Follow up - befor departing for sea I stowed both cars in the shed (snow is very likely from now until April up here) and put the 73 out front. I put two glugs (new scientific measurement) of ATF down the plug holes of each cylinder - it will sit till I get home in three weeks. Fingers crossed (no snow) I will might get her out for another run - dump the oil and see results.

Update - got home yesterday and got at the car this morning

First thought was better roll her over without plugs - maybe a drop of ATF left in the cylinders. Pulled the plugs and gave her a couple of rolls..... ATF spray painting on the shed gyprock, six feet straight as a bullet, what a mess. Anyway it was a good start or prestart. Rings must be tight.

In with the plugs (after a wipedown) and varroom - started very nicely and within ten seconds the shed was completely filled with smoke. Had to open the main door to let it blow out - Couldn't move as one of the tire had gone flat. Took about five minutes befor it was clear. Blew up the tire and then I had my way with her.

I gave her a nice ten minute run, performing very nice, but.... still smokin.

Snow is holding off, so I'm gonna get her licenced and try to put a couple of hundred hard miles on her with detergent oil (after dumping the current load), hopefully that will do it.

I mailed you package on Monday 11/3. Don't know how long it takes for an item to get from Southern California the Canada. Let me know when it arrives.

Usually two weeks, I'll PM you.

Rick,

Okay, here's my read and it's worth just exactly what you are paying for it.

If you still had that much ATF up top, your compression rings are sealing well enough that the ATF isn't leaking by to get down to the oil ring.

I still like the diesel oil regimin or an oil change w/qt ATF added or Marvel. You will need to reach up and clean the oil rings from the squirters from below and that's going to take some detergent and some driving as the buildup in my expanders was enough to freeze those rings tighter'n a tick.

We should have video taped the crud so everyone could see what they may have be dealing with.

It's not out of the realm of possibility that things are just shot but do the flush out/wash out first especially if it held ATF up there that long.

Gotto say Bruce she runs hard - the carbs are great. Might even be sensitive, she is either accelerating or decelerating with the tiniest throttle movement - she literally rocks in lower gears. Might be a getting used to thing, my 280 is not nearly as sensitive.

Gotta couple of days of rain coming, so probably be Monday befor I can give her a reaming.

Update - Got her licenced and ran her hard for about 100 miles. It was embarassing to drive, she billowed smoke at stop lights and all the rubber seals in the car are shot so she fills with smoke sometimes - it really does have that Cheech and Chong look going on sometimes. Funny but not funny at the same time.

I believe it may be more than one problem or the other... likely both oil rings and valve seals. I say that because of the volume of oil consumed in 100 miles and it seems there is always a certain amount of smoke belching out. I checked the oil befor the run and topped it a little. When done with the hard hundred I parked it in the shed while it rained for a week (still raining). Checked it yesterday befor starting her (to flick some oil around) and there was barely enough oil to wet the very tip of the dipstick. A tiny black dot.

Not done yet, I intend to change the oil today and try the deisel detergent oil for 100 more smokey miles.

Hope the police don't pull me over - it really looks bad.

The only cure for sucking down...what...3 qts of oil in a hundred miles is a rebuild.

I am starting to believe that as well. If the atmosphere can handle another hundred miles, I am still going to run the detergent course. Perhaps then I could get away with only valve seals.

I find it hard to believe that the compression rings are so tight and the oil rings are shot. Like I said befor there is no power loss - it pulls like a new car.

Edited November 20, 200816 yr by Sailor Bob

You might just need a vavle job but if I was going to do that I'd do rings and bearings too but that's just me.

What a difference an oil change makes... Like I said she's been sitting for a while and I changed the oil a couple of hours ago - I actually added a litre of some cheap stuff just to warm her up for the oil change. Used 15W40 diesel high detergent oil - mostly because it was detergent and cheap.

The oil removed was black like crude in spite of the very limited use (slightly over 100 miles) and even with the added oil I only got about two and half to three litres back.

Anyway when I started her - same old story, had to open the big door on the shed again, but after about two minutes it started to calm down. I took her for a spin and the difference was dramatic. I would say 90% less smoke and seemed to be only when gearing down and for a few seconds when at the lights.

I am cautiously optomistic for now. More later when I finish this 100 miles.

Sounds like your going to have to do a rebuild sooner than later. I know it's a difficult pill to swallow but once it's done it's something you won't have to worry about. Been there done that but I still love my Z.