The eternal oil change, what would you do?

[Phishin]

Ok. The truck in my sig can burn some oil. Driving around town, she burns a quart every 1000 miles or so. If the motor is being taxed, like pulling my boat to the lake on the highway, it can burn a quart in as little as 200 miles.

My last oil change, it received VWB 10w40. It has 3500 miles on this oil over about 4 months. HOWEVER, during these miles, it has been fed 3 quarts of M1 10w40 HM, 2 quarts of VR1 20w50, and 2 quarts of MMO as make up.

About half way through these miles, I changed the filter, which cost me one of those quarts of make up oil.

So, what would you do? Keep putting decent quality make up oil in it (I'm done using MMO), and change the filter every 3-5k miles? When do you dump the crankcase and start over? .....or do you ever change it? What would you fellas suggest?

 

[dparm]

Well if you replace all 5 qt in the same amount of time as a standard OCI, *technically* you don't have to replace the oil.

Still, with all the $18 change specials I see these days, I'd still just flush it all out at least every once in a while.

 

[Eddie]

I'd quit using the oil your using because it is a waste of $$. I would use a HM oil in a 10w30 or 10w40wt. All the MMO did was to lower the viscosity so you would burn more oil, so forget the MMo forwver. Let the oil level get down to the add mark before adding and every 5k or so go for an oil & filter change using a HM oil.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: Eddie
I'd quit using the oil your using because it is a waste of $$. I would use a HM oil in a 10w30 or 10w40wt. All the MMO did was to lower the viscosity so you would burn more oil, so forget the MMo forwver. Let the oil level get down to the add mark before adding and every 5k or so go for an oil & filter change using a HM oil.


Have you checked compression? Try AutoRx to clean the ring-pak.
+1 on forget the MMO.

 

[LeakySeals]

Not knowing why its burning oil I'd probably try repeated piston soaks, replace the PCV valve. If that doesn't work and it was too costly to rebuild I would consider an engine swap or sell it and buy another truck. I can't run cheap oil, just can't.

 

[friendly_jacek]

time to switch to 15W40 oils, change oil filter every 5000-10000 miles and complete oil change (with flush) every 10000-20000 miles (if the consumption persists).

Kreen treatment now (in cylinders and oil) wouldn't hurt either.

 

[GumbyJarvis]

HDEOOO!
Rotella, Delo, Valvoline HDEO.

 

[zrxkawboy]

Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
Kreen treatment now (in cylinders and oil) wouldn't hurt either.


I think I would give this a try if it was mine.

 

[SteveSRT8]

ANY older vehicle with high mileage whether neglected or not could use some kreen.

Fast results. Completely stopped oil consumption in one of my fleet vans with that issue.

 

[Zako2]

Try Valvoline Maxlife 10W40. It should be stouter and thicker than VWB. A few guys have observed reduced oil consumption with ML.

 

[Volvohead]

Originally Posted By: Phishin
. . . it can burn a quart in as little as 200 miles


Compression test first. Then check the valve stem seals and coolant.

If everything on top is tight, I'd ARX it to clean out the ringpacks. That's what ARX does best. Give it 300 miles.

Otherwise, I'd be dumping bulk tank oil in it and/or start thinking of a rebuild at some point.

 

[Phishin]

I'm not asking you all to fix my oil consumption problem. This engine is too worn and neglected for me to be replacing valve stem seals, etc. etc.

I have run sooooooooo much MMO through this thing (along with tons of other solvents, but no Kreen), in the last 13k miles. I've gotten a TON of crud out of this engine, including am manual cleaning of the Valve Train and removing the oil pan and cleaning that as well.

I think I got it about as good as I can, UNLESS the Kreen can do something that all the others could not.

All I'm asking about is OCI's with a such a burner. If I keep this truck in town, she will only burn 3 quarts in 3000 miles. So in 6k miles, I will put the same amount of make up oil in it that the crankcase can hold.

