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[Grrrrrr]

Hi all,

Been a while since I posted. Hope all are well.

For a while now (9 months?) I've had an oil leak but I've not managed to see where from. There is a little down the front of the block but I've been waiting for a spare day to take the inlet manifold off and determine where it is coming from. Up till recently it wasn't too bad but all of a sudden it has started to get a LOT worse (1 pint of oil per 1000 miles) and yesterday I noticed a puff of blue smoke on starting. The smoke is only on startup and disappears after 5 seconds but definitely enough to view in the passenger wing-mirror. This points at the valve-stem seals (or a seal of somesort) which seams unlikely as the car has only done 80k miles or so. 

Anyway, a quick search on here reveals the 01 2.6 v6 has an issue with valve-stem seals. What's my car? Got it in one. So, maybe the idea isn't so far-fetched. 

So, I suspect I have 2 issues. A small leak somewhere under the inlet manifold (and previous experience points to cam-covers) which I'll have a look at when I get around to whipping the inlet manifold off. However, the bigger worry for me is the valve-stem seals. I believe you have to have the cams off and the heads off for this. I don't have the tools or experience for this. So, question:

1) Is my diagnosis sounding correct or is there something I'm missing?
2) Assume it is the valve-stems, is there anyone on here who could help me fix them if the correct amount of silver crossed their palm?

Cheers,

J

[allen25]

I did have this issue on mine at around 30,000 miles (2.6 2001). I was covering a lot of miles at the time and I remember having to top up oil circa 3 times per month...but I was putting motorway miles in at the time.

It was sorted by Vx under warranty eventually so no personal hands on experience for the fix. Never had a problem with oil consumption since and I'm now at 108,000 miles.

[dbdb]

Your reasoning makes sense to me, if you have blue smoke coming out of the exhaust then oil is being burnt - must come in via valve seals or past the rings, if you have oil under the car there is a leak.

It's unfortunate you have both at the same time, best to fix the easiest one and then see how bad the other is.  Valves or rings will be expensive.  Maybe you have oil dripping onto the exhaust causing smoke but then the smoke is typically white or was when national gave me a leaking oil filter.  And of couse it wouldn't be coming out of the exhaust pipe.

Only other possibility I can think of for buring oil is diesel in the petrol but I'm sure you would know about that and it wouldn't drop your oil level.

Blue smoke only at startup would suggest valve stems rather than rings (oil drips down the stems while the car is standing ready for when you start the car).

[tunnie]

Early 2.6's were a victim of GM's penny pinching, they used shit stem seals, sadly not a lot you can bar replace them.

You could try Elite Pete, JamesV6CDX for work 

[Grrrrrr]

 

Suspected as much.

I'll have a look and see who's closest ... or trade her in for something silly. Monaros much be affordable by now, surely?!

[Grrrrrr]

Thanks, chaps.

Looks like JamesV6CDX sometimes visits Buckinghamshire so could be a winner there.

J

[dbdb]

Do try and fix the oil leak first.  What oil are you using?  You might reduce the amount of oil getting past the valve stem by changing to a thicker oil.

[omega3000]

Do try and fix the oil leak first.  What oil are you using?  You might reduce the amount of oil getting past the valve stem by changing to a thicker oil.

Ive got the same problem on start up so what oil would you recommend changing to  , mite give it a shot before i go the whole hog and do the stem seals 

[Grrrrrr]

I change the oil every 5k. I use 10/40. Guess I could try 20/50.

To be honest there is so little oil showing of the leak I don't think it is much of an issue. I washed it off and it took ages for a thin film to build up again. Working again tomorrow but as soon as I have a spare day I'll whip the inlet manifold off and have a good nose around. You're right though: assess leak first and then worry about the valve seals.

J

[omega3000]

I change the oil every 5k. I use 10/40. Guess I could try 20/50.

To be honest there is so little oil showing of the leak I don't think it is much of an issue. I washed it off and it took ages for a thin film to build up again. Working again tomorrow but as soon as I have a spare day I'll whip the inlet manifold off and have a good nose around. You're right though: assess leak first and then worry about the valve seals.

J

Ill try some of that and see .

[dbdb]

The number before the W is the viscosity of the oil cold, the number after when hot. So 20W50 is thicker (slower to drip down your valve stems ) when both cold and hot than 10W40.

If you're getting oil burnt mainly at startup it will likely be the oil left overnight over the valves draining down them into the the cylinder (though obviously as soon as you switch off there will be some hot oil there too).  So I would try upping the first rating say to 20W50.  If its oil being burnt during normal running  but you still want cold start protection then up the second rating eg to a 10W60.

20W50 might reduce your oil leak too, worth a try and the cheapest fix for both if it works.

[noel]

i recently started a thread about using 20/50w oil as i am having a similar problem as yourself,may be worth a read first before you use  a thicker oil

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=115463.0

[dbdb]

Acceptable oil consumption is 0.97l /1,000 miles for the 2.2, 2.6, 3.2 petrol by the way

[dbug]

i recently started a thread about using 20/50w oil as i am having a similar problem as yourself,may be worth a read first before you use  a thicker oil

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=115463.0

+1 - particularly with reference to potential issues with hydraulic lifters

[omega3000]

i recently started a thread about using 20/50w oil as i am having a similar problem as yourself,may be worth a read first before you use  a thicker oil

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=115463.0

+1 - particularly with reference to potential issues with hydraulic lifters

This was my thinking last night and you posted my concerns about the lifters before i could post  Thicker will starve the lifters of oil no  So only real solution is to solve the problem and replace the stem seals