99 'Burban burning LOTS of oil, and misfire code...

[johnathan1]

I have a 99 Suburban (152k miles), and it is consuming a ridiculous amount of oil...in one instance, it consumed almost an entire quart in ~200 miles! Took it to the mechanic because the MIL came on, and they said that the valve stem seals were leaking, causing plugs 1, 2, &3 on the driver's side to foul, which is causing the misfire code and the oil consumption.

So my questions are:
•Can I just replace the valve seals?
•Could it actually be worn rings? How can i find out?
•If it is worn rings...were would the best place be to buy a NEW crate engine?

Thanks a lot guys! Any help is totally appreciated!

[idmetro]

First thing you'll want to do is run a compression check. Run both "dry" and "wet" then compare the numbers. "dry" will be a check ran as the engine sits follow this with a "wet" check where a teaspoon or so motor oil has been squirted into each cylinder. The oil will serve to help seal the gap between the rings and the cylinder wall. If the rings are worn you will see a jump in the numbers on the "wet" compression check. Personally I wouldn't jsut replace the valve seals; with 152k on the engine you'll be ahead of the game to have a valve job done and the heads checked for flatness (resurface as needed) prior to reinstalling them. I haven't bought a new crate engine so don't have any suggestions on where to get one but I would suggest getting on through a local contact so you will have some one to work with if you have a warranty issue.

[oh-crap]

A leak down checker would tell you where your problem is.

152K miles..... Just fixing the heads may just be throwing away hard earned money. If you plan to keep it for a while I would suggest a crate engine.