182 breathing heavy-ideas?

[Detail Chris]

Ok so we have a 182 that's breathing heavy from the breather and Obviously using a bit of oil in the process. It's been running an external breather filter for over a year but has been swapped now for a catch tank as it been getting progressively worse and pissing oil out.
Bit of background, cars on 106k miles, however has had engine rebuild due to the same problem, using Renault parts (new rings etc) Has done about 10k since rebuild and started breathing heavy in last few thousand miles.

On a side note, the car has developed a slight missfire this week which seems on one cylinder from between 1000-4000 revs. This may be related, I'm yet to solve this. Have tried another injector rail, coil pack and leads. Plugs were changed on rebuild.

So my initial thoughts would be rings, however having only recently had these I'm a bit lost. Could be a cracked/failing ringlands but what other ideas are their? Will hopefully do a compression test later however i don't have access to a leak down tester any more.
Hopefully Chip or the other specialist could offer their advice.
cheers in advance
Chris

 

[Dan@SJM]

Could be rings, ring lands or a heavily worn bore. What were the ring gaps set to if you did the build?

What spec is the car? Map?

 

[Detail Chris]

Could be rings, ring lands or a heavily worn bore. What were the ring gaps set to if you did the build?

What spec is the car? Map?

Hi Dan, I didn't complete the build unfortunately so have limited info although it was done my a reputable trader. It had a rings and a rebore. Spec is 428's and live mapped to suit but was done a while ago. Other than the miss its got, it's still on full power and pulls well. I even done a recent track day (which probably didn't help)

 

[mi16chris]

Have u carried out a compression test

 

[Dan@SJM]

A reputable trader on here? May be worth taking it to mike Woodford to have a check on the map, if its breathing heavy in 10,000 miles there is an underlying issue.

 

[Detail Chris]

Yes on here. The map was mentioned before to be checked. If their is an underlying issue with the map, I assume the damage has been done? I have limited knowledge with maps etc.

 

[Dan519]

It'll be valve guides not replaced. They're always worn out now. This Hugo's old car? Think I spoke to you at Bedford Renault sport evening.

 

[Detail Chris]

Dan that's right we chatted. Yeah it's been getting progressively worse. I was under the assumption that guides wouldn't cause excessive smoking from the breathers, just from the exhaust.

 

[Dan@SJM]

It's it's pressurising the crank case, it's bore related. Map wise if its dumping fuel in it can bore wash, if its running lean and detonating it'll burn out rings and crank ring lands.

 

[Detail Chris]

It's it's pressurising the crank case, it's bore related. Map wise if its dumping fuel in it can bore wash, if its running lean and detonating it'll burn out rings and crank ring lands.

Yeah thanks Dan exactly my understanding on both the causes and map side of it. Was just trying to wrack my brains as to any other thing it could be. Got to decide what to do now

 

[Dan@SJM]

Get it over to mike and get him to do a data log. Do a leak down and compression test and see what you get

 

[Detail Chris]

Thanks for your help Dan it's much appreciated it. I will compression test tonight however I don't have access to a leak down tester as I work for my self now and I thinks it's pretty conclusive it's fubar'd!
Cheers
chris

 

[Dan@SJM]

Mine was pumping oil out the breather and it was cracked ring lands. But it was pumping out and filling the catch can within 10 miles. So I rigged up a recirculating breather setup lol

 

[Detail Chris]

Nice! Yeah I thought all along the dreaded ring lands! Bit upset as I bought this engine due to its rebuild, knowing I rarely get a chance to do my own cars with all the customers cars taking priority! Never mind nature of the beast!

 

[Dan519]

Dan that's right we chatted. Yeah it's been getting progressively worse. I was under the assumption that guides wouldn't cause excessive smoking from the breathers, just from the exhaust.

I've seen a litre pumped out the breather in 5 laps of snetterton due to heavily worn guides.

 

[Michael Woodford MST]

I've seen a litre pumped out the breather in 5 laps of snetterton due to heavily worn guides.

On an N/A car?

 

[BoatNonce]

Where's my popcorn?

 

[Detail Chris]

So long time coming but this is the reason for the heavy breathing lol! Prizes etc for those that got it right! Knew it had to be ring area related. The ring land area would seem to becoming a weak area on higher mileage engines.

 

[Mr R.]

So long time coming but this is the reason for the heavy breathing lol! Prizes etc for those that got it right! Knew it had to be ring area related. The ring land area would seem to becoming a weak area on higher mileage engines.

We knew it wasn't going to be valve guides mate.

So now you can sleep tonight.

 

[AlexW]

Thats a shitter

 

[Detail Chris]

We knew it wasn't going to be valve guides mate.

So now you can sleep tonight.

Haha no comment!

 

[Chip-mk1]

Well it's certainly done a good job of destroying that piston.

Would pretend to be surprised but obviously anyone in the thread with much of a clue about engines had already nailed what it was going to be anyway.

Choice now is how to fix it. If you just put another engine in it and fit those cams then for goodness sake get it to whoever is closer out of Mwm or rs tuning as ridiculous though it sounds they seem to be about the only people able to map these engines with cams and not kill them.

Good excuse for a more fruity engine build and aftermarket if it's a trackday car rather than a daily.


Or for a cheap option. Lob in a standard engine and put an rs tuner map on it. The cams don't make a huge difference anyway so wouldn't be a big loss.

 

[Detail Chris]

Yep and I already pointed towards ring lands in my OP! The car is completely stripped and sold! I am Clio-less now, but I will be back again...for my sins.
thanks to all that helped!

 

[Chip-mk1]

You'll be back. They're infectious. Lol.

 

[Detail Chris]

Lol check my join date, I've been around clio's a Long time.

 

[Dan519]

I was under the impression this had been fully rebuilt last year anyway. Thats what you'd told me when we spoke. Nice bit of word twisting gone on here.

 

[Chip-mk1]

I was under the impression this had been fully rebuilt last year anyway. Thats what you'd told me when we spoke. Nice bit of word twisting gone on here.

Rebuilt or not you were still smoking crack or something to think that amount of oil in the breather on an n/a engine was valve guides tbh! Lol

 

[Detail Chris]

Haha Danny don't be a melt. There was no word twisting.