Yeah, I think you got confused, this is not an oiling problem, it is from carbon build up. It gets caught in betweent the valve and guide. The only fix is to re-build your heads.

Running 91 or higher octane on quality gas is the only way to avoid this. BG 44K or other quality fuel injector cleaner and seafoam induction cleaning.

The only thing you should do with your oil is run synthetic. Do not put an additive in, or flush.

 

i am not trying to be difficult, just hate to spend the cash. is there any way a novice can remove the heads over the weekend? Time is not a problem, just experience.

 

Search for the RAVE CD. It will have the workshop manual with instructions to remove the heads. If this seems too difficult, stay away. It is usually $1500 to do the head gaskets, with a little more to do the valves. If you get the heads off, they will still need to be sent to a machine shop to check/resurface the heads and grind your valves/replace the bad one.

I would say no to your question. It would take an expert the weekend. 1 day to pull, a day at the machine shop, and one day to button up. This is with the correct tools.

 

If there is a sludge problem.. depending on what oil you have been using, but most importantly, how often you have been changing it.
Use Auto-RX for the sludge. It is the best way to clean your engine from sludge. I have it with me right now.


Auto-RX.com

If you haven't been using 91/93 octane and want to clean the whole fuel system; Red Line Sl-1 fuel injection cleaner, Gumout Regane complete fuel system cleaner, Chevron techron concentrate.


Also you can run the Seafoam/BG 44K injection cleaning through the intake.

Doing all this will clean your engine pretty good.

 

I am downloading the RAVE manual now. I was thinking one weekend to pull the heads, the week at the machine shop and the next weekend to re-install everything.

 

How mechanical are you, that is the important thing. With the Rave and some tools you may be fine.
If you start tearing it down, go to Atlantic British and order the heade gasket kit and new head bolts, along with a new t/stat and upper coolant hoses if you haven't updated them yet.

 

I am an average mechanic, is there any special tools I will need?

 

A 1/2" ratchet set, a copy of a Rave CD will be a big plus and you may need to go and buy 1 impact socket to fit the head bolts and maybe a breaker bar.

 

a full set of metric and standard 12 and 6 point sockets, a torque wrench are most important. Then your regular tools.