We got the car back together last week. All thanks to Patrick. No way it would have gone together without you. Even the F1/Gripforce clutch started to work.

I put some miles on it to seat the rings and noticed a flat spot in the power between 4900 and 5200. It also had an intermittent miss at idle. Curious, I pulled it once on the dyno. It only made 184 hp/180 ft-lbs. Disappointing.

I took it to Sebring to see how it behaved. In the second session I saw the oil light flicker in T17. Immediate pitting and inspection revealed no leakage. I pulled the stick and it showed no oil. It took 3 1/2 qts. to bring it back up.

So, it smokes, we can see it. But it's not a mosquito killer. It's a steady stream of smoke at idle. At first, I was thinking I didn't seat the rings correctly. But to burn nearly a gallon of oil in 1:15 just seems nuts.

Any ideas about what is happening? The rings are all there. I had one oil ring slip out of the compressor and it was opened up a bit. I squeezed it back together and got the gap close and it went in fine.

Hoover Dam. Three grand in a motor and it sucks oil like a wet vac. Thanks for any help.
:grenade

To burn that much oil in that short of a time I'd think that the car should be laying down a smoke screen like a WWII destroyer. Might there be leaks???

A compression and leakdown test should tell what the condition of the rings are.

Yep, that's the starting point. Thanks.

And you're right again, that much smoke should be noticeable. Maybe I used the colorless oil. Otherwise, I'm at a loss on this one.

Sure is frustrating, though.

97 M3? Still have the OBDII manifold and oil seperator installed ???

Remove the throttle body and check the intake for excessive oil. Could have high crankcase pressure due to the new rings and that is causing the oil to be pushed into the intake?

97 M3? Still have the OBDII manifold and oil seperator installed ???

Remove the throttle body and check the intake for excessive oil. Could have high crankcase pressure due to the new rings and that is causing the oil to be pushed into the intake?
I think that's mostly going to be your problem - poor ring seating.

I heard of an S14 once where a well respected BMW shop aliged the gaps in the rings in the same plane and it burned oil excessively.

If you want to test the crackcase pressure and don't want to spen $200. on a digital manometer. Then were is a link to buiild one for under $10.00
http://www.obairlann.net/reaper/motorcycle/manometer.html . I have made and tested one and it is just as accurate as my $200.00 Manometer.

By a nother oil cap, then drill a hole in the center and hook up the vacuum line to it. at idle a stock motor will pull -3" to -6" of water. if using a slack tube you add up both sides for the total. If you have cams, head work and software the numbers given will not work and may need to test with another car with the same equipment. You'll have to test under a load and that is were the digatal manometer works the best.

My 98 M3 Dinan S/C w/3.15 has a obdI manifold and I removed the seperator. Installed 3/4" lines from the valve cover to an oil catch can then to the inlet of the blower. Under full boost 12psi at 7,000 RPM the max crank case pressure is now only 28" H2o of positive pressure. Before the modified catch can and larger lines I was reaching 34" H2o at 0"hg. That is a lagre diffrence. Before I removed my OBDII manifold when the car was on the track I would suck 1/2 in 10 minitues.