I have a 2005 PT Cruiser touring turbo that I just replaced the head-on, along with the water pump, timing belt, tensioner, cam, and crank seals.

After sitting for about 20 months, I did the work. The car ran fine and I went ahead and did more work on it - brakes, tires, and so on.

I ran Sea Foam in the crankcase (with fresh oil) and for several gas tank fulls

After several months, I noticed a lot of blue oil smoke at the start-up, but within a few blocks, it disappeared and did not come back. It would only return after sitting overnight. It could sit for a few hours without anything occurring. Only overnight.

I scoped the cylinders and they were wet, but with no standing fluids. Plugs were fouled with ash deposits.

It gets about 60 miles to a quart of oil - dino, synthetic, high-mileage - none make a difference. It is very consistent on the highway or in town.

I took it to my mechanic, good guy, but very black-n-white even if extremely competent. He ran a vacuum test on it and it dropped to zero almost immediately. He said the rings were shot. The rings were fine before the head was blown.

I am unsure as I ran the engine with the oil cap off and got some flutter on a thin sheet of paper from the blowby, but nothing major. I pushed a shop paper towel onto the opening, not deep, and ran it for several miles at around 3000 rpm without blowing it out of the opening.

I'm not sure how the vacuum is sucking the oil up past the rings into the head, but it doesn't accumulate until the engine is off and has sat overnight. It seems to me that if the vacuum sucked the oil up into the head, the oil would drain back down overnight when the engine was turned off and that it would smoke a lot more after short trips, instead of less as it does.

Not sure what I'm missing if anything.

 

Could be valve stem seals.

 

I'm starting to wonder. How do I find out if that is the case?

 

did you have the head checked before you put it back on? oil like any other liquid flows down. so being the rings are lower how does oil flow upwards. Likely valve steam seals dripping when the engine is off.

 

The mechanic did a vacuum test and it went to zero almost immediately.

 

I assumed that the shop that put the head in made sure that it was good. I dunno, but it was a reman from a reputable company. I'm taking the car to another shop to have it tested. As I said, the rings weren't bad before the head was exchanged.

 

plus bad rings would be a compression issue