[s-cars] 1000 miles and smoking more than ever!!!! (now my 4ktq story)

[Marc Swanson]

>  I also added 3
> quarts of oil over the 1000 mile trip. Now I don't think its the rings but maybe
> one of the valve seals got put in wrong. Any other ideas?



Well, your tale of woe sounds similar to mine...

I've always burned a little oil in the 10vt motor I had built for my
4ktq.  Didn't think much of it as I figured it was the rings seating
in.  As of a few months ago oil consumption shot up to around a quart
every 300 miles, which sounds pretty similar to your oil usage. I pulled
the head last weekend expecting (hoping?) to find a blown head gasket
since I THOUGHT that the oil was all going into the #1 cylinder (plug
looked reaaaal ugly).  Pictures with the head removed here:
http://www.mswanson.com/images/?mode=album&album=Audi%2F4ktq%2Fhead_removed


after taking the head off It was clear that nothing was wrong with the
HG and ALL of the pistons showed heavy carbon deposits.  Further
inspection revealed a SICK amount of clearance between the piston and
the cylinder walls.  I could easily move the piston around in the bore.
Not good.  As the motor only has about 15k miles on it since a complete
rebuild including JE 82mm pistons, etc etc, I'm inclined to believe that
the engine shop may have goofed when they bored the cylinders.  I was
really hoping it was maybe a valve stem oil seal but there is just no
way to eat that much oil through a valve stem seal, and the clearance on
the pistons is way over the bentley spec of 30 thousandths maximum.

Solution for me was to pick up a used MC-2 bottom end from Chris at
force 5 and throw it in so I can get this beast back on the road and
deal with my machine shop later.  Hope your issue isn't as serious...


Later


--
-Marc
87' 4ktq
88' 90q
www.mswanson.com/audi