So looking for any suggestions before stripping my engine down again.....
I have an standard spec RS1800 Zetec in a kit car running weber's and I made the decision to give it a fresh set of big ends and rings before this season of track days. The engine was purchased a few years ago with unknown miles or history.
The engine has always been a bit huffy out the oil filler cap but compression was good. Prior to making the decision it was showing signs of burning oil but nothing major and I suspected it to be more from the valves stem seals than the rings.
Pulled the engine apart, bores are fine and measured up round and bang on size. Big ends in good shape to. Head was skimmed and valves were lapped.
Put it all back together and started it up and its been chuffing huge plumes of smoke, more than I have ever seen almost as if I had forgotten the rings entirely! Pulled the plugs out and looking down the bores the tops of all the pistons are wet with a thick covering of oil that you can move with a screwdriver.
Then I realised I had overfilled it will oil as the modified sump is a bit smaller than the original in volume, drained out enough oil to get the right level and ran the car again hoping that was the issue and it needed to burn off the excess. No luck.
Pulled the head off and the cylinders had a lot of oil in them, there also seemed to be quite a lot of oil under the head gasket when I removed it. Cleaned the bores and head up put the head back on temporary and turned it over for a long time on the starter to see if the oil returned to the cylinders. It didnt so thought that it most have been just a lot of oil from overfilling and the engine wasn't run for long enough to clear it....
New head gasket and bolts and all back together, started it back up and its the same, big plumes of smoke and the pistons are wet with oil.
Spoke to my father who is a retired engine machinist and mechanic and when he saw how much oil was in the bores he didnt think that much could get past the rings even if there were the wrong size.
But I guess that's what I have to do is check the rings haven't broken on install or an assembly error.
Any thoughts?
Photos after taking the head after about 10mins of running.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/tGn2JyeoCjb8dE3dA
https://photos.app.goo.gl/oTaH2Cg6FGaDMfKE6
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