gassy smell in oil

[scooter]

hi first post. ive got a 85 gl dual range wagon 125371 miles first sub i ever owned and have had trouble with it ever since i bought it.replaced heater core various other little quirks and now engine is missing under acceleration gas smell in the oil,leaking water pump,worn rear shocks!is this car going to nickel and dime me to death or what?i like the car alot just wish previous owner had taken better care of it or is this the nature of this car? any way any clue as to what the gas smell in oil is any one? thanks

[Ross]

It is quite common for petrol to dissolve into your engine oil. It is simply because your rings/valve seals do not make a perfect seal, and is generally nothing to worry about.

You will probably notice after a long run that the oil level has dropped more than usual. This is due to the petrol evaporating out of the oil.

 

Check things like spark plugs, ignition leads and coil regarding the misfireing under acceleration.

[torxxx]

When was the last time the oil was changed? I slacked on my last change and got 5000 miles out of my last change, and that oil definatly smelled like gas. if its new oil and it smells like gas, then its time to worry

 

If it is really bad there is somethine you can do to clean out the engine. it cleans out a lot of the carbon built up in the engine. carbon can hold the rings from pressing out all the way against the cylinder, pull the plugs out of it, fill the engine up with diesel. COMPLETELY FULL you'll have to pour in diesel into most of the cylinders via spark plug holes. DO NOT START THE ENGINE. The diesel reacts with carbon and eats it away.

 

We did this to a toyota corolla at work a few weeks ago. it had no compression on any of the cylinders.. let it sit for a week, drained all the diesel out of the block, changed oil filter, new oil... Car started right up, ran like it was new.

 

I've only had to change one water pump on my 86 wagon, and that was the original pump. that could be your case. I've put 45,000 miles on a napa pump and have had no problems. The back struts I've changed a few times, but thats just because I was too cheap to go buy new struts and springs.

 

As for the missing, check the disty, plugs/wires. Check the coil also. I've gotten water in the cap of my coil and that made it miss under heavy accelleration.

[thealleyboy]

hi first post. ive got a 85 gl dual range wagon 125371 miles first sub i ever owned and have had trouble with it ever since i bought it.replaced heater core various other little quirks and now engine is missing under acceleration gas smell in the oil,leaking water pump,worn rear shocks!is this car going to nickel and dime me to death or what?i like the car alot just wish previous owner had taken better care of it or is this the nature of this car? any way any clue as to what the gas smell in oil is any one? thanks

Scoots:

Good news. None of the things you mention are indicative of a car on it's last leg. The heater core sure is a bite, but the other problems are fairly "normal" for an 85 with 125k that has been neglected in the past. The 85's were a first year model, and carberated which accounts for some of the quirks you'll encounter. But the car is well-designed, so if it's fundamentally sound, youl can work these things out and have a reliable vehicle - for a few nickels and dimes and some effort.

Instead of attacking these things individually, I would recommend getting the car up to speed maintenance-wise. Go thru each system one at a time, using the maintenance schedule to guide you. I would pay special attention to the emissions, fuel, and ignition systems initially. The gas smell and poor running will likely shake out if you are thorough in servicing these systems.

Next up would be the cooling system, and your water pump. I would also seriously look at changing over your timing belts. Even if they've been changed twice, they're due.

Sounds like a lot, but you could get many years of reliable service just by doing this basic maintenance. And it will make it much easier to rule things out if some of these symptoms don't go away.

good luck, John