using oil RE: Fwd: A look inside 200k mi. engine

["Avi Meron" <avi@cosmoslink.net>]

Contrary to popular believe (which many time is based on totally false
analogy!), using a Q of oil between oil changes is excellent. Nothing wrong
with it! Most OEM will tell you that a Q for 1000 miles is acceptable. Your
driving habits (whatever they maybe) will contribute a lot more to oil loss
(or gain, crank case volume) than any other mechanical failure.
Most of the "boasting" that I continuously see and hear of not losing any
oil are totally meaningless, all it means is that they are "making oil" by
not totally evaporating the moisture in the crank case. Your deposits inside
the crank case should not have any connection (probably!) with your "loss of
oil" actually the opposite is true.
Don't worry about your "oil usage" you will have plenty of other problems to
worry about especially with an 86 5K, good luck!
Take care,
Avi



-----Original Message-----
From: owner-quattro@audifans.com [mailto:owner-quattro@audifans.com]On
Behalf Of Kiwi
Sent: Friday, October 15, 1999 1:54 PM
To: quattro@audifans.com
Subject: Re: Fwd: A look inside 200k mi. engine

At 10:02 AM 10/15/1999 EDT, JShadzi@aol.com wrote:
>
><< <<My dad, who spent 43 years working on steam and diesel locomotives, as
>well
> as airplane and tank engines for a while, couldn't believe the amount of
> crap sitting on the pistons!  Scary to think of that stuff flying around
in
> the combustion chamber, getting stuck around the valves, etc...
> Anyway, got me to thinking if that engine has 200k and so much stuff in
the
> cylinders, wonder what my 4k with 300k looks like.  Probably pull the
plugs
> this weekend and stick a vacuum hose in there to see what comes out!
> Alan>>>
>
> My coupe GT, which had over 200k mi when I pulled off the head, was
>amazingly in excellent shape.  In fact, the factory hone pattern on the
>cylinder walls was still there, and there was no uneven wear on the
cylinder
>walls.  Compression was still within spec too.  The only problem was that
the
>valve guide seals were worn and leaking.  From othere motors I have opened,
>and others I have talked too, I dont think my experience was too rare.  I
>have to question the maintenence history of a motor like yours with so much
>gunk in the combustion chamber?
> Javad Shadzi
> 88 80Q >>

My '86 5ktq had about 170k mi when I pulled the head (4 bad EM studs), and
it was pretty crappy looking on the inside.  I used to go through a good
amount of oil between changes (at least a quart).  I cleaned everything
out, put a new valve cover gasket on (among other things), and now it
doesn't use a drop.  That was about 25k mi ago.  The top of the intake
manifold was covered in oil and even now it's still perfectly clean, so I
guess it was just the gasket in my case (although the one I installed was
the same style as one I removed).
Arryn