Ok, Yota life story, when i first bought my vehicle it used almost ZERO oil, the only oil being used was spit out through the leaking oil pump. Timing guide died, so i rebuilt the top half. When the head was at the machine shop they offered to do a pressure test no charge. I wasn't around, and the guy helping me was like yeah sure. He didn't know i didn't have new valve stem seals, so they apparently put the old ones back in. Got the engine back together and it consumed oil, we were stumped. Only found out about the valve stem seal thing about a month ago, when some one brought it up, and it just dawned on me. Asked him about it and sure enough.... So, before i knew they were not replaced, (and before he knew i didn't have new seals) he said that i was probably getting oil blow by in the rings because of the engine being re-sealed, i was skeptical. SO, i'm still pretty sure my consumption is coming from the valve stem seals being re-used, and i am planning a re-build... again, this week and to finish up next week some time. Lastly, the head bolts are less than a year old, maybe 6k on them, how you do feel about them being reused?? Sorry for the book, and thanks in advance.

 

Bad valve stem seals would cause a puff of smoke to come out of the exhaust pipe when you start the truck after leaving it sit overnight. If you are not experienceing this then the valve seals shouldn't be bad.

You should be fine re-using the head bolts. Heck, when I did my timing chain I re-used all but two of the same 200,xxx mile head bolts.

 

are you doing a full rebuild or just fixing the valve seals?

 

Hmm, the first time i took the head it had newish head bolts, and i still replaced them. I will probably end up getting new head bolts to be safe, unless i find out for sure its ok to re-use them because they are so new/or haven't stretched yet. Oh yeah, i do remember reading a thread where some one measured the bolts to check if they were stretched, i think that will be my plan of action.

full rebuild = entire engine ? i'm figuring your answer is yes, but no, i'm just taking the head off so i can get to the valve stem seals. I'd do a full rebuild, but i don't have the time/i can't be without a vehicle for more than a week.

 

no one has anything else?

 

I would have no problem reusing the bolts. The valve stem seals would have to be very bad for you to use a noticable amount of oil between oil changes.

Did you put new rings in the engine when rebuilt? Did you run them in properly?

 

he only had head work done sans valve stem seals, no bottom end stuff.
and I agree, seals would have to be quite bad to burn large amounts of oil.
how much oil are we talking about here?
have you checked for proper pcv valve operation?
done a compression or leak down test?

 

It doesn't burn huge amounts of oil, but it does smoke on start-up, the seals are bad, they were re-used. I was talking to the same guy, my mechanic friend, and he think after re-sealing the engine that the increase pressure caused the rings to start letting oil by. Compression is good, about a 150ish average. Haven't done a leak down test. i put in around a 1/4 quart every 200. Yeah, the PCV valve isn't stuck. I already have he gaskets, and its not like its a HUGE pain to take the head off, not saying its a cake walk, but i also wanted to take care of something else while the head is off, as well clean the intake plenum, lots of buildup. Just thought about this, but to change the valve stem seals, i don't need to take off the intake necessarily do it?? i can just turn the head on its side?