i have a 1.8L SOHC and just recently ive started to burn oil when i start it up after a day or so...its my project so im not driving it ...im pretty sure its the valve seals...does anyone know a cheap and easy solution to this that will last or is my only option rebuilding the head...i really dont want to because if i start taking the head off i know of things that im going to have to replace and maybe other things ill find that also need to...also in a previous post some one said the 1st gen proteges that have color matched mirrors are DOHC mine are the same color..but i have a SOHC?? i also looked up a free car fax vin check and it told me it was DOHC and beleave me its not did some one change the motor or is it possible that it was built that way....thx

 

my sohc dosent have the color matched mirrors but i would suggest not rebuilding the head

 

Do you know what a DOHC and SOHC engine is? The DOHC valve cover will have the plug wires go straight down from the top, while the SOHC head will have them toward the from of the car at an angle kind of near the exaust header.

 

i know exactly what the difference is between the two...i checked into this a bit already like i said before..i just thought it was weird...that the 2 things i have seen told me it would be dohc...and im just puzzled at the fact that the motor may have been changed and they put the cheaper one in it...also im suprized because i bought the car from a used car dealership and im the second owner....where would i be able to find the serial number on the engine so maybe i could confirm it...but my valve seals are pretty bad and its my top priority to get fixed..ive tryed a few methods but they havnt worked...

 

You were reading about the american cars, the canadian cars are different, I believe the SE had the american LX bodies, but had the DX motor

 

thats true cause a guy down the street from me has a canadian SE its all power options with a sohc motor

 

Why do you think its your valve seals causing you to burn oil? Maybe its your piston rings?

 

are there any street cams that are a little more aggressive than the stock profile?? if so i've seen this stop an older car from burning oil before....worked great in my old z

 

im pretty sure its the valve seals because it only burns oil for a bit when i first start it i figured the rings would cause it to constantly burn oil...Is it possible that if the head gasket is gone id be burning oil like this by the oil leaking from the hole in the gasket on to the top of the piston??? i think that may be a possibility..

 

iam trying to sell my sohc it only has 83,000 original miles. e-mail if anyone is interested. 1st generation

 

BTW you must have a Canadian LX. The only Canadian Proteges to get the DOHC are the GTs. The body-colored mirror part holds true for the U.S., though.