Burning Oil, from where? Options

[hurley97]

ok, I'm already working on the issue I just want various opinions to work with in case I run out of ideas.



recently my car has been going through oil like crazy. here are some of the facts so far:
- it doesn't seem to be leaking from any gaskets (at idle speed) checked valve cover, sender, and head gaskets
- never see any puddles of oil on the ground after being parked
- no blue smoke out the back. theres a little white smoke, slightly more than there used to be but not that bad at all and could just be from the cold and wet weather. and it smells normal
- oil light comes on about every 2,000 miles or so now. before about 3 or 4 months ago it had never come on before, I would just change it every 3-5k miles regardless
- extra info: started out using 10w-40 then switched to 5w-30 then 5w-30 synth now 10w-30 synth (over the course of about 3 years)


here's whats happened and when in detail:

[07.15.06] 159,400 mi - oil and filter changed, everything normal

[08.20.06] 162,300 mi - oil and filter changed again, like normal

[09.01.06] 163,165 mi - first time I'd ever seen the oil light come on. was low but still clear, 1qt added

[09.16.06] 164,749 mi - oil and filter changed

[10.14.06] 166,853 mi - oil light on again. very low but still clear, 1qt added

[11.02.06] 168,262 mi - oil light on. switch to Mobil 1 full synth 5W-30, changed oil and filter

[11.26.06] 170,000 mi - oil light on. added 1qt Shell 10W-40 synth blend, its all I could get and I had a long drive home

[11.30.06] 170,748 mi - oil and filter changed. switch to 10W-30, still Mobil1 full synth

[12.18.06] 172,370 mi - oil light on. change oil and filter

[01.04.07] 173,800 mi - oil light on. found oil leaking from drain plug, tightened it and put it 3qt Mobil1. ran car for about an hour, no more leaking from plug

[01.07.07] 173,900 mi - still no leak from drain plug. added engine oil tracer dye, will check it in a few days



thats where I am now. throw out any ideas you might have and I'll either try it or tell you I've already tried.

This post has been edited by hurley97: Mar 15, 2007 - 11:25 PM

[alltracman78]

ok. so lets make sure I understand this right... when you take the cam shafts off you have this...

Yes.
You will have to remove the lifters and shims. They just lift out. It's easiest with a magnetic retriever.
Make SURE to keep them in the EXACT order. I can't stress this enough. This way you shouldn't have to reshim the head. You want to put the lifters and shims in the exact same place they came from.

so you actually have to take the valves and springs out to get to the guides, yes ?

Just the springs/retainers. You have to take the head off to remove the valves.

which means I need this thing for the springs, if not to take them out I need it to get them back in, correct ?

That or one similar. To take them out and reinstall.
It's a valve spring compressor.
There are a few different types.
Some you can't use, either because of the design of your head, or the fact it will still be on the engine.
I actually talked with Manny about doing this on his cousins MR2, but he ended up getting a different engine.
Whatever. He was looking at a different type of tool. I've never used it. You might want to PM him for a link. I'm sure he'd remember. If not, I'll jog his memory.
If you do this, buy a few [4?] extra retainer locks. They like to go flying.

all that to change those stupid little plastic things, right ? what else should I change while I'm in there, would changing the springs and/or guides themselves have any benefit to my problem at all?

I was kind of hoping this could be a job me and Dustin could figure out ourselves (in case Manny doesn't have time to waste on a 7A lol) but I guess not since there's a few tools we need and don't have
but thanks for explaining all this to me, I want to understand it regardless... maybe we can figure out a way around the tool problem and do it anyway

Unfortunately, yes.
There is no point in changing the springs. Toyota springs almost never go bad.
Changing the guides will help [if they are worn] but you have to remove the head to do it.
You can probably rent the tool from Autocrap for free. You just have to make sure it's one you can use in your specific situation. Or buy the one Manny was interested in. It was ~ $100 IIRC.

One other thing you need.
Compressed air and a fitting for the spark plug threads.
This will keep the valves from falling into the chamber.
You also want to make sure to keep the piston on the cyl you are working on at TDC. This way if they do fall, they won't fall all the way in....

This is a blurry pic of the spring/retainer.
All this has to be removed by a valve spring compressor to access the seal.


This is what a valve seal looks like on your engine.