Worn out Ecotec's

[Paul13pp]

Having only recently purchased a 96 VS wagon and now had it on the road for a month, I figure the engine is stuffed! It was full of oil on the dipstick when I drove from Brisbane to Coolum the other day return, but was on the add line when home.
It blows major amounts of blue smoke from the exhaust particularly when you floor it from the lights.
Well actually, the thing is you can't just floor it from the lights as such, unless you want it to spin madly off the mark and then chirp into second gear.
The auto has a problem with a logged error code and the symptoms of the problem is 1st and 2nd gear changes are very quick and abrupt. 3rd and 4th changes very smooth.

Anyway, I started this thread wondering others experiences with the ecotec's performance when the rings and probably valve stem seals are worn out.
I have raced another ecotec that makes no smoke and the difference in performance is bugger all.
Interesting that power does not seem to drop off even though the engine needs replacing a long time ago considering the amount of smoke it blows.

[1SIKR8]

how many km's the donk got ?

[The1]

could be stuck pcv letting oil in the intake, worn rings. Automatic could be 1-2 accumulator piston/broken spring, worn valve in the valve body or stuck check ball in the separator plate.

[1SIKR8]

could be stuck pcv letting oil in the intake

that would make the most sence

[hako]

Could also be running too thin an oil - normally they use 20W50 but with wear you can take it out to 60 or 70. Also if the car has not had an oil change for a long time or has done a lot of short runs the oil will get diluted and then a long run will burn it off.

[VK SL 3800]

Its probably just worn out, do a compression test.

[vscalais951]

My mechanic told me that mine is burning oil because my valve stem seals are gone, i go through a 5l bottle of oil a year just topping it up every now and then when the oil light on the dash comes on, been doing this for the 3 years i've owned it.

[Vee-ard]

To test for wear.. do a compression test. If its low and adding a teaspoon of oil to the cylinder raises the reading by a decent amount, then its worn rings, If the oil doesn't change the readings then its probably leaking through valve seats/faces.

As you said, the leaking oil into the combustion chamber and out the exhaust is probably valve seals or excessive stem to guide clearance, the vacuum created by the intake stroke sucks oil down the valve guide from the rockers. Your rings would have to be shot to the shithouse (and have shitty compression) to be letting that amount of oil through, so I doubt its ring wear because you mentioned that it's power is still on par.

[Jacko84]

valve stem seals go hard replaced them the other day.

[Paul13pp]

how many km's the donk got ?

The speedo says 396,000 but it does not count up any more and who knows how long it has been like that.

could be stuck pcv letting oil in the intake, worn rings. Automatic could be 1-2 accumulator piston/broken spring, worn valve in the valve body or stuck check ball in the separator plate.

Is there a way of checking whether the PCV valve is functioning correctly?
I do have another VS that has a really good auto that was rebuilt recently at a cost of over $2k. The engine that it is attached to it blows a bit of smoke when it is cold but the smoke goes away after 4 or 5 minutes of following it along the road as it warms up.
I dare say I will just plonk the whole engine and gearbox into my wagon. Picked up this other VS for $300

To test for wear.. do a compression test. If its low and adding a teaspoon of oil to the cylinder raises the reading by a decent amount, then its worn rings, If the oil doesn't change the readings then its probably leaking through valve seats/faces.

As you said, the leaking oil into the combustion chamber and out the exhaust is probably valve seals or excessive stem to guide clearance, the vacuum created by the intake stroke sucks oil down the valve guide from the rockers. Your rings would have to be shot to the shithouse (and have shitty compression) to be letting that amount of oil through, so I doubt its ring wear because you mentioned that it's power is still on par.

Yes, this is the go, but the compression tester I have won't fit most of the plug holes without fouling the body or accessories. Need one with a flexi air hose on it I think.
I will do a compression test out of interest, but it is using a litre of oil at 100klm/h highway travel per 120 klms which is way too much.

Cheers for the thoughts and ideas all.

[Adds_05]

Well actually, the thing is you can't just floor it from the lights as such, unless you want it to spin madly off the mark and then chirp into second gear.

an ecotec with 396,000kms?

[Paul13pp]

Well.... my thoughts exactly !!

Thus why I asked whether the ecotec's loose their guts when the engine is worn or not.

[nathanVY]

396,000kms!!!!!

Mate it's had it's day, time for a new motor

[Z2TT]

How much guts should they have? Mine doesn't chirp the wheels when you floor it at the lights

[Hangman]

How much guts should they have? Mine doesn't chirp the wheels when you floor it at the lights

Mine either unless my other foot is on the brake. And mine has 130,000k's on it, give or take.

[Paul13pp]

How much guts should they have? Mine doesn't chirp the wheels when you floor it at the lights

Well this wagon does. In fact I find it hard to drive without leaving black marks everywhere after driving an old Ford XF for years.

Seriously though, if you floor it from the lights, it spins and revs madly then chirps into second. By this time you are doing about 80 klm/h in a short time.

It has standard wheels with rather old tyres and I dare say this is why it has little traction and spins so easily.

[nathanVY]

True, all of us saying ours doesn't spin off the mark probably have massive wide wheels

[Hangman]

Lol, mine has stockies on it, but the tyres aren't that old.

[PanthaVS]

Having only recently purchased a 96 VS wagon

Well actually, the thing is you can't just floor it from the lights as such, unless you want it to spin madly off the mark and then chirp into second gear.

Did Anyone think to take notice that it's a wagon? Don't they run LIVE axle and not IRS... which, as far as I know, spin a LOT easier than IRS...

And given that a VN commodore can spin the wheels with the old buick motor (Because it was live axle), it would make sence that the ecotec, (rated with more hp) would spin the wheels even easier?

yes??

[Hangman]

My sedan is live axle.

[monkeys437]

Spinning wheels in a live axel V6 isnt a sign of good power, its a sign of poor traction.

Id put a second hand engine in there and some new tyres, then sell your old engine to get back some of the cash

[PanthaVS]

Spinning wheels in a live axel V6 isnt a sign of good power, its a sign of poor traction.

I never said it was... if you read what i said, it was because it was live axle, not because the ecotec has more power... my reference to the ecotec having more power was implying that it would spin a live axle wheel easier than a buick.

[crazywog]

lossing traction in a non irs and in a irs is not the point, its the driver regardless of irs i know with mine its IRS/ABS and i can spin like crazy in the wet forget it, its all over the place from gutter to gutter.

[monkeys437]

I never said it was... if you read what i said, it was because it was live axle, not because the ecotec has more power... my reference to the ecotec having more power was implying that it would spin a live axle wheel easier than a buick.

What are you talking about mate? I didnt quote you in my post and was in no way referring to anything you had said. In fact i hadnt even read your post when I replied.

I was referring to what the OP said. He seemed to be eluding to the fact that because there was still plenty of wheelspin, that the engine hadn't suffered from a significant decrease in power. That was my interpretation anyway.

A live axel open center diff could probably break into wheelspin off the mark even if the engine was down to 80-100 fwkw if it had rubbish tyres

[elmaso]

there was a bloke on this forum whos got 700000+ out of his old ecotec, hes wreaking it now though, lol