Re: oil consumption

Posted by Rusty O\'Toole On 2010/8/8 16:16:48

A ring and valve job used to be a standard overhaul procedure. It is usually done with the engine in the car.

You have to take off the head and oil pan, this allows you to remove the rod caps and take the piston and rod out the top of the engine. You can then hone the cylinders and install new rings. While you are at it remove the valves, check the valve springs, and grind the valves. If they are real good a light lapping with fine compound may be all that is necessary. If you have a burnt valve or the valves and seats are worn, some machine shops will bring their valve grinding tools to you. Or, you may have to tow the car to their shop.

There are other details, such as scraping out the ring grooves with a broken piston ring. I like to grind an old ring to a chisel point for this. All the details are covered in any good repair manual.

Since you are taking off the head anyway to replace the gasket this would not entail a lot of extra work.

Before WW2 most cars needed a ring and valve job after 20,000 to 30,000 miles of driving.