Looks like the engine lasted two years of very limited use. I don't have the numbers, but it's been less then two years and I've only used it off and on since putting in the rebuilt engine. My guess is that it has just a few hundred hours on it at the most.
About three weeks ago, I noticed smoke coming out of the exhaust. It was mostly when I was backing up to dump a load. I realized that this wasn't normal, but didn't know what to do about it and the day was almost done, so I kept going until dark.
The next morning, I checked the oil, and it was very low. This was something new. I had not lost any oil since the rebuild, and it's always remained very clean looking. I just don't drive it enough to dirty up the oil and since I change the oil and filter in the spring time, it's not in there long enough to get dirty either.
I pulled the plugs and did a compression test. They were all right around 130 pounds. The plugs were fouled really bad. Black and sooty looking. The valve cover was also loose and thre was oil coming out of the gasket. I never heard of a valve cover getting loose before, and never both of them. I tightened them down, but didn't take them off or replace the gasket.
I put in new plugs and started it up. It runs strong and wasn't smoking.
I moved several hundred yards of dirt with it last weekend and at the end of the day, it was very low on oil again. I've thought about it all week, but don't have an answer. Today, I filled it up with oil and moved more dirt. By 4pm, it was smoking worse then ever. It smelled like an old outboard, 2cycle boat motor. White smoke was coming out, though not thick, but noticable.
In the morning, I plan to pull the plugs again and see what they look like.
Does anybody have any suggestions? Any miracle ideas?
My thought is to check the compression and see where it's at. With oil in the combustion chamber, I'm probably going to get a false reading, or at least good reading wether I have a worn ring or not. With new pistons, rigns and cylinder walls, it shouldn't be a warn ring anyway. If the ring is cracked, I think I should get a low reading regardless of the oil in there. Does this make sense?
My other thought is that the newly rebuilt heads have something wrong with them.
Either way, it's one or the other. The water is fine, so the block and gaskets are not the problem. I'm burning allot of oil, so it's either the rings or the valves. Does this sound right?
I think I'll have to take off the heads no matter what. I don't know if I'll be able to tell the problem form looking at them or not. Any thoughts? I also think that I can replace the rings on the pistons without pulling the motor. I've done it on my dozer, so I should be able to do it on this. Hopefully.
If I replace the rings, do I need to replace the bearings at such low hours? I probably will, but I'm willing to listen to anybody who tells me that they are fine and to go ahead and reuse them.
To say I'm frustrated would be putting it mildly.
Thanks,
eddie