Alright, I've recently been tracking my oil consumption on my p/u 22RE with 326XXXkms and wondering if this is normal for something this age that's never been rebuilt but always maintained. I've always just topped it up when low but never really noticed how much other than once in a while. After 3 tanks of gas I'll go from about half-3/4 full between min & max line to the min. I had a compression test done last spring and it showed 170psi all 4cyl. I regularly change the oil with 10W30 and recently started using the toyota filters again. We don't have a smog check here either so I don't know what or how much of xyz is coming out the exhaust but there is no noticeable smoke...I can't see anything at all to tell you the truth like blue or white smoke so I've never really been concerned. I've been avg 18mpg steady the past 1 and a half years which isn't too shabby for the age and mileage.

1. Is there anything I should be concerned about or look out for in the future?
2. Is it possible for a compression check to come up 170psi with burning oil when the norm is 172-175?
3. Is there any harm being done by just topping it up every few tanks and monitoring levels (I'm narotic too about checking/topping fluids with vehicles)?
4. I've heard from my neighbour, don't know if it's true, that sometimes changing the valve cover gasket can make a difference...possible?

Any advice is appreciated, thanks.

 

yes it is possible to still have good compression even if it is burning a little oil. assuming it isn't leaking any externally, i would say that it is probably getting by the valve seals. also it doesn't sound like you are burning a lot of oil so i would not worry about the motor at all. as far as changing your valve cover gasket helping- unless a gasket is leaking there is no reason to change it.

 

yea actually if it IS leaking down through the valve seals into the combustion chamber and the piston rings are good enough to stop it from seeping back into the crankcase it will give you higher readings on the compression test. And i think that is the most likely scenario here because if the oil was entereing the combustion chamber through the bottom then that would signify a bad rings which would result in a compression much lower then 170psi and a wet compression test would reveal that as well.

 

So this means the head is "going" slowly? Should I wait until it really starts burning oil in copious amounts before a head rebuild or replacement? And that amount of oil being consumed isn't really all that bad?

 

I would say that your valve seals are leaking and possibly have some bad rings (with that milage). That is quite a lot of oil. My 89 has 415 000km on it and I don't put any oil in it between oil changes. My 88 that I had I put 1 liter in between changes, it had 410 000km when I blew a head gasket. When I tore that engine apart all my rings except for 2 were in peices.

Food for thought......

 

Hmmmm, so should I sell the thing...or just drive it into the ground? It surprisingly still has a lot of pull...I know it's only a 22RE but I've never had a problem with it not having enough power while driving; up hills yes, I drop it into 4th but I drive it very, very conservatively anyway. Or maybe it's because I'm just used to having gutless 4cyl like my previous 3 Civics and Golf diesel LOL. The truck has got a little rust around the wheel wells but the undercarriage has been undercoated most of its life so it's just thick with a few layers of that. Damn, I'm kinda discouraged. If I'm considering a rebuild should I do both top and bottom at this point in time? Wah, I really don't know what to do here. I may be able to get a 4Runner for dirt cheap in the spring where the frame is rotted through but the guy is still using it to plow his Midas parking lot and the 22RE in that has got just under 160,000kms on it and running well....but I'm not banking on that and want to be ready. What would you guys do in my shoes? Just keep it topped up with oil and hope for the best? I can't have this thing leaving me stranded cause my back is messed up as it is too. I could "afford" a newer engine, or rebuilt one. I don't know if I could justify putting a couple more grand into the truck cause I have so much in it as it is. Wah! Help!

 

Anyone else?

 

what id say is probably inspect the motor first. if its good, take it, do a rebuild if necessary, drop it in, and drop your old motor in a dune buggy or something

 

I don't have the space for rebuilding let alone a dune buggy until summer. Plus I have no desire to build a buggy and the nearest dunes are 7 hours away that you can't drive on/around anyway. Thanks for the suggestion though. I can't afford the time either so sacrificing the truck for an extending period of time so that's out of the question. I'm just wondering if it would be worth driving it until it's really bad then sell it and get a newer gen or have a shop rebuild most of it. I don't do any wheeling at all, unless you consider dirt roads and double track wheeling and I'm driving it 100% hwy and roads now. I also don't want to contribute to more pollution by pissing through a lot of oil..but it doen't seem like it coming out the pipe. We also have a Civic that runs amazing and use that around town most the time as well as any longer trips. Tough call.

 

I put my money on the valve seals leaking. Over time the rubber gets hard and cracks, letting a little oil into the combustion chamber. Unless you have blue smoke pouring out your exhaust during acceleration or deceleration, then don't even begin to worry about it.

You could step up the weight of your oil to 15-40 which will help slow down the loss of oil working its way past the valve seals into the combustion chamber. You may want to keep the oil topped off at the MAX line. That’s where your oil level would be if you changed your oil/filter with 5 quarts of oil. Seriously, the motor is fine and can run it for YEARS like this.