Went 4 1/2 month without changing oil. Oil consumption.

Here is what a basic Oil Analysis kit looks like:

1730143730207.webp


You don't generally take sample from the oil pan drain.

You use a tube to go down the dipstick housing into the pan and pull oil that is [not] sitting on the bottom for analysis.
 
Nothing makes sense to me here...if you were a half quart low, your engine wouldn't care and you wouldn't notice either. I've never heard of oil evaporating either. I used to live in Phoenix and never noticed anything like that. Best thing you can do is send your oil to Blackstone labs. Go to their website and they will mail you a collection kit for free. Pull the oil right out of the pan after it has drained about a quart out first. I think an analysis costs like $45. Also, oil changes everything 3 months is throwing your money in the trash unless you drive over 5k miles in that time frame. Motor oil these days (especially synthetic) is light years better than it was 30 years ago. What weight oil are you using?
I think if viscosity changes bad enough then oil doesn't flow fast enough back into pan. Making low oil level situation.

Oil viscosity will change under harsh conditions.

I was a 1 qt. Low,

Maybe it was not due to temp, but due to contamination or both. Pcv wasnt working good.

Another idea, I use militec 1. I heard it has some cleaning detergents in it. And Valvoline high mileage has extra cleaning detergents, and I think I used zddp additive which gives extra detergent and it helped to clean gunk of engine thus thickening oil.

Or bad gas.

Or when gas is expired, or gets old, it will leave more carbon behind. I don't think all companies are on top of their gasoline freshness monetization.
 
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My pcv system wasn't working great, the screen was dirty. Previous owner didn't care to change it. My engine ran hotter, it was running little leaner.

Drove the car yesterday, for about 1 1/2 hours, on fresh oil, installed catch can, modified that pcv mesh screen.

Runs so much better now, oil levels stayed same.

Did notice a few small leaks. Front main has a tiny leak.

Will see how she does on long trip.
 
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So dip stick show'd full, you added a quart of oil,
Oil evaporate?
:scratch:

My oil got too think and didn't flow back into pan fast enough. And pistons were not getting their sprinkle. That was my logic.
So I thought by adding extra qt. wasn't going to hurt anything, and It did help, engine wasn't dragging... So I had maybe 6 to 6.5 it in there.

This is the second time it started dragging, before when it started, the first time (dragging the engine), after long Trip, oil level was on low, and tripped low oil light.

That's dragging is what bothers me.. my bearing are fine, never lost pressure.
 
So I thought by adding extra qt. wasn't going to hurt anything, and It did help, engine wasn't dragging... So I had maybe 6 to 6.5 it in there.

You don't want to do this, it can cause issues just as being too low can cause issues. Manufacturers call for X amount of oil for safety in all driving conditions without having too much oil in the pan to cause foaming:

How Overfilling Damages Your Engine​

You car needs oil, so giving it too much might seem like erring on the side of caution. In reality, too much of a good thing is actually a bad thing. If you overfill engine oil, it can lead to thousands of dollars in repairs. If an excess of oil floods into your vehicle's crankshaft, the rotation speed of the crankshaft begins to aerate the oil. This causes the oil to be whipped into a foam, sort of like making whipped cream from whipping cream in your kitchen. This change to your oil means your oil does not move through your engine well and can even lead all oil flow to cease. This causes your engine oil to get too hot and causes oil pressure loss. When the engine doesn't get the oil it needs for proper lubrication, it can seize up.

(Quoted from this site: https://www.zeiglerfordesp.com/tool..._If_You_Overfill_Your_Vehicle_With_Oil&type=4 )

Or, if videos are your thing:

(Disclaimer - I've not watched this so I don't know what all he says, I can only assume he's giving proper information.)


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbzxZrGT_RE



OR, just for fun! :rlaugh:


View: https://youtu.be/VaTbfvzNbxQ?si=E3-Yzs1bAd1CzlJt


Like I said earlier in this thread, I don't think you have an oil level issue (as far as it being low....) as much as you do something else. If your car was bogging I'd look for other reasons, an oiling issue most likely ain't it!
:dead:
 
I think if viscosity changes bad enough then oil doesn't flow fast enough back into pan. Making low oil level situation.

Oil viscosity will change under harsh conditions.

I was a 1 qt. Low,

Maybe it was not due to temp, but due to contamination or both. Pcv wasnt working good.

Another idea, I use militec 1. I heard it has some cleaning detergents in it. And Valvoline high mileage has extra cleaning detergents, and I think I used zddp additive which gives extra detergent and it helped to clean gunk of engine thus thickening oil.

Or bad gas.

