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Well I assume oil is getting in from the breather, and that's usually quite normal isn't it?
1 litre per 1K miles is WAY too high for a clio.
Our used well under half a litre on a 1500 mile trip to the ring and spa including probably 1/3rd of that being on track and another 1/3rd of it being really hard use (like 120+ non stop for a couple of hours at one point to catch a ferry)
I would wager your rings are well on their way out TBH with it breathing like that.
Could be worse though, when it was really shot my turbo's engine was doing a litre in around 5 minutes hard use on track, lol!
To allow crankcase pressure to drop back to close to atmospheric so that on the induction stroke there isnt a massive pressure differential between the chamber and the rest of the engine, as if there is then oil gets past the rings and valve guides much more easily and hence the car will smoke and it will damage the engine.
so why is there oil coming up through it?
Because the gasses that are escaping from the engine are doing so in an environment very thick with oil and oil vapour so they invariabley pull some of that oil through with them.
Your engine is almost certainly in need a rebuild soon if its breathing a 1 litre per 1K miles (unless it has a bad leak), and I would expect its down on power and worse on fuel than normal too?
car is on 60k power is fine and averages 33-35 mpg. only burns oil on hard exellaration, u can see it smoking out back at high revs
When you say power is fine, has it been on the rollers recently to check?
I would say from the symptoms you are describing the rings are shot or a piston is breaking up on the ringlands and sadly if its either of those things then its only going to get worse with more use
First port of call should be a compression test (you can do it yourself in under 30 mins with a 20 quid tester)
When you say power is fine, has it been on the rollers recently to check?
I would say from the symptoms you are describing the rings are shot or a piston is breaking up on the ringlands and sadly if its either of those things then its only going to get worse with more use
First port of call should be a compression test (you can do it yourself in under 30 mins with a 20 quid tester)
no not had that done since i got the car 2 years ago. where would i get a tester and how do you test?
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Yes like Fred says the stem seals are certainly another option, its only the volume of oil you are getting through that is making me think rings instead.
60K miles doesnt rule it out, I was round MWM the other day giving mike a hand with something and he had a 60K miles engine with a completely shot set bottom end in it that he was pulling apart for example.
The compresison test is to find out for certain wether its rings or stem seals, if it all shows up ok on the compression test then its your stem seals instead which is an easier job, although still an engine apart job (well its actually possible to do them with the head still in place if you buy or make a suitable tool to compress the valve but I wouldnt personally recomend that route)
To test with a compression tester, just remove the spark plugs, unplug the injectors and then turn the engine over on the key with the tester in one cylinder at a time and note down the readings.
60K miles doesnt rule it out, I was round MWM the other day giving mike a hand with something and he had a 60K miles engine with a completely shot set bottom end in it that he was pulling apart for example.
The compresison test is to find out for certain wether its rings or stem seals, if it all shows up ok on the compression test then its your stem seals instead which is an easier job, although still an engine apart job (well its actually possible to do them with the head still in place if you buy or make a suitable tool to compress the valve but I wouldnt personally recomend that route)
To test with a compression tester, just remove the spark plugs, unplug the injectors and then turn the engine over on the key with the tester in one cylinder at a time and note down the readings.
No, that wont make your engine breath heavily, the problem you have is internal to the engine, either rings like im suggesting from the volume of oil loss, or if not then stem seals like Fred is saying.
ok. just to be clear. do i take 1 plug oot at a time to do the test or do i take them all out at the same time? and will engine still try and turn over with inlet removed to get to the plugs?
Take one out at a time as otherwise the others will spit at you, lol
Can you quantify it?
They engines even when new will use a little bit if thrashed, but it shouldnt be more than a litre per 10K miles or so even with fairly hard use on the road.
Then you shouldnt be getting through more than a litre a year in normal use if the engine is as it should be.
Do you mean he bits DIY or do you mean to have the job done for you?
If its DIY then about 250-300 quid, which is for both belts and a headgasket kit plus oil and filter change, if getting it done for you then obviously there is going to be quite a few hundred quid labour as well. (and personally I would use ARP head studs when it goes back together as I dont like the bolts, but in reality you can get away with re-using the standard head bolts normally if you are managing your money)
If you are considering changing your cams for performance items at some point, you should get the labour FOC if doing at same time as stem seals, as the cams have to come out anyway.
belts have not long been done so wont need to do them right? will get a garage to do as i im not a mechanic lol! no cams for me
Belts have to come off to do the stem seals mate.
Likewise if its the rings like I still think is likely given the amount of oil you are getting through, but that said Fred maintains a lot more of these cars than me and the ones im involved with are nearly always trackday cars so I see less of how the road ones die than he does!
Its not advisable generally speaking, but its up to your mechanic to decide. Ive done it and got away with it in the past on engines I havent cared about, but its certainly not doing it "by the book" to re-use one.
aux belt I would re-use, but the cambelt I wouldnt, and it comes in the kit anyway, unless you buy a non genuine one.
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
Just to add a few words...
My Trophy is breathing heavily and has done for a while, and it's getting through a fair bit of oil compared to what it used to. It's also down on power and a compression test I did recently found that the compression wasn't exactly brilliant (results pictured below)... I don't have the results to hand of previous tests but the compression is definitely on the way down.
I also think I might have problems with the stem seals and a couple of oil leaks... LOL! Luckily I am getting the engine rebuilt by the very gentleman mentioned in this thread (Fred at BTM) so it will see a whole new lease of life, but I am beginning to wonder what Fred will find once he takes the engine out and apart.
Apologies for interrupting this thread with stories about my own car but the symptoms described read like exactly what I've experienced myself.
My Trophy is breathing heavily and has done for a while, and it's getting through a fair bit of oil compared to what it used to. It's also down on power and a compression test I did recently found that the compression wasn't exactly brilliant (results pictured below)... I don't have the results to hand of previous tests but the compression is definitely on the way down.
I also think I might have problems with the stem seals and a couple of oil leaks... LOL! Luckily I am getting the engine rebuilt by the very gentleman mentioned in this thread (Fred at BTM) so it will see a whole new lease of life, but I am beginning to wonder what Fred will find once he takes the engine out and apart.
Apologies for interrupting this thread with stories about my own car but the symptoms described read like exactly what I've experienced myself.
