Corvette C3 Forum 1968 through 1982

76 vette using oil

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Old Feb 28, 2026 | 03:41 PM
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lamamers's Avatar
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Default 76 vette using oil

My 76 corvette uses oil,too much. I pulled the plugs and only 2 show running rich. No smoke coming from the exhaust ,PVC valve has been changed . The engine is a 383 stroker.
 
Old Feb 28, 2026 | 06:41 PM
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As an engine builder when I was younger, you leave me with lots of questions. How much oil in how long of a period? Any leaks? If it's going out the tailpipe it will smoke. Light blue.
 
Old Feb 28, 2026 | 07:48 PM
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Thank you , no leaks and no blue smoke from the exhaust . uses about a qt. for every 200 miles. I have had this car for 23 years and had the engine refreshed but it still had the same problem. I just lived with it but just now thought about the forum to see if anyone could help. Thanks again
 
Old Mar 1, 2026 | 11:10 AM
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Ok, that's a very serious amount of oil. If it's burning it you will be laying a fog down behind you.
May I suggest that you start by a thorough cleaning of the outside and undercarriage. Get it spotless. You need an old refrigerator sized piece of cardboard.
After cleaning do an oil change, and get some UV dye to put in it. Go for a short drive and park on the cardboard.
Start going over ever inch with a black light.
I'm thinking you may have a leak that is only leaking under higher pressure. Maybe not at all when idling. And depending on location may not be leaving a big mess on the car. Maybe only a drip or two when you park it.
That amount of oil used is not like worn valve guides, more like broken rings or hole in piston. And it would run appropriately bad.
 
Old Mar 1, 2026 | 11:13 AM
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Another thought just hit me, check your oil pressure line to the gauge. I think '76 still has a mechanical gauge.
 
Old Mar 1, 2026 | 11:34 AM
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Thank you, I am going get an oil change soon and will ask my mech. to check for a leak area which should be easy to spot with the amount of oil being used. I will post back with what we find , again thanks.
 
Old Mar 1, 2026 | 10:43 PM
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Welcome to the forum. If it still has a mechanical oil pressure gauge then it will most likely have a plastic tube running from the back of the block near the distributor through the firewall and into the gauge. If it's never been replaced then that would be a good place to check because it gets very brittle with age. If that is what it is and you're lucky then it will be broken before it goes through the firewall to the gauge. Even if that's not what it is then it is a good idea to replace it with copper tubing. Be sure to put a couple of loop coils in the tubing before it goes through the firewall to allow movement of the engine without over stressing the copper tubing.
 
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