Or when gas is expired, or gets old, it will leave more carbon behind. I don't think all companies are on top of their gasoline freshness monetization.
I think you are better off just running conventional or synthetic without any additional modifyers. Most of that stuff is snake oil at best...harmful at worst.
 
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Nothing makes sense to me here...if you were a half quart low, your engine wouldn't care and you wouldn't notice either. I've never heard of oil evaporating either. I used to live in Phoenix and never noticed anything like that. Best thing you can do is send your oil to Blackstone labs. Go to their website and they will mail you a collection kit for free. Pull the oil right out of the pan after it has drained about a quart out first. I think an analysis costs like $45. Also, oil changes everything 3 months is throwing your money in the trash unless you drive over 5k miles in that time frame. Motor oil these days (especially synthetic) is light years better than it was 30 years ago. What weight oil are you using?
I just want to clarify that I was about 1 quart low and believe that viscosity was really bad, maybe it was due to friction modifier (militec-1). Who knows?

Bad viscosity can lead to flow problems right?

Anyway the second time it was happening, my engine felt really laggy, and I had normal oil level. And I knew I needed to add more oil, my brain kept saying it over and over again.

Once I added extra qt. It went away.(The laggyness, the engine drag).

What if you drive 3 k miles in that time frame? How is that throwing money away?
 
You don't want to do this, it can cause issues just as being too low can cause issues. Manufacturers call for X amount of oil for safety in all driving conditions without having too much oil in the pan to cause foaming:

How Overfilling Damages Your Engine​

You car needs oil, so giving it too much might seem like erring on the side of caution. In reality, too much of a good thing is actually a bad thing. If you overfill engine oil, it can lead to thousands of dollars in repairs. If an excess of oil floods into your vehicle's crankshaft, the rotation speed of the crankshaft begins to aerate the oil. This causes the oil to be whipped into a foam, sort of like making whipped cream from whipping cream in your kitchen. This change to your oil means your oil does not move through your engine well and can even lead all oil flow to cease. This causes your engine oil to get too hot and causes oil pressure loss. When the engine doesn't get the oil it needs for proper lubrication, it can seize up.

(Quoted from this site: https://www.zeiglerfordesp.com/tool..._If_You_Overfill_Your_Vehicle_With_Oil&type=4 )

Or, if videos are your thing:

(Disclaimer - I've not watched this so I don't know what all he says, I can only assume he's giving proper information.)


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbzxZrGT_RE



OR, just for fun! :rlaugh:


View: https://youtu.be/VaTbfvzNbxQ?si=E3-Yzs1bAd1CzlJt


Like I said earlier in this thread, I don't think you have an oil level issue (as far as it being low....) as much as you do something else. If your car was bogging I'd look for other reasons, an oiling issue most likely ain't it!
:dead:


Very likely oil issue, I added a qt. And bogging went away.

Maybe it was the additive I used. That thickened the oil.


All I know the old oil is thick and nasty, and don't think I got a lot miles on it, definitely less then 4k.
 
I just want to clarify that I was about 1 quart low and believe that viscosity was really bad, maybe it was due to friction modifier (militec-1). Who knows?

Bad viscosity can lead to flow problems right?

Anyway the second time it was happening, my engine felt really laggy, and I had normal oil level. And I knew I needed to add more oil, my brain kept saying it over and over again.

Once I added extra qt. It went away.(The laggyness, the engine drag).

What if you drive 3 k miles in that time frame? How is that throwing money away?
If you change your oil earlier than 5k, you are essentially throwing your money away. But, that's just my opinion...

I don't understand adding another quart if it was full. The reason why it probably ran better is you diluted that friction modifyer further by doing so.

I'd just run your oil of choice without any snake oil additives and you will be fine. Don't overfill it either. Change within 5k and call it a day.
 
My oil got too think and didn't flow back into pan fast enough. And pistons were not getting their sprinkle. That was my logic.
So I thought by adding extra qt. wasn't going to hurt anything, and It did help, engine wasn't dragging... So I had maybe 6 to 6.5 it in there.

This is the second time it started dragging, before when it started, the first time (dragging the engine), after long Trip, oil level was on low, and tripped low oil light.

That's dragging is what bothers me.. my bearing are fine, never lost pressure.
Loss in oil pressure isn't the only indication of damaged/spun bearings. You can only know if they are fine by actually inspecting them visually. Next best option is seeing if there is any glitter in the oil when you change it.

Damage could have been done and you may not notice any knocking until thousands of miles later...it all depends.

Or they might be just fine.
 
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If you change your oil earlier than 5k, you are essentially throwing your money away. But, that's just my opinion...

