I have a 94 gs 1.8. I had the normal valve clicking with alot of blueish smoke, then it got worse like a grind/click/clunk there on the driver side inside the head somewhere- i was afraid to drive the car. I let it sit for a few weeks and tried starting it every couple days to try and figure it out. then the other day i started it and the clunking 'fixed' itself however the smoke was worse than ever pouring out the tailpipe. did i blow either a valve seal or a piston ring?
Which one would 'blow out' then the motor mysteriously run smooth again with twice the smoke?

So i took off the valve cover and it looks ok on top, and im taking it apart to get the head off. I know about how everyone says put in the other parts-water pump, timing belt and high performance parts etc. i just want the thing to stop smoking, though so am hoping i can just replace seals and rings or does it not work like that.

pour about a 1/4 bottle of marvle mistory oil into the power brake booster line while the motor is running and then turn it up and choke the motor out with it, then add the rest to the oil....this may help but....sounds like you've got some internal valve train troubles

i would re-ring with a total gasket and seal kit. of course everything should atleast be hot-tanked and/or machined. Just a re-build, not for performance but to freshen.

it is always good to replace parishable parts like the water pump and things like that. I am not too familiar with this engine whether it has a timing belt or chain.

i think its beyond mystery oil. i should have done that last month before something broke inside the head.

i will re-ring woith a total gasket /seal kit. and find someone to machine it all up. Ill have to research the timing belt situation before i go any further i think. maybe i will at least replace the water pump while im in there.

thanks for the tips this is a good start of a plan to get back on the road. any other suggestions will be appreciated.

yeah sounds like maybe a rocker or something.....you might pull the valve cover and see if there is any visable signs of damage....that may set you in the right direction of rebuilding the head or buying a reman one....of course while you have the head off you should go ahead and pull the motor and replace rings, bearings and oil pump.....you dont want to put it back together for it just to blow up again.

BTW I think I saw in the haynes manuel that the 1.8 does have a belt on it, but its a SOHC....replace that also....this may be the problem, as the belt stretches and lets the motor run out of time...

hmmm well when that happened to me about a year ago i did the mystery oil and so on but it seemed that it was beyond the head and more in the harmonic balancer pulley ya might wanna check that out before something crazy happens to that...

I did a valve job and i think some smoke was from a bad oxygen sensor and some smoke was from bad valve seals.

i tuned it up and its working great except for teh transmission power/economy switch wont work and it slips uphills... will post it.