Im still having problems with my engine using oil.It is a 98 silvertop and is supposedly done 60,000 miles.
It runs very well apart from a lifter seems to stick occasionaly when cold and it uses lots of oil.I Have found that if i remove the plugs it is a nice light brown on all apart from no 3 cylinder which is always sooty and when i look in the bore with a torch the piston crown is always wet.It snokes badly when cold but when warm it is only noticable when pulling hard.
A compression test showed it to have 11 bar on all the cylinders , i have put redex in the bores for a few days and it did improve it a bit but I now cant decide if it is a bore or valve guide problem, I also noticed the oilway from the block to head is next to mo 3 cylinder.Could oil be leaking from the oilway to cylinder without loosing compression in the other direction?
Paul.

I had a similar problem on a subaru I had - using oil, but compression all ok. It turns out the oil seal rings on the piston were knacked, but the pressure seal rings were ok.

I don't know if you can prove that is the case though

Regards
Hugh

Valve stem seal knackered !

or..... crack in head ?

[Edited on 23/6/08 by TOO BADD]

my silver top zetec is doing the same,

done head gasket, stem seals, etc still smoking no wet inside block now tho.