Can anyone help me please, this is doing my head in. I know that this subject has been covered on this forum many times and I have searched it for the answer but no luck. My Cossie 4x4 1990 has covered 115,000 kilometres (60,000 miles) from new, one previous owner (old guy), has horrible oil consumption, namely 1 litre every 1000 kilometres (2 pints for 600 miles). I have done the following :-

Compression check, 140 psi on all cylinders both hot or cold
Changed turbocharger from a vehicle that uses no oil at all.
Disconnected vacuum pipe from inlet manifold to engine breather.
No signs of oil in air filter, intercooler, throttle body etc.

Greyish blue smoke comes from exhaust when in boost although can be forced to smoke if gearing down in all gears (engine braking) and when nearly stopped engine revved and hey presto smoke. If I disconnect the pipe from throttle body to intercooler then smoke goes really blue and is more prominent. I should say that this is not plumes of smoke just light stuff. Now thinking piston rings or valve stem seals. Hard to think that it is rings as such good compression, low mileage, careful use etc. as it is a very genuine car. If it is oil control rings gummed up or worst still broken, then why no crankcase pressure up through breather.If I disconnect the pipe from air cleaner to breather and suck on it there is a resistance which sucks back at me when I stop, is this right. If top rings are good and oil control rings bad then how does the oil get past the compression rings. If it were valve stem seals then why doesn’t it smoke on cold start up.

Somebody help me before I push the damned thing off a cliff, if we had one, only mountains here in Canada

 

captiva, cosworth engines are known for high oil consumption, even when new. I am pretty sure that 1 litre / 1000km is normal.

See here: https://passionford.com/forum/viewto...ht=consumption
and here
https://passionford.com/forum/viewto...ht=consumption

I can't comment on the tests you've performed, I am not knowledgeable enough, the only thing you don't mention though, is which oil you use

 

as per frog above
the owners handbook states that you can expect to consume up to one liter of oil per in either 620 or 720 miles depending on driving style.
this may seem huge when compaired to modern and normal average cars which cosworths are not,
the milage is mid life on your car and the previous owner may have driven it very easy for a long time which is something cosworths are not designed for.
my engine was the same from 55000 to 130000 miles when i rebuilt it.
with a little sign of exhaust smoke now and then and always under heavy accel.
your problem is something that the vast majority of cosworth owners experience all the time but it is not actually a problem unless you run out of oil
and on a final note dont use 0 w anything oil in a cosworth engine use the recomended viscosity.

 

What I find hard to accept is that I have another Cossie, same model year and mileage and it uses no oil between oil changes

 

I am using Mobil 1 at the moment does consumption alter with type of oil? Seems Castrol RS 10W 60 is popular and expensive

 

Hey Captiva,
My cossie used up loads of oil too, In fact when I drove to Canada last year I had to keep putting oil in the engine! Of course not until after did I read to NOT to fill the oil up to the top level on the dipstick. I used to have oil spill out all over the place. I also thought though that it was time to rebuild the bottom end with new rings.

 

i'm not a cossie owner, but yeh performance engines do use oil, and cosworth is performance,

as for oil 10w60?? jus use what ford intended for it from start, whats written in the handbook,

and smoke tends to be from the stem seals and turbo passing oil on cossie's,

 

Canada calling, thanks for info about oil filters but here is some info for you if it helps. I found that the original filter is a Motorcraft EFL 90 and this changes up to FL-1A which fits perfectly but is a longer filter so more filtration This is available from any Ford dealer

 

use 15/50w oil

u will probs find that the stem seals have started or are perished also worn valve guides will increase oil usage u should also see signs of oil on the spark plugs

If it where me i'd have the head removed fully checked and rebuilt as it is now 16yrs old and will have worn parts in it and get them replaced

valve guides if worn
stem seals (all of them)
new camshaft bearing fitted
head de-choked and all valves lapped back in
and a very mild head skim if needed

 

Try silkolene pro s m8.

 

seems to be a quite difficult "issue", since there can be many reasons..
maybe a silly test, but have you checked if there's only under the crankshaftpulley-sealing/bearing, after parking a few days?

1 liter oil with 1000km CAN be normal, allthough after my engine rebuild, 2600miles ago I've only used 3 drops or so

 

Yes I got the oil leak from the crankshaft pulley, I thought that was normal, even my other Cossie has that too but that one does not use any oil between oil changes.

 

replacing that hopefully will help a little..