Bocking off oil squirters is a GOOD idea?

[I Hate Import Cars]

So, I was just told by a certain piston ring manufacturer that they reccomend that the piston oil squirters in the B series blocks be blocked off because they can cause excessive oil burning in the cylinders, especially when using a higher pressure/volume than stock oil pump. To me, that is fucking stupid. But then again, so is the idea of using a turbo to blow into another turbo, but apparently that's a good idea. So, I give it to the masses. Has anyone ever heard of such a suggestion? I'd like to hear from builders if possible on this one, especially if you've had experience with high horsepower B series.

[crx3]

When I went from my SOHC VTEC D16Z6 to the DOHC VTEC B18C1, I noticed increased oil consumption. It went from none to some, and I didn't know why then but I now suspect that the oil spray jets use a little oil cooling the bottom of the pistons. I recently had the B18C1 rebuilt with Benson 84mm sleeves, Eagle rotating assembly, and Wiseco pistons. My engine builder told me that he capped off the oil squirters because "I don't need them now with the forged pistons, the factory installs them for cooling cast pistons" While initially irate that he would cap them off for no other reason than that, I researched a bit and found that the squirters don't always fit with aftermarket pistons, especially if the bore and stroke have been increased. I also found that the oil squirters are used to maintain piston temperature, size, and strength during periods of high stress. Cast pistons are better suited to OE applications and the squirters increase the reliability of the piston. Forged pistons are far stronger and thermally stable than their cast counterparts. I also found that about half of the Internet hits are from people who want to put the squirters on engines that lack them, the other half are from people who want to plug them up. The reasons often given for blocking the squirters are that they have internal check valves which are closed under low oil pressure, and open after 30 PSI or so. If the check valve sticks open, then the main bearings are starved of oil during startup. Another engine builder suggested that the squirters are not very robust, and that having one break or loosen up at high RPM is a liability that he would rather do without. One engine builder suggested that he would rather have oil pressure and volume available to the moving parts that need it and oil pressure controlled by the oil pump pressure relief valve. Any possible cooling benefit of the OE oil squirters is minimal in a properly built engine with forged pistons, and the added liability of the extra parts failing is not worth the extra cooling. I think that the jury is still out, but I know that plenty of high output engines have been built without the squirters and run just fine. Happy motoring.

[Sparkles]

Well, I've read that plugging the oil squirters will increase oil pressure, however I've never seen any evidence that it does, in fact, increase oil pressure or that anyone would need an increase in oil pressure.
I don't think Honda would use these oil squirters unless they deemed them nesassary. And since I'm a fan of OEM N/A builds I don't see the harm in keeping them. So unless I was going to use a longer stroke crank I'd keep the squirters. I'd keep them if I were going boost as well.

[I Hate Import Cars]

Wow. thanks guys. Ya, I can see the "forged vs. cast pistons" arguement making sense. The reason I ask is I am trying to track down an oil consumption issue, and simply cannot find it, and I am to the point of either driving the car into the lake, killing myself, or buying a K series... as for the increased oil pressure line of thought, I can't tell you if it DOES or not either, however I can tell you this; Right now I idle at AT LEAST 30-40 psi, and above 3k rpm it's constantly above 70psi, more like 80-90 psi. I'm not sure EXACTLY where it is, but it APPEARS that the oil pressure relief valve opens around 85-90 psi, so I'm not sure that any more oil pressure would do me any good.

[Sparkles]

Oil consumption issue, huh? Well the first thing I would do would be the cheapest and easiest: change the valve seals. All of my exhaust valves were pretty much totally coated in coked on oil from oil leaking past the valve seals and down the stem. Valve seals are cheap and easy. Chances are you've done them already.

Rings? Could the oil simply be burning because the rings are worn out?

[I Hate Import Cars]

Oil consumption issue, huh? Well the first thing I would do would be the cheapest and easiest: change the valve seals.

Rings? Could the oil simply be burning because the rings are worn out?

Well I sure as shit hope not! Being that the motor has less than 7000 miles on it! I think I've narrowed it down to either the valve seals leaking or a cracked head though. I'm doing seals next weekend. We'll see if that fixes it. Hope so! It's only after the motor has been under vacuum for a time, so I'm pretty sure it's valve seals. I just hope like hell that the guides are okay!

[GNU]

with forged pistons you dont have to have the oil squirter's it helps the cast piston's cool off and most likely reduce hot spots which can cause preignition just like hot carbon deposits. They block them off to get some more oil pressure, leaving them on shouldnt hurt. Honda does alot of R&D into there decisions on what they put into there motors. Alot of people plug them because they can get in the way of the rotating assembly when you start modifying the bottom end, like stroker cranks, and such.