need help with exhaust

[drx]

So, I'm burning a little oil when I start the engine up (vlave seals, piston rings, who knows?). I don't mind putting in a little oil every 1000 miles but the exhaust stink is getting to me. Does anyone have any inexpensive suggestions?

My toy is a 1987 with 240,000 mi, 4 cyl and amazingly enough, it's getting 18-19 mpg on my 7 mile city/suburb commute. The engine was replaced with a rebuilt one about 60,000 miles ago.

Many thanks for all your suggestions!

X

 

[ovrrdrive]

Well, smoke on startup is usually the valve seals...

They are cheap pieces but as you guessed, pulling the head and getting to them is the hard part.

The only solution is to pull the head off and take it somewhere and get the valve seals replaced. If you go through all that trouble, you might as well have them go through the head and rebuild it and resrface it while its out.

If all is well with it, it shouldn't cost more than about $150 to get it gone through. Then a top end gasket kit will be about another $60. Plan on spending about 10 hours under the hood if you're ok with a wrench, and about double that if its your first time. It isn't a hard job but you will need to take pictures and label everything. Its kind of complex.

Of course, while its there you might consider some SS oversized valves like the ones from www.engnbldr.com getting installed and possibly some heavier RV springs and an aftermarket cam...

I got a head like that and while it isn't like I dropped in a V8 or anything, the truck is running better..