ZC help

[Juanito]

Ok, so i have a DOHC ZC in my car and it throws out blue smoke and eats oil up...I know what the blue smoke is and what is stands for and i know why it is eating up oil...my question is how bad will this effect my ZC by driving like this...friend told me it would fuck up the CAT quicker but im not worried about CAT, but about the block...Any advice is helpful...please don't spam me or flame me telling me to get a different engine cause i don't want one...I want to keep it cause its a ZC and its better than stock...I'd like to keep her for a good long while...The block has never given me problems except adding oil every so often... But i'd really like some input before i send alot of money...I baby her unless I really need to get somewhere fast and its only when i get into higher rpms like 4k and up that it puffs blue smoke ...O and I shift her like at 2500-3000 daily...Thanks alot to the people that can help me.

[meangreen94z]

If it only does it in the upper RPM's at full throttle, are you sure its not just running a little rich? If its truly blue smoke,its most likely just your valve seals.

[SecretAgent]

If it only does it in the upper RPM's at full throttle, are you sure its not just running a little rich? If its truly blue smoke,its most likely just your valve seals.


valve seals will only do it at startup. after the car is running, they will seal back up. if the smoke gets worse in upper rpm's, that's ur rings.

it won't really hurt anything by driving it like it is, what's bad, will only get more bad, you won't mess up any other parts by doing so. just keep an eye on your oil level. go up to a 20w50 in the meantime as well. but i recommend getting it done soon, you run a slight possibility of scoring the cylinder walls heavily, and may have to end up overboring the cylinder and throwing in new pistons.

[meangreen94z]

valve seals will only do it at startup. after the car is running, they will seal back up. if the smoke gets worse in upper rpm's, that's ur rings.

it won't really hurt anything by driving it like it is, what's bad, will only get more bad, you won't mess up any other parts by doing so. just keep an eye on your oil level. go up to a 20w50 in the meantime as well. but i recommend getting it done soon, you run a slight possibility of scoring the cylinder walls heavily, and may have to end up overboring the cylinder and throwing in new pistons.

At start up or constantly if the the seals have dried and cracked from being run low on oil. From his description of it happening basically when at full throttle, it sounds like a little black smoke from running rich.

[SecretAgent]

running rich doesn't burn oil. honda valve seals don't crack. the springs will get loose tho, but i've never seen one crack, except when taking them off, but even then they rip. they don't need oil to stay soft.

[meangreen94z]

running rich doesn't burn oil. honda valve seals don't crack. the springs will get loose tho, but i've never seen one crack, except when taking them off, but even then they rip. they don't need oil to stay soft.


I never said running rich burns oil. Him slowly losing oil and the smoke coming out his exhaust could be two unrelated things. My moms Expedition has burned about a quart of oil between oil changes since day one, but there is no visual sign of that from the exhaust. On the other hand my car doesnt burn any noticeable oil, yet each time I accelerate hard a small plume of black smokes come from the exhaust. This is a common thing on all LT1/LS1's and Ive noticed it on quite a few hondas with aftermarket exhausts.

[Juanito]

Thanks secret agent and meangreen. That info really helps...no offense meangreen but i was looking for secrret agent to respond since i heard he is a mechanic is baytown. the thing i have heard tho is that 20w-50 will make for a colder start.. is that true?? will synthetic 20w50 be even better?? But thanks again guys really big help <3

[meangreen94z]

Yes thicker weight oils dont flow as well when cold, but dont thin out as much under stress and offer a thicker layer of protection vs. lighter weight oils. As an example people use heavier weight oils to cover up bad bearings. I dont know of a 20w-50 synthetic oil although I believe Castrol makes 15w-50 and Mobil 10w-50. Your not really going to see a benefit from spending the extra money on a bad motor, so Id stick with dino oil. Just make sure to maintain/ change it regularly.