Help!

Ok. The worst happened. I think that the engine is toast. I had been expecting it. It has blowby and a horrible knock which got worse and now is a chatter. It was using oil.... and spouting smoke when you punch it. I noticed smoke under the hood, pulled it up and there was oil sprayed everywhere and it leaked out all over the place under the car. We are thinking a broken ring or a cracked piston. David did a compression test and all of them were in the 120's and only one was 140. Can anyone translate this? Is it a total rebuild at this point?

Internal engine problems and blowing oil out typically are not connected, unless you blew a rod and holed the block, that is.

You compression readings are on the low side, but not really that bad. I would not rebuild with those readings, unless there are other internal problems as well.

Clean the motor up, and see if you can find the source of the leak. Some possible causes: leaky oil sender, split turbo oil feed line, blown valve cover gasket. If boost is getting into the crankcase, gaskets can blow out, and spray oil everywhere. Only 3 ways crankcase pressure can be high: boost getting in thru the PCV system (past the PCV valve), boost leaking in thru very worn intake valve guides, or lots of blowby due to bad rings.

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Jeff Korn

88 Turbo Coupe: Intake and exhaust mods, T3 turbo at 20 psi, forced air intercooler, water injection, bypass valve, Ranger roller cam, subframes, etc., etc.. // 86 Tbird 5.0 (original owner): intake, exhaust, valvetrain mods, 100 HP nitrous, ignition, gears, suspension, etc., etc.... // 91 Escort: Bone stock winter car // 00 Windstar (wifes vehicle)

Here is the way the Ford Service Manual treats compression: The lowest cylinder must be within 75% of the highest. If the highest is 140 then the lowest must be at least 101 psi. That's way to big a spread for me, but it keeps the warrenty work down.

I agree with everything Jeff said. However I don't advise starting it up to find the leak.
I wouldn't drive it. Find out what the knocking is and fix it. If it's a spun bearing it may break a rod and bend the crank. Whatever it is it will only get more expensive to fix (if it can be fixed) if you continue to run the engine.



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NATO Member
88 TC X 2, 86 SVO, Main TC with K&N, 3"DP to 2.5"duals through Dynamax, Ric valve at 17+ and disconnected KS. Elite Bodega 16" chrome wheels. Autometer pod w/ A/F and Vac/boost gauges.140 mph Motorsports Speedo New engine: Total Seal rings and TRW pistons, ported and polished head w/ cc'd chambers,1.59"exhausts, SS valves, gutted upper, knife edged lower, A-230 cam, Race Engineering Adj Cam Sprocket, Crowlers, ARP head studs, and rod bolts. Walbro 255 HP pump and Kirban adj FPR, T-3. Centerforce II, KB subs and jack rails.

Thanks for the input. I know that it will just have to be rebuilt. It was using a quart of oil a week and has 142,000 miles on it. I am just frustrated that I can't do anything myself and have to depend on David and his Dad to fix my baby.

If you are going through a quart of oil a week i would suggest rings are shot.....but usually when you hit the gas it and get oil it is because of the valve seals. I have noticed this too after my engine got rebuilt there is a plug on the back of the head that came lose and was leaking oil and also blowing smoke everywhere even out the vents int he hood.... look around for any external leaks

Thanks for the input, Ohio guy. This Ohio weather stinks here and I hate that we have problems in February. I guess that this all that we have to deal with. It will just have to sit until it gets warmer.

I had the oil feed line for the turbo start leaking down the side of the block (where it bolts to the sending unit distribution block), that put oil all over the place. I replaced it with a braided line from motion dynamics. Try checking the line.

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1988 tc-
3" atr downpipe
2.5" atr duals
k&n cone
all else stock..
for now