What seal has gone

take some pics ,but when taking the head off look for stains across fire ring ,step in bore on turbo side about 1cm down ,condition of bores ,pistons

What's the fire ring? There was a lot of oil on the head where the pistons meet and there is a visible gap between the pistons and the bore

fire ring is steel ring on gasket around bore ,should have mentioned draining block by removing the brass plug on turbo block side ,gets some more pics of head face gasket block and bore sides

Do you think that I'm going to need over size pistons with a gap that big?

Should I replace pistons aswel as rings?

I dunno what James thinks, but I see some nasty looking scores running vertically in that cylinder bore. So it will be very difficult to get a good seal. It looks like a re-bore might be needed. Oh, and something that nobody's mentioned yet - don't forget the valve stems. Oil might be working its way down them. We had something similar years ago in a Triumph engine where the piston rings had broken up and fragments had embedded themselves in the alloy pistons, scratching the cylinder. There was also a dollop of piston ring friction welded to the side of one of the bores, which had scraped a groove in one of the pistons, but you don't seem to have got that!

Once deglazed those scores weren't there anymore. I have changed the pistons and rings. It was still trickling oil out of the exhaust ports.

Took the head off and there was no oil in the bores or on top of the pistons. So I changed all the valves and stem seals.

Just started it up and it's exactly the same!

This problem is braking me now, I have spent all week stripping and rebuilding the engine to find its still ****ing oil.

I am completely drained and feel like I am running out of options quickly. If I can't find the problem out this weekend then it's either engine swap (completely skint now though) or just sell it as I need a car to get to work

Hmm. Loads of oil getting in out. I know it might seem like a silly question, but the gasket is definitely the correct one for that block and head, is it? Another experience from years ago - a friend and I replaced the head gasket on his Vauxhall Viva only to be confronted with major oil leaks. It turned out we'd put a standard gasket on his SL90 engine.

It's got to be something major. There's oil escaping faster than the engine can burn it! It couldn't be the oil seal on the turbo rotor could it? Is there much oil inside the inlet manifold too?

Yeh it's the right head gasket. I'm not even sure that the oil is getting into the cylinders at all, when I took the head off the second time (new pistons already in) there was no oil on the pistons. It has got to be something to do with the head.

I have changed the valve oil seals like suggested, but with no joy.

The turbo isn't connected to the manifold at the moment, so I know 100% that its not causing it.

gil said:

Yeh it's the right head gasket. I'm not even sure that the oil is getting into the cylinders at all, when I took the head off the second time (new pistons already in) there was no oil on the pistons. It has got to be something to do with the head.

I have changed the valve oil seals like suggested, but with no joy.

The turbo isn't connected to the manifold at the moment, so I know 100% that its not causing it.

Click to expand...

I'm running out of ideas too. Sorry!

Lol that's fine, might try changing the head

Any sign of any cracks or porosity in the existing head?

Not that I can see, the weird thing is every exhaust port is ****ing oil

Have you done a compression test?

No I haven't and it sounds stupid that I haven't, but I thought it was the turbo so I stripped the exhaust manifold off then found the oil in the ports. So I when straight to stripping the head with out thinking

Oooops!

If ever in any doubt, always try the simple things first!

Is your sump becoming pressurised? You would be able to tell if if it is if you cover the oil filler with your hand.

That would give a good clue as to leaky rings!

Yeh it was smoking a bit out the filler cap