Took my '93 XJ 4L with 190K miles on into the shop because it was blowing
oil into the air filter and the crankcase ventilation system is working
fine. Mechanic told me the compression was getting low. Come to think of it
it does seem to have lost some power over time, although it's hard to tell.

What would be my best option here? Get a new vehicle? Have a rebuilt engine
put in? Have the present engine fixed? Ignore the problem until it breaks
down?

It's not blowing blue smoke, it leaks a little from the main seal and the
valve cover gasket, and opinions vary on whether the exhaust manifold is
cracked or not. Near as I can tell nothing around the engine has ever been
worked on. Any suggestions what to do are apreciated...

"Compression was getting low" is super vague. There are six compression
readings on that engine and knowing what they are can tell you a lot. If
they are all low and equal, and they come up with a squirt of oil, then
chances are good that you need a ring job. However, bad valve stem seals
can mimic the same symptoms as bad rings, and are a whole lot easier to fix.
One or two low compression readings can mean a need for a valve job, also
cheaper and easier to fix than rings. Try to get your mechanic to say
whether the rings are bad or not. He's the one with access to the vehicle
who can make this determination.

My Suburban was blowing a quart of oil every 300 miles, but no blue smoke.
In fact, I had installed two three quarter inch aftermarket breathers in
each valve cover just to get it out from under the hood. It definitely had
bad rings, so you never know by the blue smoke or not.

Earle

"Monte Castleman" <mdcastleman (AT) earthlink (DOT) net> wrote

Hi Monte,
Usually just reaming out the orifice that takes the place of a PCV will
fix the oil being blown into the air filter box:
http://jeep.off-road.com/jeep/articl....jsp?id=257985 Converting
it to a Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve is best:
http://home.sprynet.com/~dale02/vac-pcv.htm their should have been a recall
to do that for you. Replacing the valve cover gasket will fix your leak. You
should have another hundred and a half if you've changed the oil regularly,
like my Ford with three hundred and fifty thousand on it, without ever
having the head pulled: http://www.billhughes.com/temp/smog07.jpg
God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
mailto:LWHughes3rd (AT) aol (DOT) com

"Monte Castleman" <mdcastleman (AT) earthlink (DOT) net> wrote



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

On Wed, 16 May 2007 22:14:28 -0700, L.W. (Bill) Hughes III wrote:



You do have a way with words......

I would start by pulling off the plastic line that runs to the rear of
the valve cover at it's manifold end and see if i could blow through it
into the valve cover. If I couldn't blow through it, I would know the
'mechanic' was a liar trying to sucker me for a new engine.....

That line can be cleaned with carb cleaner and the rubber grommet's hole
can be cleaned with a paper clip. In some cases, the valve cover has to
come off to get the sludge out of the grommet's way.

Other than that, I would want to verify just 'what' was causing the low
compression. A wet test can tell lots, so can a leak down test.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)



Monte Castleman wrote:

There you go again, from the biggest loser of them all! The jealous,
really jealous, I can't believe how jealous this little draft dodging coward
schizophrenic psychopath liar hiding in Vancouver via
S0106000ea6ba70e7.vn.shawcable.net 24.86.24.251 intrepidator (AT) shaw (DOT) ca who's
only way to get attention is to make a fool of it's self. With an obsession
with perverts and goats, where it writes via remailers, and cross posts to
other perverts to no one's surprise. With extreme jealous ranting over my
documents, possessions, successes, manliness and super Southern California
body. Committing forgery over many of them proving I'm a responsible
American man. You remind me of a little rat dog, like a Mexican Chiwawa with
it's senseless barking, me too, me too. You're even more senile than I first
thought. And the poor thing, you're too girlie to take responsibility for
yourself again, by signing your statement like a man.
You're not worth any more time when a cut and paste this same paragraph
it fits so well!
God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
mailto:LWHughes3rd (AT) aol (DOT) com http://www.billhughes.com/


"Bodhi Bhagg" <zippergripper (AT) corpseofcourse (DOT) calm> wrote



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

On Sat, 19 May 2007 06:31:30 -0700, "L.W. \(Bill\) Hughes III"
<billhughes (AT) cox (DOT) net> Amazingly Replied without Prejudice below:

:> There you go again, from the biggest loser of them all! The jealous,
:>really jealous, I can't believe how jealous this little draft dodging coward
:>schizophrenic psychopath liar hiding in Vancouver via
:>S0106000ea6ba70e7.vn.shawcable.net 24.86.24.251 intrepidator (AT) shaw (DOT) ca who's
:>only way to get attention is to make a fool of it's self. With an obsession
:>with perverts and goats, where it writes via remailers, and cross posts to
:>other perverts to no one's surprise. With extreme jealous ranting over my
:>documents, possessions, successes, manliness and super Southern California
:>body. Committing forgery over many of them proving I'm a responsible
:>American man. You remind me of a little rat dog, like a Mexican Chiwawa with
:>it's senseless barking, me too, me too. You're even more senile than I first
:>thought. And the poor thing, you're too girlie to take responsibility for
:>yourself again, by signing your statement like a man.
:> You're not worth any more time when a cut and paste this same paragraph
:>it fits so well!
Removed do to Blasphemy
:>mailto:LWHughes3rd (AT) aol (DOT) com http://www.billhughes.com/
:>
:>
:>"Bodhi Bhagg" <zippergripper (AT) corpseofcourse (DOT) calm> wrote in message
:>news:NQR2i.191030$aG1.150152@pd7urf3no
:>>
:>>
:>> You do have a way with words......
:>>