At the track last month, the Miata (stock '90 with 122k miles) was burning a bit of oil. To the tune of about 1.2 quarts over the course of 10 - 20 minute sessions.
The car had not been run since basically February, and even then not regularly since November of last year. Throw in unknown maintenace of PO's before I bought the car, and what I've read is very common for Miata's, I assumed the oil control rings were gummed up and not doing their job.
Hence all the smoke I was getting the first few hundred miles I drove it after getting it off the jackstands.
This past weekend's track day? 5 - 20 minute sessions, the car burned maybe .15 of a quart.
Jaynen
HalfDork
10/30/12 9:40 a.m.
Mine is burning oil as well. What is the italian tune up?
Jaynen wrote:
Mine is burning oil as well. What is the italian tune up?
Give it lots of wine and then yell at while doing wild hand gestures would be my guess. 
93EXCivic wrote:
Give it lots of wine and then yell at while doing wild hand gestures would be my guess.
No, that's an Italian dating ritual.
The Italian tune-up implies beating the snot out of your car....literally, I guess.
bludroptop wrote:
93EXCivic wrote:
Give it lots of wine and then yell at while doing wild hand gestures would be my guess.
No, that's an Italian dating ritual.
The Italian tune-up implies beating the snot out of your car....literally, I guess.
You're both wrong. You hire a guy named Guido to "suggest" to your car that it "may want to cooperate."
Jaynen
HalfDork
10/30/12 10:24 a.m.
I thought it was something like run ATF in it with no spark? then oil change?
No, the Italian tune-up is just beating on your mercilessly. I'm guessing a couple of fresh oil changes, getting good and warm and RPM helped degunk the oil control rings and now it's not using nearly as much.
I was even beating on the engine harder at this last track day, then the last month.
Making me reconsider leaving it stock and maybe doing an intake/header/exhaust and getting a standalone that I'll still be able to use for the 1.8 swap.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4Fpqi698Do
I'm always impressed with how well my Miata runs after a good flogging session 
The "Italian tuneup" comes from a long time ago when exotic Italian cars were carbureted and jetted to be driven flat out. Because even in the 50s and 60s most people buying a Ferrari were doing it for image, not to drive it, the engines would get so coked up between running a touch rich and never breaking in they weren't even good for puttering around town. The solution was for a mechanic to beat the hell out of it for a hour or two, preferably on a track or long empty highway to burn all the crap out and likely seat the rings for the first time.
This also works if done a bit more gently, after a few months in Detroit, my pos sunfire quit burning oil entirely and ran a lot better.
A redline a day keeps the mechanic away.
turboswede wrote:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4Fpqi698Do
I had never seen this one!!!
Thanks for that!!
mrwillie wrote:
turboswede wrote:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4Fpqi698Do
I had never seen this one!!!
Thanks for that!!
Heh, yeah my Dad had all of his records when I was a kid, when I got a little older, I bought them on cassette personally as I wore his records out. The B side of 200mph with Fat Alberts car is even more funny!
Duke
PowerDork
10/30/12 1:55 p.m.
Kenny_McCormic wrote:
The "Italian tuneup" comes from a long time ago when exotic Italian cars were carbureted and jetted to be driven flat out. The solution was for a mechanic to beat the hell out of it for a hour or two, preferably on a track or long empty highway to burn all the crap out and likely seat the rings for the first time.
I once drove a Lamborghini Espada down MD213 from the C&D Canal all the way down to Galena, north of 100 mph almost the entire time, doing this very thing. I hit about 140-145 between Earleville and Cecilton.
A dentist owned it, and he thought it "wasn't running right".
skruffy
SuperDork
10/30/12 2:09 p.m.
My 06 GTI used to burn about 1-2 quarts between oil changes (not all that bad for a low mile 2.0 turbo vw lol). After a weekend at Mid-Ohio it never burnt oil again.
And it's pronounced eye-talian
New a fellow that had Ford that burned more oil than he found acceptable. Ford said it was within specs.
So, he got mad, drove the **** out of it in an atempt to blow the engine.
After that it burned no more oil.
turboswede wrote:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4Fpqi698Do
that was great!!!!
my wife didnt get it at all.
turboswede wrote:
mrwillie wrote:
turboswede wrote:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4Fpqi698Do
I had never seen this one!!!
Thanks for that!!
Heh, yeah my Dad had all of his records when I was a kid, when I got a little older, I bought them on cassette personally as I wore his records out. The B side of 200mph with Fat Alberts car is even more funny!
We had the record too. Oddly, it wasn't the Cosby Show that introduced me to BC... it was 200mph. And my first learning about the cobra. So cool, and that dude is still a funny bastard.
"Fan belt breaks you use a rubber band..." No one gets it when I say that every time someone mentions they drive a VW.
Kenny_McCormic wrote:
A redline a day keeps the mechanic away.
that needs to be a bumpersticker...
I have had my share of italian cars.. not only the exotics were jetted too rich.. a good flogging made them all run better
Works for diesels as well. My 6.7 cummins has a tendancy for the emissions EGR to gum up the turbo. I hook on to my 14000 pound backhoe and mat it up my local 11 per cent grade a few times and good to again for another 4 months.
mad_machine wrote:
Kenny_McCormic wrote:
A redline a day keeps the mechanic away.
that needs to be a bumpersticker...
I have had my share of italian cars.. not only the exotics were jetted too rich.. a good flogging made them all run better
In the estimated 600 miles I got out of it this year, I never drove the Yugo "gently". It's just too happy from ~4-7k(no tach).
spnx
Reader
10/31/12 12:09 a.m.
Pretty ticked. A guy I know moved from here (Sasktoon) to Victoria and he sold his 2001 Jaguar, which, in his words "had serious problems and probably required an engine rebuild".
He sold this rust-free, dent-free low mileage car for $2500.
The new owner took it out on the highway, drove the snot out of it until chunks of carbon came out of the exhaust, since it was never driven hard, or on the highway, and now it's like new.
I wouldn't have minded that car for that price...
my neon is currently uing oil like its either oil control rings or valve stem seals.
im half italian.
i live out in the country.
i do believe that im going to try this this evening a bit. second gear and 7800 RPM rev limiter here i come.
may be good stress relief. may cure the smoking. may not.
but heres to hoping!!! i really dont want to do valve stem seals OR rings.
my neon is currently uing oil like its either oil control rings or valve stem seals.
im half italian.
i live out in the country.
i do believe that im going to try this this evening a bit. second gear and 7800 RPM rev limiter here i come.
may be good stress relief. may cure the smoking. may not.
but heres to hoping!!! i really dont want to do valve stem seals OR rings.
mrwillie wrote:
turboswede wrote:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4Fpqi698Do
I had never seen this one!!!
Thanks for that!!
Car Nut Card Revoked!
"You gotta clean the gunk out!"
