That was my plan to do a new set of rings and see what happens but if im at the point of taking the head off i would probably just check the guid seals too. I had figured that the guide seals wouldnt leak that much just from working with them in the past. Im just hopping to pull the head, pan rod caps and push the pistons out the top then seeing how the walls are and mabe honning it out and throwing some new rings on the pistons and throwing it all back togather. I would thing that would make it much better it wouldnt cost much more than $150 parts. Let me for know what you think I havnt gotten time to leak down or compression test it due to my GF's sisters graduation party her mom goes nuts on it so I will get to it early next week. Thanks guys. This site needs something like reputation points like many other sites.

 

If you have the ability and resources to do the work yourself, more power to you. One thing I do strongly recommend though, is at very least do a compression test. Autozone usually lends them out, and if you have the time to tear off your head and gut your engine, you have time to do a compression test. It shouldn't take you any longer than 30 minutes on a little four cylinder like that. If you are gonna tear down the motor that far, you might as well put a quick hone on the cylinders (make sure to use a ridge reamer if it needs it) and put all new rings in it. Your valve seals shouldnt be too bad at that mileage on that car, but it's up to you if you want to mess with them.

 

I was planning on doing a comp. test to. but it all sounds good to me and ill have to get it done soon. I hope that it will run better and get more power back and hopefully better fuel millage cuz im only getting about 30 mile/gal. average. not that that is tarable but it isnt great.