 

[Phishin]

Originally Posted By: Donald

Have you checked compression? Try AutoRx to clean the ring-pak.
+1 on forget the MMO.


Not AutoRX. I'm not interested Don, but thanks for the suggestion.

No, compression check either. But I assume it would be low, since I see so much higher oil consumption under load. Like I said earlier, it's not a bad oil burner around town, but get it on the highway, pulling a big boat, going 75mph, where the gas pedal is ALWAYS at least half way to the floor, and the transmission is always downshifting....and it can burn a quart in 200 miles. That to me would indicated that there is a low of oil blowing by the rings, because high RPM's will having such a profound effect on the consumption.

I'll do some Kreen in the oil. I might try a piston soak.

Oh and LeakySeals, Yeah the PCV is operational. It wasn't where I got it, that's why I pulled off the valve covers and had to scrap all the crusty sandy black crud off the valve train. But the PCV is a sucking fool now.

 

[Phishin]

Originally Posted By: Volvohead

Compression test first. Then check the valve stem seals and coolant.


Why would I check the coolant level? What would that have anything to do with it?

If I had coolant in my oil, wouldn't my oil be milky?

 

[Shannow]

How cold does it get ?

1 qt/ 1000 miles is considered "normal" in some realms.

How does the oil smell ? like fuel ?

I'd try a VII free oil, straight 30 with decent specs (better than SF) and see what happens...switch to a 15w40 maybe.

Find what burns the least, then choose if you want to brew something like Delvac 1, or ARx, Redline,or Estertech into your base oil at 5-10:1 for perpetual top-ups.

Sounds like a real fun project.

 

[Phishin]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
How cold does it get ?

1 qt/ 1000 miles is considered "normal" in some realms.

How does the oil smell ? like fuel ?

I'd try a VII free oil, straight 30 with decent specs (better than SF) and see what happens...switch to a 15w40 maybe.

Find what burns the least, then choose if you want to brew something like Delvac 1, or ARx, Redline,or Estertech into your base oil at 5-10:1 for perpetual top-ups.

Sounds like a real fun project.

In the winter it typically doesn't get below 10 degrees (fahrenheit) very often. So, not that cold. Cold for us is typically around 15 degrees. With a few nights in the single digits. So that's maybe like -15° Celcius.

Funny you talked about a homebrew.....I just filled a 5 quart container with the following:

2 quarts--Valvoline VR1 50 Weight (straight weight oil)
2 quarts--Mobil Delvac 1300 15w40
1 quart--Napa Synthetic 15w50
2.5 ounces Lucas Break-In

Didn't know know if I should just change the oil and use this as fill and make another container for make-up or simply start using this as make-up.

I will probably go to Valvoline oil change shop and they will hand me 6 quart of VWB 10w40, and I can dump this brew into her, and I can slowly use the VWB 10w40 as make up oil when it begin to get colder to help thin out this THICK concoction I just made.

 

[LeakySeals]

Don't forget Rotella T5 and T6, a HDEO may do the trick for consumption and quiet any ticks too.

 

[Phishin]

Originally Posted By: LeakySeals
Don't forget Rotella T5 and T6, a HDEO may do the trick for consumption and quiet any ticks too.


Well, 10w40 VWB doesn't necessarily bring the oil consumption down to something I'm comfortable with while under big loads.

What would HDEO offer over VWB 10w40? Besides a better add pack?

Low RPM driving the oil consumption is reasonable I think. I can handle a quart every 1000-1200 miles. It's the quart I burn running up the lake, and the quart coming home that worries me.

 

[Shannow]

Originally Posted By: Phishin
I'm not asking you all to fix my oil consumption problem.


Originally Posted By: Phishin
It's the quart I burn running up the lake, and the quart coming home that worries me.


????????

 

[LeakySeals]

HDEO's are on the high end of thickness for the grade and less vulnerable to shear according to various articles. Only one way to find out if that's true.