92 corolla help!

[holden94122]

Well I have a 92 Corolla that I just bought a couple of months ago. About 2 weeks ago I began to notice that when I start the car in the morning blue smoke would come out of the exhaust for a few seconds. Then everything would be normal. The car still drives great, everything seems fine. After doing some research online, some people have suggested that it's a valve stem seal problem. Can anyone tell me for sure or at least pretty certainly that the valve stem seal is probably what is causing the problem? And also can someone please tell me how much it would cause to fix the problem? or is it something that's not worth fixing? I'm only looking to keep the car for probably another year, so should I invest the money to fix it? Is there anyway to somehow alleviate the problem without taking it to a machanic? Thank you very much, any help would be greatly appreciated.

[TRDemon]

Yes that can be a valve seal problem, you would need to buy a valve seal kit, not to sure how much it would cost though. but i would advise to carry it to a machanic because it calls for some disassembling of the head.

[89rolla]

yea that really sucks that is happening to mine right now but its so expensive that i didn't bother....but that was after my $1200 motor job...just keep addin' oil...its not worth it!!!

[reym]

It can be anything from valve seal to piston ring.
Bring your car to a shop that has an access to a leakdown tester.
That is the surest way you can find what's wrong with your engine.

[cobrajet25]

My '90 does the same thing. I get the small cloud of blue smoke when I first start my car cold. If it only smokes when you first start it, the problem is almost certainly the valve seals. When you shut the engine off and let it sit for awhile, oil from the top-end of the cylinder head leaks down past the rubber valve stem seals and into the cylinders. When the motor is started again, this small amount of oil burns off quickly, giving you the blue smoke. Once all of the oil is burned off, the exhaust color returns to normal. To change the valve seals, you have to remove the camshafts, valve springs, etc. I am planning on replacing the valve seals in my car, and I will let everyone know how it turns out. Until then, just keep an eye on your oil level. Otherwise, it is not that big of a deal, and is a common problem with older cars. Regards, Aaron

[holden94122]

hey aaron thanks for the informative reply. let me know how much it cost you to fix the seal. thanks.
kyle

[theman86_2]

also do a compression check to get a better idea of what shape the engine is in, and if compression is slow and gradual then add a drop or two of oil in the spark plug holes, if then compression builds consistently then you know for sure your seals are worn.

[Theron]

Hey I have some brand new valve seals I don't need!

If you were to pay for shipping and throw-in $5 I'll let you have them.