Originally Posted by JonL

Yeah, I know you don't want to put any more $$ into it than you have to. So I guess check the rods as best as you can yourself. Clean the block and the oil galleries as well as you can yourself. But it's really a false economy to not replace the rings at this point. The guides, maybe less so, since you "only" have to remove the head to do that and it is only oil consumption not compression that is affected. Rings will set you back $150. The machine shop is looking at the head already, I'd guess about $200 to have the whole head gone over, including new guides, new stem seals, pressure test, resurface if needed, clean, valve grind, etc.