valve seals or rings?

[level3porkproducer]

ive got a 67 mustang with a 200. my problem is i am having burnt oil buildup on a few of the plugs. 4 and 5 are the only ones that really do it, but they get completely caked over and the engine starts to run rough. my question is, how can you tell the difference between valve seals leaking and rings going bad. i can only drive about 40 miles before the car starts to run like a fat girl in high heels HELP!!

 

[wallaka]

Notice any smoke? Smoke when starting=valve seals, when accelerating=rings.

 

[level3porkproducer]

it smokes white all the time. not losing any coolant at all. but it uses about 1 quart of oil in 40 miles

 

[wallaka]

Hmmm. Could be a combination of both. Probably about time for a rebuild, then.

 

[JackFish]

A compression test would be a good thing.
You can just pop the valve cover off and look at the seals. Pretty easy job compared to rings.

 

[JackFish]

it uses about 1 quart of oil in 40 miles

Whoa, I should read slower. Or you should type slower.
a teardown is in order forget the compression test :x

 

[level3porkproducer]

yeah i was pretty sure it was rings myself, but i just thought id ask for some ideas. i have never rebuilt an engine before, but i am ready to do it. another question i have is, does my rings going bad mean i will have to get my cylinders bored out? i was thinking if the walls dont have really big gouges i could just hone them out. i dont know how much i can hone out before new stock rings wont seal? well i know i sounds kinda dumb, but i have to ask. i dont want to mess anything up

 

[JackFish]

Rings don't go bad, per se, but the cylinder walls wear out.
The block will have to be bored out to the next closest oversize, probably .030 if it has not already been rebuilt. This will require new pistons, rings, and bearings. It's a good time to do it right and find a really good machine shop.
You could strip it down yourself.