Fabrik8

I still don't understand why people always talk about oil consumption and compression tests. The oil control rings don't seal the engine, and the compression rings don't do oil control. Sure, if you have bad compression rings, you can have oil consumption problems. But you can also have oil consumption problems with perfect compression ring sealing. So a compression test doesn't necessarily tell you anything.

If the surface finish isn't correct, or the crosshatch angle is too steep, you can burn a lot of oil without causing compression problems. Too deep of a hatch pattern (even after a plateau hone) can retain too much oil, and too steep of an angle can make oil pump past the rings. It's pretty easy to screw up a hone if you don't know what the specs need to be, so if the machine shop isn't used to doing engines of this type with rings that need a certain type of cylinder finish, that could easily cause problems.

I'm still thinking it's a break-in problem or an improperly honed surface. Valve seal problems just don't seem to completely fit..

The Guy

I had forgotten about the honing. Fabrik8 covers everything. Now that he says it and reminded me of it, Im leaning more towards that, too.

jhholloway

drained coolant yesterday. (I was putting in my mishimoto radiator and fan) it was all good. I did not see anything abnormal at all

It is all motor for now, after I get the $$ to rebuild my suspension, I am thinking about boosting.

jhholloway

Thanks for all the input! I kind of understand that, and it makes since. So is there anything I can do to fix or confirm the that this is in fact the problem without dropping the block and taking it to an automotive machine shop. I welcome any other inputs or thoughts.

Fabrik8

I'm not sure if you can tell much with a borescope, but it might be worth a try. Your dad's shop probably has one that will fit through a spark plug hole.

jhholloway

yes, they have one. I will see if they will let me use it.

Fabrik8, i read most every post under tech talk and you add something helpful to almost every one. You have the most extensive automotive knowledge of anyone who I have met (if you can consider this met). If you had to, what would you say is the best way to gain such a vast knowledge of automotive understanding?

Fabrik8

I wouldn't say vast... Ask me a European car question and wait for the silence..

Read a lot, do a lot, think a lot, discuss a lot. Really nothing different than anything else, there isn't any magic to it.

jhholloway

No magic? huh..I was simply trying to get what ever you were smoking. Well none the less take the complement that I really appreciate all your input.

jhholloway

I talk to they guys who honed the cylinders and they said, "they were pretty perfect IMO." These guys are family friends so it's not likely that they are just taking me for a ride. The CR-V did not have any oil problems when the engine was taken out. It has really low compression, from what was thought to be bad rings, but once I pulled the pistons and they looked O.K. I pulled the head and saw that there was a broken valve causing to low compression.

Fabrik8

I'm not saying they were taking you for a ride, just that you made it sound like they didn't deal with automotive engines.