1980 Civic Burns Oil After Adding

This project seemed to be nearly wrapped up, with little more than a paint job remaining to be done. But as I mentioned in a previous post regarding the carburetor, the engine had stopped running and would only flood when I tried to start it. I have since taken the carb all apart and thoroughly cleaned it, as well as checked for things like leaking diaphragms etc. I also changed the spark plugs and checked for other ignition problems. While I had the carb out, the thought occured to check the oil level, since I hadn't yet done so. I was shocked to find only a drop on the end of the dipstick - it looks like the last owner not only didn't change the oil, but didn't even bother to check it. So just temporarily, I dumped in a quart of

5W30, all I had handy, not knowing what type of oil was already in it. Once the carb was back on, the engine once again was able to start and remain running, though with some idling issues due to the carb being out of adjustment (another story). But this time, the engine was burning oil - enough to produce a visible smoke. Now I'm worried it may need an engine rebuild.... but oddly, it wasn't burning oil at all before - not even enough to produce an oily smell in the exhaust. So I'm wondering if it has more to do with the oil being dirty, or perhaps having more than one type mixed together. It reminds me of an old lawn mower we had when I was a kid, it used to belch clouds of smoke every time it was started, until someone finally changed the oil (for the first time in 7 or 8 years) and then it ran like new again. This car, however, may have been run for up to 17 years and over 90,000km without an oil change.... so perhaps the prognosis isn't good. Thanks for any advice.

Change the oil, expect the car to burn some oil and don't worry. It's all perfectly natural.

"Chris F." wrote in news:4b4e1d1e$0$5333$ snipped-for-privacy@news.aliant.net:

90,000km is 55,000 miles.

Unless the previous owner was diligent enough to top the oil up as needed, it's _highly_ unlikely the engine has gone that distance with no oil changes.

Even brand-new engines don't make it much past 40,000 miles on the original oil fill before locking up solid.

Visible smoke reasons? Stuck ring, broken ring, torn/worn valve guide oil seal, plugged crankcase breather system and tons of oil in the intake...

Any oil in the air cleaner? Sludge in the PCV system?

Why don't you drain the old oil out and see what it looks like?

That's what I was thinking when I read the OP...

Chris..I have a bunch of cars from the 80's. All Japanese, and I really like them. I may put some serious effort into the Supra, but the rest?

Your car is 30 years old. Some people (yours included) like them. Most would say, How long before it goes to the junkyard?

Put oil in it. Drive it. Add more oil when necessary. Change the oil every

3-4,000 miles. Enjoy it. Then kiss it goodbye when it throws a rod...

Um, let's try, "yours truly". Sounds better that way...

Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@e86.GTS:

Or if it doesn't come out at all...

You may have worse problems, but go a little further and see if it may not be as bad as you nightmare about.

Obviously I intend to change the oil and filter before lowering the car, and once driveable I intend to tow it to a buddy's garage where I can work on it more easily. Ever tried to work on a vehicle in the snow in mid-January? I've spent more time shoveling snow than working on the car itself... no wonder I'm making such slow progress.

"Chris F." wrote in news:4b4e5e8a$0$5353$ snipped-for-privacy@news.aliant.net:

Oh yeah. I live in Ontario. Pretty much all I do in the winter is oil changes, on account of the snow and cold.

Today was an exception. My left-hand front signal lamp has been collecting condensation, so I decided to clean it out. By the end of that, I could barely move my fingers.

hange the oil every

If I get this project finished, I intend to keep it running for as long as I'm around - if I have to rebuild the engine, it's not such a big deal considering how much work I've already put into the car. I hate the look of modern vehicles and would never want to drive one, with the possible exception of the Jeep Cherokee. I like these old cars, particularly Japanese ones, and I believe it is my mission in life to preserve as many of them as possible.

I hear ya!

This reminds me of a story a friend told me - he is not prone to exaggerate, so I assume it is true.

A girl drives her Mazda into the shop to have them diagnose a ticking noise. The mechanics assume the valves need adjustemnt. When they pull the valve cover, it is like they didn't pull it at all. There is a black mass molded to the inside of the valve cover. The worst sludge they had ever seen. They asked the girl when she last had the oil changed She told them she didn't know she needed to have it changed it, she just made sure it always had plenty.....

Ed

Just dang. When did a 1980 Civic become an "old" car??

Answer: when I got old :-(

For me the 80s were a dark pit of automotive crappiness that I'd never even think about preserving (with the possible exception of a Buick GNX). But I still can't bring myself to think of 80s cars as particularly "old."

So he met my daughter.....

For yuou Jap car fans...

Steve wrote in news:WJidnX9PUZSu_NLWnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@texas.net:

It'll never be valuable like a '57 Bel Air is. But it will definitely be cool in a quirky sort of way, like a Crosley. I'd say it's worth restoring. When was the last time you saw one on the road?

There were a couple of late-'70s Civics at Hershey when I was there in

2008. I was the only one studying them. Nobody else cared, it seemed.

Hemmings is regularly covering '70s cars as future collectibles. It's only a matter of time before they get around to '80s cars.

Remember, '57 Chevs weren't very valuable once either. They were rusty, smoky crap-boxes when I was a kid.

"C. E. White" wrote in news:hinilj$69h$1 @news.eternal-september.org:

I've got a few photographs of exactly that. Pretty yucky.

My wife had no idea she was supposed to change her oil until we met. The stupid thing is, her father is a mechanical engineer, a P. Eng., in fact.

Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@e86.GTS:

Inneresting. But too many of the pictures look like wide-angle magazine- cover art with the owners as models, instead of just being depictions of the cars themselves. And too many modified cars. I prefer the history that's embodied in bone-stock.

Being a Professional Engineer doesn't make you immune from stupidity....and engineering knowledge is not passed through the genes. I hear about as many silly theories out of the mouths of PEs as from any other group. I'd estimate that most "professional engineers" outside of the automotive industry know no more about cars than your average tax accountant. I suppose they had the sort of training that would allow them to understand cars better than most, but once you start working in a particular field you tend to narrow your focus and lose sight of other diciplines. And these days, I am not even sure which area of engineering would be the most suitable for understanding modern cars - maybe computer engineering.

Ed