Originally Posted by Pipeplug

I'll try to be brief. I bought this 1993 cream puff from the proverbial "Little Ole Lady from Pasadena". At the time of purchase the car had 53K on the odometer. 7K later I'm pulling into traffic and I hear a pop like a back fire but the car drives on like normal. That night I start it cold an drive about 300 yards to a convenient store and I hear a noise like a stick in a fan and when I stop oil smoke starts "whisping" out from under the hood. I drive to work on the interstate and it runs like a top but I still get the noise and smoke. I pulled the air filter out and the box had a lot of oil in it. When I take the breather cap off and a strong push of air blows out.

A mechanic ($147) told me it either has a broken piston, a broken ring or a stuck ring. Oh and he says the sound is actual combustion behind the piston towards the crankcase and I do have to say instead of a stick in the fan it does sound more like small firecrackers inside a large can. That part does make sense. But.....a stuck ring????

His suggestion is to change the oil and run it for a couple hundred miles and see what happens. Well about a hundred miles later it seems to be getting worst.

This car is cherry and I'd like to save it so I'm looking for a little advice.

Thanks
Pipeplug