Oil burning Astra....?

[Fastra]

My Astra (2002 1.6 16v - 78k miles) is using loads of oil and seems to putting blue smoke out of the exhaust.

Now I know it may either be valve guides/seals or piston rings and the proper remedy would be to either have these replaced, or probably, an engine swap BUT is there anything 'cheap' that can be done to get it through the emissions test at the MOT in a few months?

I've looked at a few oil additives for example.

[fatjon]

If it is the bores you can get some piston ring sealere gunk that will stop it for a few hundred miles, you squirt it down the plug holes and it gums up the rings and improves the seal for a while. If its the valve oil seals just change them, they cost pennys. Stuuf some rope down the plug holes and wind the crank till the piston pushes the rope up against the valves then you can remove the collets springs and stem oil seals without taking the head off.

Smoking on the overrun and for the first few seconds after a cold start or after idling for a few minutes is a good sign it is the seals.

General smoking while crusing and accelerating points more to the rings/bores. Always worth checking all the breathers though, they block up and it smokes and leaks like mad.

[Fastra]

Thanks Jon!

I was looking at Wynns Stop Smoke as a quick fix just to get it through the MOT, but I'll have a look for the stuff you mention - is it actually called 'sealere gunk'

The rope trick seems a good plan too! I might give that a go.