it seems like im loosing oil. like 1/4 quart every 1000 miles or so. it never did this before. what can cause oil consumption. is this normal? i hope i didnt blow a pistin ring
Blown/leaky head gasket can also cause this. Oil seeps into water passages.
I would also guess its possible that its getting by your rings like you said. It could be that you are seeing more oil loss because the higher compression you now have after the PI swap is blowing more by the rings than before.
Check your coolant for any traces of oil to determine if it is the head gaskets.
For piston rings, run your finger around the inside of your tailpipes and see what you get. Some black gritty grime is normal but check for oily residue. Clean them out for a good clear test.
You can also check your PCV system, with the higher compression you could be sucking oil out of the crankcase through the PCV valve. I favor replacing the whole PCV deal with crankcase filters. My mildly modded gt had very oily PCV tubing (whether normal or not, this cant be good).
Also watch for oil gnomes and lube fairies. Those bastards have wiped my oil pan clean numerous times.
Mine usually uses a quart between changes. I added a quart the a couple of weeks ago and while on my way home last week the light came on again. I was STILL a quart low. I think I have a major blow by in the rings but I havn't noticed any smoke...yet.