Anne,
I think the top end oilers are getting a bad rap. I've had one on my
Spit for about 2 years now with no excessive oil consumption.
I guess if you have bad valve guides, the extra oil provided by the
oiler will find it's way into the combustion process. This would show up
when the car is first started due to the extra oil seeping past the worn
guides and then quickly burning off when the engine is started. See if
your plugs have a sandy looking deposit on the business end--a good sign
you're guides are going.
The last engine I took apart for rebuild had severly worn rocker arms
and shaft. Just replacing the parts on a four-banger was expensive. This
rebuild will also be receiving one of my homemade external oilers. If
"6" engines are anything like Spit engines, the rocker assembly is the
very last area to receive lubrication.
Hope that helps,
Charlie B.
Spitfire Pilot
> Recently I installed an external rocker assembly oil feed line on my 1972
> TR6 engine, after which oil consumption increased considerably. Before the
> modification the engine used hardly any oil, now the level is dropping
> steadily. Also after starting a still warm engine some blue smoke comes out
> of the exhaust. I guess the oil is disappearing via the valve stems. I
> checked for leaks: no problems at the connections.
>
> Does anybody have similar experiences? I've never seen the internals of the
> engine: can somebody explain why this could happen?
>
> Anne van Leeuwen
> anne.van.leeuwen@vitatron.com
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