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  • big block chevy oil consumption

    i have a fresh built 496 in a camaro. the car now has 1900 miles on it after the power tour. it consumed about 1 qt of oil per 100 miles on the tour. using valvoline zinc rich racing oil (20w50). car does not smoke or leak, spark plugs look great and exhaust is not oily. Any ideas on what is going on?

  • #2
    that's pretty bad!

    There's something wrong with it. First place to check is the valve covers, to see if there are proper baffles in the breathers. Then check the intake gaskets, see if they are leaking to the valley. Then start looking at guides, rings, etc.

    no clue to where it's going, eh? no blue smoke, ever?

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    • #3
      a quart per 100 miles should be mosquito machine territory!
      I had a similar problem a while back when I got "low tension" oil rings by mistake but it was visible. Can you have someone follow you to see if it smokes when you get on it or shut off?

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      • #4
        if youre at 1900 miles AFTER the powertour, did you have it at a constant 70mph plus
        before the rings set? thats a no-no...although i agree it should be smokin something
        fierce at 100 miles/quart.......

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        • #5
          No smoke, no puddles either? The only thing I could think of losing oil that fast without smoke would be the front or rear crank seal. It would be spraying as you drive and leave some kind of evidence.

          What do you have for crankcase ventilation?

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          • #6
            oil cooler in the radiator leaking into antifreeze?

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            • #7
              The engine was run on a run in stand for break in. The engine has a typical big block drip at back of pan, but very minor. I have changed intake gaskets but didn't see any problems when it was off. The valve covers are baffled and there is a pcv hooked to intake vacuum. No smoke ever. I am completely baffled. Any help is appreciated.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by 73protouring View Post
                The engine was run on a run in stand for break in. The engine has a typical big block drip at back of pan, but very minor. I have changed intake gaskets but didn't see any problems when it was off. The valve covers are baffled and there is a pcv hooked to intake vacuum. No smoke ever. I am completely baffled. Any help is appreciated.
                Thats why I was thinking rear main seal. All I can think is to get it safely on jack stands and go under when its running to see if there is a stream. Thats what you dont notice when you are on the road and just drips some residue afterwards.

                I dont know if you might consider just going to straight 50 weight where its thicker all the time if you are not worried about thin for start up..

                The only other "stupid" problem ( I mean one of those who would ever have thought) I have heard about, maybe even read it here was that the booster for power brakes sucks in oil since it comes from the same intake vacuum source. But you would have a hydraulic booster by now. You are looking at at least a gallon of oil.

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                • #9
                  I'll check that, thanks for the replys.

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by 73protouring View Post
                    The engine was run on a run in stand for break in.... .
                    that was to break-in the cam. the rings wouldnt have seated yet...
                    i dont beat on my motors till over 1000 miles for break-in, and
                    that includes no constant freeway speeds for hours at a time.

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by fatguyzinc View Post

                      that was to break-in the cam. the rings wouldnt have seated yet...
                      i dont beat on my motors till over 1000 miles for break-in, and
                      that includes no constant freeway speeds for hours at a time.
                      We get that, but clean plugs and no smoke kinda say the rings are OK, even if the oil ring is lapped its gonna be puking smoke.

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                      • #12
                        I had an oil filter with a hairline crack in it. No smoke, minimal drip because it would close at idle. One possibility you could try is an oil dye. It will glow under a UV black light.
                        My hobby is needing a hobby.

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                        • #13
                          OK, so I will be contrary!

                          A quart per 100 miles was the metric! There is no way there won't be a very visible trace at that level! Even if it only leaks at 6,000 + rpm there will be very visible evidence of a leak. This year on powertour (most of you know) I was having issues with my GearVendor blowing oil out under load - not dripping or leaking! There wasn't a square inch of the underside of the wagon that was not so well oiled that it would not have rusted for 100 years! The back of the car (tailgate and rear windshield) was covered so bad you could see out the window after a couple hundred miles.

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                          • #14
                            We only made 800 miles on pt. If the rings were going to seat, they would have prior to us leaving. The oil consumption got much worse while we were on tour. Oil consumption and a gear vendor causing problems cut our trip short.
                            I put the car on a lift when we got back and there is no sign of oil film under it. When I twist it over6500 rpm, it will blow a little oil out the breathers. But that is not often.

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                            • #15
                              Well, put a new oil filter on from time to time (you're feeding it ENOUGH oil). Interesting concept though. If a car has EFI, how much will it smoke if burning oil and leaning out the gas to hold A/F ratio? How bad could it get before the oil/gas mixture just wouldn't burn or make the car go? Somebody make the You Tube video....
                              My hobby is needing a hobby.

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