bought an '89 Tempo last year for a winter beater. Thank god winters almost over because it causing problems. First, if you remove the breather off the valve cover you can feel a lot of air being forced out. I think I'm losing a lot of HP from this but worse is that oil is being pushed out of the openings. The one opening that the PCV has the hose that connects directly into the air box. So now my filter is being saturated with oil (maybe I"m exaggerating a little). This is also causing my throttle body to become gummed up with oil as well as the intake. At first I thought my catalytic may be clogged but now I'm leaning towards a valve sticking or a bad spring. What do you guys think :confused: :?

Probably one of two things.

1. Low compression with excessive blow by on one or more cylinders. Check with a compression test. This could be due to piston rings/cylinder and/or valve train.

2. Clogged PCV system resulting in no breathing of the crankcase. Check PCV system, including hoses. IF someone puts a non-OEM hose on the emissions system, the hose can literally swell inside restricting the inside diameter.

The other remote possibility is overfill condition of the oil in the crankcase. I've seen that before. Or even something as simple as gunked up oil passages not allowing the head to drain properly.

I just did an oil change (condition existed before) and added motor flush and then added engine restore when I put the new oil in. The oil pressure light just started coming on recently so I'm wondering if I'm burning oil badly (don't see any smoke) or if something popped and I'm leaking oil bad somewhere. I always thought I had an oil leak out of the valve cover until I replaced the gasket and saw oil coming from the top of the valve cover from the opening where the pcv sits. BTW, car has 90K on it if that helps any. I guess I can check the compression on the cylinders before I decide to start checking all the hoses. What is the hose that comes out of the catalytic back up to the engine? I saw it while I was doing the oil change but wasn't sure what it was. Thanks for the help.

might want to try cleaning the engine compartment so you can see where any leaks are coming from --- and maybe at a quart or two of lucas -- might help you short term.

An easy way to check to see if it's the PCV valve is to take it out of the grommet and shake it... If it rattles, it's fine, if it doesn't replace it... Don't buy one from a dealer or Jiffy Lube, they'll charge you an arm and a leg for it... You can pick one up from Autozone or Checkers for cheap... One other thing to check is the PCV hose... With the car on, take the PCV valve out of the grommet and stick your finger underneath the PCV valve... You should feel a suction coming from the PCV, if you don't, the hose is clogged and you'll have to replace it, if there is suction, you're ok... :cool:

I own a ton of tempos...I think your engine is worn out..

look at some stuff I have posted about them

http://www.carsurvey.org/review_51458.html

good luck...I didn't talk about your problem...

My friend's 93 with 160,000K is doing the same thing....I think it is just worn out...Too much blow by and it blows oil into air filter area...

I own a ton of tempos...I think your engine is worn out..

look at some stuff I have posted about them

http://www.carsurvey.org/review_51458.html

good luck...I didn't talk about your problem...

My friend's 93 with 160,000K is doing the same thing....I think it is just worn out...Too much blow by and it blows oil into air filter area...


This sounds about right. I have seen this in a Tempo I worked on. Just to much wear and tear. The motor was worn out.

This sounds about right. I have seen this in a Tempo I worked on. Just to much wear and tear. The motor was worn out.

What do you mean by a worn motor? Usually I think a worn motor is one that is starting to burn oil and other fluids because of gaskets and seals breaking down. Basically needing a complete engine rebuild. The car only has 90K on it and I'd like to keep it a little longer. What causes the "blow by" and how do you fix it? Didn't see anything about it in that article.

That motor flush crap can and will do more harm than good. Its basically a kerosene that sometimes cleans the engine TOO good. I see the condition was pre-existing, but that could have made it worse. Maybe try some Lucas Oil Treatment, it got rid of the "clattering' on startup of my Mark. The small tube going to the car is the AIR injection tube. It has an air pump that pumps air into the cat to help it burn the emissions better. Its just more emissions crap that adds weight. ;)

Im going to say bad oil rings.

try www.tempotopaz.com

blowby is worn or stuck piston rings. You can verify easily with a compression test. Basicly they don't seal properly anymore and compression leaks into the block and makes it vent out of wherever has an opening. Usually the PCV hole and/or oil cap. If you can detect lots of air blowing out from the oil fill cap with the engine running, it's toast and needs a rebuild.

I cant beleve this thread got started back up

its a 89 tempo just put tape on any thing you think is broke then beat the sh it out of it till it is dead

its a 89 tempo just put tape on any thing you think is broke then beat the sh it out of it till it is dead

I'm already doing that!

heh. I didn't even note the date, just that it showed as an active topic in the last 2 days LOL.

I'm already doing that!
then just keep it up!!!!
I might also recimend not changing any of the floids at all
( except the wiper bule stuff I go throw that like crazy)

I own a ton of tempos...


:confused:

Wore out. But as long as the stupid electric seatbelts work, I'd keep it and drive it, adding oil as needed, until the oil pump strips itself out from running dry and it locks up.

little bit of an update since this thread is still going. I sold the car for $500, told the guy everything that was wrong with it. The front brakes where new but the back where shot (not even the E-brake was working). A week after I sold it the guy locked the front up, slid into a curb and blew the tire out. Oh well.....new it was time to get rid of it!!!