Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: notesfiles Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!qantel!hplabs!hp-pcd!orstcs!hakanson From: hakanson@orstcs.UUCP (hakanson) Newsgroups: net.auto.tech Subject: Re: Oil burning and piston rings Message-ID: <29500001@orstcs.UUCP> Date: Thu, 7-Nov-85 02:01:00 EST Article-I.D.: orstcs.29500001 Posted: Thu Nov 7 02:01:00 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 11-Nov-85 06:49:46 EST References: <518@ttidcb.UUCP> Organization: Oregon State University - Corvallis, OR Lines: 71 Nf-ID: #R:ttidcb:-51800:orstcs:29500001:000:3818 Nf-From: orstcs!hakanson Nov 6 23:01:00 1985 Please bear with the inclusions -- I've tried to keep them short. >/***** orstcs:net.auto.tech / jhunix!ins_aeas / 10:11 am Nov 3, 1985*/ >> < who is for dinner > >> My `79 Plymouth (Mitsubishi) Champ, with ~92k miles, emits a puff >> of grey smoke when I shift. Oil consumption has gone up also. This obvious >> pollution bothers me. My question is, what is the most cost effective >> solution that will last around ~25k miles. Some possible solutions : . . . >> 2) Replace the rings. Is this job too tough to do myself? >> Should other things be replaced at the same time? Are >> they a hassel to replace. Can this sort of stuff be done >> with the engine still in the car. The Champ is fwd, with >> a transverse engine. >Forget it. With fwd, your trans/diff case is under the engine. To change >rings, you have to pull the pistons. In a normal car, this means pulling the >heads and dropping the oil pan so that you can undo the connecting rods and >pull the pistins up and out. With fwd, you cannot pull the oil pan to gain >access to the connecting rods without removing the engine from the car. Boy are you gonna be surprised. On the Champ/Colt, and probably some other fwd cars, the transaxle is mounted on the end of the engine, partly below and behind it. The oil pan is fairly accessible, once you take off the belly pan (I haven't done it, but I have looked at it some). >. . . From what you describe above, valve guide wear seems to >be the culprit, rather than ring wear, because the smoke occurs at times >of high cylinder vaccuum (during shifts when you suddenly close the throttle), >rather than a constant smoke (which is more indicative of ring wear). Seems reasonably possible. My suggestion would be to drive it 'til the oil consumption is unbearable, then trade it in on another one. There's quite a market for used Champ/Colts, even with >100k miles on them. Anecdote time: While getting my '80 Colt fixed up with new brake pads (@ 84k, first time) & repacked wheel bearings, the Chrysler mechanic told me they get a fair number of these cars with more than 90-100k miles on them. When they're traded in, they can sell them right away. He also said one fellow had an '83 with 103k on it, and had never done anything to it but change the oil, if that. He brought it in to have a rear wheel bearing replaced because they had never been repacked, and to have the valves adjusted for the first time! He also had the carb rebuilt. So it seems you can get more than your money's worth out of these cars, even if you abuse them. Once you've got the head off, you might as well do the rings as well. Getting the head off is likely to be a major task, anyway. The head bolts are the kind that take a large hex-key to remove (this IS net.auto.TECH, after all :-). >. . . A Champ is hardly >worth the price of a rebuilt engine (>$1000 if you don't install it yourself).> Obviously I disagree. I'd like to be able to just throw the thing away with impunity when it's shot, but I just like the car too much to do it painlessly. Well, it doesn't have to be done soon -- I figure I've got another 20k before I have to bite the bullet. But parts are certain to be fairly expensive. Sigh. But the new ones are improved -- and more complicated and harder to work on. Sigh again. > >Earle A. Sugar >Disclaimer:"I doubt anyone else here agrees with me." > USENET: ...!seismo!umcp-cs!aplvax!aplcen!jhunix!ins_aeas > CSNET:ins_aeas@jhunix.csnet > ARPA:ins_aeas%jhunix.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa > BITNET: INS_BEAS@JHUVMS (as a last resort) > or call 301-889-0815 after 6 P.M. EST >/* ---------- */ Marion Hakanson CSnet: hakanson%oregon-state@csnet-relay UUCP : {hp-pcd,tektronix}!orstcs!hakanson