I was doing some reading for my 302recentlyand came across a mention of collapsed oil control rings. I was just curious as to how often this occurs, how to test for it. that kinda stuff. basicly im trying to figure out if my engineneeds any help without takingit all apart.

 

Sludge build-up (carbon at this point, really) can cause sticky rings. You'll have a lot of blow by and oil usage if your oil rings aren't up to snuff.

All engines could use a little help now and then...

 

do you think a compression test might help? (im thinking of doing one just for kicks)
its hard to tell how my engine uses oil right now as its got a couple small leaks. no obvious smoke though.

 

If you consume oil but there are no external leaks, then check the plugs for carbon buildup, burnt oil etc. Though that could be valve guides as well. A compression test will check the sealing from the compression rings, but won't tell you anything about the oil rings

 

That said, I'd do a compression test anyway. Can't hurt.

 

If you know someone that has a setup for it, you could do a compression leakdown test as well, tells you a lot more than a compression test, but both are good. Like Starfury said, do one anyway, it's only a good thing

 

For the oil ring to collapase, it would require the scraper rings to loose tension. Oil rings are typically 3 peices - 2 scraper and 1 filler. This is a high time fatique issue and pretty darn rare. There's no one good test to check just the oil rings other than a dissassembly and clearance checks. The compression test and blow down test previously suggested are good for determining general engine health.