Where's my oil going

[dewy]

Hi,
I'm new to this site hope someone out there can help me.
I own a 1993 2dr. Sport about 85000 miles.
Best vehicle I've ever owned, besides normal maint.
all I've had to replace is one wheel bearing.
The problem I'm having is it uses quit a bit of oil
1-2 qts. between changes.
It has a few minor leaks but not that bad.
Doesn't seem to be burning any oil.
Where should I start to solve the problem?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

 

[aldive]

What does the exhaudt pipe look like?

I think I would run a compression test right away?

Can you determine the source of the leaks?

Good luck and keep us posted.....

 

[92x]

I have a 1992 with about the same mileage that had been using oil for quite some time. I read something that said one possible solution would be to tighten the bolts on the upper intake manifold. I did that and also put in some new spark plugs. The 4.0 OHV has a tendency to leave heavier carbon deposits on cylinders 2 and 5. It solved the problem. I don't put oil in it anymore. I also put a jetchip in at the same time but I don't think that had anything to do with it.

 

[dewy]

Thanks for the replies.
The exhaust pipe looks normal.
I'll check the compression.
Tighten the bolts on the upper intake?
Never would have thought of that, I'll give it a shot.
Won't be able to get to it til next weekend, work work work.
Thanks

 

[LukeDog3D]

The upper intake has nothing to do with oil control. You'll need to re-torque the lower intake manifold bolts.

 

[JDraper]

What weight oil are you using? Ford recommends 5W30 for the motor, but with your mileage approaching 100k you might want to run 10W30 for oil consumption control. Even though the tailpipe looks normal, you may still be burning it up. Your rings or your valve seals could be getting worn.

Have you checked your radiator for signs of oil?? pull the cap (when it's cold) and look for white or chocolate looking deposits.

 

[aldive]

Check the compression.

 

[92x]

That was a mistake. It is the lower intake you need to retorque. I found the article on Dead Link Removed . It has a lot of useful information. The article reads:
I had a pinging problem in my Explorer but fixed it easily. After doing a compression check and finding good compression but crusty deposits on spark plug #5, I did the following and my pinging and oil consumption disappeared. I regapped the spark plugs (they were too narrow) then retorqued the lower intake manifold bolts (a few were a little loose). I have driven 2000 km without any oil consumption (before I would have had to replace one liter of oil in 1500 km). I recommend everyone to retorque their lower intake manifold bolts once a year or when the engine starts to use oil (without visible leaks or blue smoke). Retorquing the manifold is an easy solution before resorting to replacing the manifold gasket!

It has solved my oil consumption problem for the past year. Sorry for the confusion.