Massive oil consumption (was: Valve Stem Seals)

[Gottolovem]

I'm no expert but an old motor is old something has to come out the other end.
Kinda like me what i eat dictates the foul odor at the other end the next day

[Mark]

I think those "stop leak" "viscosity improvers" just increase the viscosity until it's so thick it can't leak past the rings. The thicker oil then has more internal friction so more risk of overheating and it may not flow enough to remove enough heat.
Here's a photo of what the valve spring compressor should look like when it's put together:

IMG_01011.JPG

And here's how it is after the first 2 valves:

IMG_01021.JPG

It looks like a snap ring/circlip flew off, allowing the pieces in the middle to fall off. The last one I had years ago fell apart worse. The same snap ring fell off, but one of the roll pins holding one of the arms fell out too and I had to replace it with a nail to finish the job.
I didn't find the spring that fell off the seal. It's probably hidden under the oil in one of the hollows under the valve cover. I guess I should have looked for it.
I drove around today and still no smoking.