litle88

iTrader: (20)

So I decided to get a set of Harland sharp 1.8's, Patriot Golds spring kit and 36lb injectors. I get them installed and get a re-tune. On my way home my car is smoking BAD. I let the car cool off and as I'm putting it in the garage it is still smoking! bad. Oil smoke. I call the installer and tell them I think a valve seal was not installed right because I'm burning oil. I take it in and they say that all 4 plugs on the passenger side are black and say its my o2 sensor on the passenger side is the culprit. I get charged for the parts and labor to re inspect everything cause they said it turned out not to be an installation issue on their part. I said cool. Now this weekend I take the car out again and guess what? my **** is still smoking at times, so I pull a plug the first one on the passenger side . so to my surprise I see that my plug has a lot of soot and oil on oothe threads of the plug (closest to the electode). so I call my installer and they tell me now its gonna be the valve guides!
but only on the passenger side??!! what gives?
can a simple valve seal install ruin the valve guides?
I doubt it but can it happen?
what can be maybe pushing the seals up, my melling oil pump with castrol 0-30?
I am pissed and puzzled!
any help will be greatly appreciated!
I will be posting pics of the sparkplugs tomorrow.
thanks

mvvette97

iTrader: (18)

I would still have to say it's the valve seals. They may of damaged a few when they installed them. This has happened before. I know how it is with shops, they don't like to admit they screwed up.

litle88

iTrader: (20)

that's the thing, I wouldn't mind it if someone said "hey Zeke listen, we screwed up that install, I'm gonna get it right this time". now I paid for an 02 sensor and an extension I didn't need, labor to recheck the install, and 4 plugs that were supposedly damaged by the o2 sensor. I just don't get it!

But anyone else have an idea?

litle88

iTrader: (20)

here's a pic of the spark plugs

litle88

iTrader: (20)

Anyone?

litle88

iTrader: (20)

Anyone?

kenp

iTrader: (9)

With the injector install, if they got your tune wrong you could have cylinder wash from running too rich and can = oil use.

DaddySS

First of all, from your description, you're isntaller/tuner doesn't have a clue - so step number one, don't take it there anymore. Find someone who knows what they're doing and get it checked. It sure seems like the vlave seals and or tune are screwed up, most of all it is runnign rich and if they did the injector tune wrong (very likely) then that is the cause.

litle88

iTrader: (20)

I will be checking out the other side sparkplugs tomorrow!!

I appreciate the responces

Shawn MacAnanny

iTrader: (12)

It seems odd that there would be 4 bad valve seals on just one side.

litle88

iTrader: (20)

+1 on the odd part, they told me it must be my valve guides then. But I seriously doubt that!

vettenuts

iTrader: (4)

I agree with the above, if you are not doing your own wrenching get someone else to look at it quick, just in case it is an issue with too much fuel.

litle88

iTrader: (20)

Well I took out the other side today and they were nice and clean!
So I took out the passengerside this morning and this is what I found, I apoligize for the quality of the pics but I could not get my camera to focus in any settings! but you can tell the oilish film on the threads and the dark spots on the electrode and Porcelain. Please let me know what you guys think my problem may be, the car never had this problem. The problem came when I upgraded springs to patriot golds,Harland Sharp 1.8's and lucas injectors(used by a respectable member of the forum)36lb'ers and after about 150 miles of use since the install and retune.

nine-eight

iTrader: (7)

burn 'em back to a nice dull/light grey color with a blowtorch to save the spark plugs. regap when done.

great!

now take the car to someone who is more knowledgeable about what is going on because the three strike policy shouldnt end up with a BOOM! of your motor....

brad8266

iTrader: (23)

Either the valve seals were not pushed all the way and seated on the little spring that is on the base of the seal or your IFR table in your tune was not calibrated correctly.

bluehawk2

iTrader: (74)

tuning the fuel injectors gets my vote...........you could use a wide band to see if the car is running really rich

99blancoSS

iTrader: (115)

If it were injectors why is only one side effected?

Find another shop, document everything, small claims court is going to be an option for you. The shop needs to eat its mistake and wont admit they made one.

Thats just typical. Most so called mechs havent finshed 6th grade. Reputable shops are hard to come by. I see adds in the paper all day long that advertise for 15hr for shop help. You really want some kid who didn get through high school working on your car?

Or they worked for Jiffy lube for 2 years and now they're a mechanic. I have had friends bullshit thier way into the postion and last for years at the same place because the owner didnt know a thing. This guy built a 327 for his Chevy 2 and it wouldnt even turn over but yet there he was working on the company fleet.


Long winded moral of the story, find another shop.

litle88

iTrader: (20)

I have aero force guages and it monitors the o2 sensors, but only in millivolts!

Can someone tell me what the translations, like what 968 to like 2300 millivolts translates in AFR?

That would REALLY help me!

Thanks Zeke

brad8266

iTrader: (23)

Way too rich if its during normal driving (not WOT). The O2's should switch from the .150 area and swing to the .850 area. Give or take some either way, the idea is that the voltages should fluctuate constantly, if it is staying at .968 all the time then you are way too rich and I would say with 99% certainty that its your IFR table (table that you change when swapping to larger injectors).

Im not saying that oil cant still be seeping through somewhere. I am saying that 968 constant during normal driving is wrong and too rich.

litle88

iTrader: (20)

I will keep an eye out for that while Im driving, on the IFR table does it separate Left to Right banks, Brad?

the reason I ask is because the frivers side sparkplugs are burning normal, the porcelain is nice and white!

I really appreciate you guys time to helping me solve this issue!!