A CITABRIA LANDED AT ZZZ DUE TO LOSS OF ENG OIL AND AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING WAS FOUND TO BE THE #4 CYLINDER HEAD LEAKING OIL. THE OWNER CHOSE NOT TO REPAIR THE ACFT BUT LET THE PLT MAKE THE DECISION TO FLY IT OR NOT.

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I RECEIVED A CALL FROM ABC ON JUL/XX/97 AT NIGHT; TO LOOK AT A CITABRIA IN ZZZ ARPT. HE WAS UNABLE TO GET TO ZZZ. HE STATED THE PLT WAS TOWING A BANNER AND WAS LOSING OIL. HE LANDED IN ZZZ AND LEFT THE ACFT THERE. I TOOK A CASE OF OIL AND WENT TO ZZZ ARPT THE NEXT DAY JUL/XA/97 IN THE RAIN (ABOUT 60 MI). THERE ARE NO MAINT FACILITIES ON ZZZ ARPT AT THIS TIME. I FOUND THE ACFT AND TOOK THE COWLING OFF. I FOUND OIL EVERYWHERE. AFTER CLEANING THE ENG AS BEST AS I COULD; I TIGHTENED UP AND CHKED ALL OIL LINES; VALVE COVER GASKETS. I ADDED 5 QUARTS OF OIL AND BROUGHT THE OIL LEVEL TO 7 QUARTS. I THEN RAN THE ENG MOMENTARILY; RECHKED FOR OIL LOSS AND LEVEL. THE LEVEL HAD NOT DROPPED; BUT THERE WAS OIL ON THE #4 CYLINDER AND ELSEWHERE. I CHKED THE PUSHROD TUBES AND RECHKED THE FRONT SEAL. THE FRONT SEAL WAS STILL DRY AND THE PUSHROD TUBES HAD NO OBVIOUS DEFECTS. I THEN RAN THE ENG FOR 15 MINS; 5 AT 1000 FPM. 10 AT 1700 FPM AND SEVERAL AT FULL PWR. THE OIL LEVEL HAD NOT DROPPED BUT OIL WAS STILL ON THE TOP OF THE #4 CYLINDER. I RECHKED THE PUSHROD TUBES AND FOUND NO OBVIOUS DEFECTS AGAIN. I CALLED ABC AND RPTED WHAT I HAD FOUND. ALSO THE ENG HAD RUN ROUGH WHEN COLD BUT WAS RUNNING OK AFTER WARMING UP. MR ABC STATED; 'IT'S UP TO THE PLT WHETHER HE FLIES IT BACK OR NOT.'