Burning Oil/Smokey

[mickmorrissminor]

I am burning oil at the rate of 1 pint per 250-300 miles. The exhaust is a bit smokey (blue/grey). The car runs and sounds ok and as I only use once a week for short trips should I worry about this?

[bmcecosse]

Well - for your short runs it will go one for many moons! Be sure to use 20W50 oil - and if possible check the engine breather connections are all clear, not blocked. Internal pressure forces oil up past the rings = smoky exhaust. The real cure of course is a rebore and new pistons, but for your use it should be fine. Sticking point may be MOT - where a 'visual inspection' is made of the exhaust fumes and a fail can be issued if it's deemed to be excessively smoky by the tester.
Often an improvement can be made by linking one of the breathers directly to the inlet manifold - via a 1/8" dia restrictor - and this will ensure the crankcase is kept well ventilated and can help oil consumption quite considerably.