Burning Oil

[Ryan92Sport]

Hi, I have a 92 explorer sport (4.0 OHV obviously) with a 5 speed. It has 171K on it and has always used a little oil (like maybe 0.25 qts or less over a 3K mile oil change interval. It has been 800 miles since my last oil change and it used a quart, and there are no leaks. I did some searching and found that intake bolts can loosen and cause this problem on these engines. I checked the torque on all the lower intake bolts and they were fine. I also checked the PCV and it's not gummed up. Are there any other things that could cause this besides needing a new motor? I am going to do a compression test this weekend but I was wondering if there is anything else I should check while I'm at it. Also, if I do have to buy a reman'd long block, anyone have any suggestions on the best to get? I don't mind spending a little more to know I am getting a motor that will last. Thanks in advance for any help!
Ryan

 

[Iron Weasel]

Worn rings.

With that many miles on the engine and if it's never been rebuilt, I'd bet that just plain ol' wear & tear is the cause. If you do a compression test, make sure you do one dry and then wet. If the rings are worn, then the wet compression test should be at least 10% - 15% higher than the dry test.

If the rest of the engine is in good shape, you might want to check around and see how much it would cost to have yours rebuilt. If it's within a couple hundred dollars of a new / reman long block, then it's your call, but if we're talking $500 or more difference then I'd seriously consider a rebuild.

Jasper is one of the best places to get a long block and they have an excellent warranty. However, you'll pay a premium for any of their stuff.

 

[Ryan92Sport]

Thanks for the reply. I agree that 171K is a lot on a stock motor, I was just surprised that it would start burning so much more oil all of a sudden. I agree that I would much rather have a good quality rebuild on the motor I have, but the problem is that it is my daily driver and I don't have the time for a machine shop to do the rebuild. Thanks for the suggestion on Jasper, I will check them out.
Ryan

 

[Reejerey]

IMO just run it and keep oil in it. Maybe find another motor cheap and get it built so that when the one in your truck does die (its not dead yet) you don't have as much down time.

 

[Ryan92Sport]

I am thinking about that, since motors from these vehicles are so cheap used. I actually tried to call around to 6 machine shops to price a rebuild yesterday and not one answered their phone. Makes me a little nervous about using a shop that is so hard to get a hold of. This was at 1:30 in the afternoon too, so I'm pretty sure that should be normal business hours. I wish I knew of a shop that I could trust.