I don't understand adding another quart if it was full. The reason why it probably ran better is you diluted that friction modifyer further by doing so.

I'd just run your oil of choice without any snake oil additives and you will be fine. Don't overfill it either. Change within 5k and call it a day.
I hear what you saying. 5 k miles is rough i think. Take you oil out after 3k and take look at it, would you pour that oil in your engine. It might be already blackened with carbon, and carbon is an abrasive isn't it?
 
I hear what you saying. 5 k miles is rough i think. Take you oil out after 3k and take look at it, would you pour that oil in your engine. It might be already blackened with carbon, and carbon is an abrasive isn't it?
5k doesn't scare me one bit. Been doing it for years. If your oil is blackened heavily at 3k miles, there is likely something wrong or you are torturing the engine. Do what you want. I'd just stay away from the snake oils.
 
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5k doesn't scare me one bit. Been doing it for years. If your oil is blackened heavily at 3k miles, there is likely something wrong or you are torturing the engine. Do what you want. I'd just stay away from the snake oils.


I think I actually put around 4k, because I did long trips. I want to fix my odometer asap.

Are all friction reducers bad?

LiquiMolly makes molybdenum additive, same stuff they put in Redline oil.

I don't think there is enough additives in most engine oils.
 
I think I actually put around 4k, because I did long trips. I want to fix my odometer asap.

Are all friction reducers bad?

LiquiMolly makes molybdenum additive, same stuff they put in Redline oil.

I don't think there is enough additives in most engine oils.
What matters is your oil change interval and using a high quality filter. Pick whichever oil you like, run a quality filter (I prefer Motorcraft or WIX usually), and change it within 5k miles. There are so many pointless motor oil threads out there already...and they are exactly that, POINTLESS. Don't over think it. These engines are tanks.

No need for any additional additives.
 
Here is an opinion from a 'old timer'...........
The 'oil additive ' thing was big when oil was basically dino sludge, 'crude oil' it was called.
Now the choices are almost infinite. I used Wolf's Head 15w-50 semi- synthetic truck oil in my 97 SD 7.3 turbo known as the 'Dump Truck'. It has 600k+, oil changed around every 7k miles. No additives. Uses 2 quarts oil in that time, this is a tow truck, lots of idle time, I'd say so close to severe duty.
Today's oil needs no additives, it's not your grandpa's oil.
 
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Here is an opinion from a 'old timer'...........
The 'oil additive ' thing was big when oil was basically dino sludge, 'crude oil' it was called.
Now the choices are almost infinite. I used Wolf's Head 15w-50 semi- synthetic truck oil in my 97 SD 7.3 turbo known as the 'Dump Truck'. It has 600k+, oil changed around every 7k miles. No additives. Uses 2 quarts oil in that time, this is a tow truck, lots of idle time, I'd say so close to severe duty.
Today's oil needs no additives, it's not your grandpa's oil.
Wolf's Head 15w-50 , what made you choose that oil?
I've never heard of it.

I have a question, if I cruise at 2500 rpm and then go WOT, is that considered lugging the engine?
 
Wolf's Head 15w-50 , what made you choose that oil?
I've never heard of it.

I have a question, if I cruise at 2500 rpm and then go WOT, is that considered lugging the engine?
Well, originally I was getting it a lot cheaper than Rotilla, spec'd better and it was semi-synthetic. Amzoil owns the brand now. I was getting it from a warehouse/distributor for AC Delco parts, that truck holds 14 quarts, that's 2.5 gallons, the filter alone holds 2 quarts and at the time I was servicing it every other month. 600K miles later it's doing fine.
Your second question: that depends on what gear your in and the rear gear ratio/tire size.
 
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Well, originally I was getting it a lot cheaper than Rotilla, spec'd better and it was semi-synthetic. Amzoil owns the brand now. I was getting it from a warehouse/distributor for AC Delco parts, that truck holds 14 quarts, that's 2.5 gallons, the filter alone holds 2 quarts and at the time I was servicing it every other month. 600K miles later it's doing fine.
Your second question: that depends on what gear your in and the rear gear ratio/tire size.
Well, originally I was getting it a lot cheaper than Rotilla, spec'd better and it was semi-synthetic. Amzoil owns the brand now. I was getting it from a warehouse/distributor for AC Delco parts, that truck holds 14 quarts, that's 2.5 gallons, the filter alone holds 2 quarts and at the time I was servicing it every other month. 600K miles later it's doing fine.
Your second question: that depends on what gear your in and the rear gear ratio/tire size.
2nd gear, 3rd gear. With gear ratio and tire size stock.

I love engines that can make it to 600k, I wonder if 5.0 could make to 500k.
 
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