myself, being in MN I have the likes of TPIS and Doug Rippie in the area and I am not opposed to just spending the money at this point. I guess the bigger question is, is it worth it or if I am ok just putting oil in is that fine or can other damage come to the forefront?