My car CAN'T be burning THAT much oil... CAN IT?!

cjman15

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#21

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• #21

Michael Yount said:

20w50 might help - ok to try it in the summer; but it's too heavy for cold winter starts.

Click to expand...

I don't drive it during tha winter.

 

cjman15

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#22

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And, I just changed my PCV valve and replaced with a new clean screen... maybe that will help with any leaks

Pretty sure I'm probably burning oil from leaky valve seals... Only time it really smokes is when you get on it, and then decelerate in tha same gear (as someone mentioned before)... it's that engine slowing effect that brings tha blue smoke... going down hills and coming to stops usually.

 

Michael Yount

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#23

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• #23

Seals and guides likely.....

Do you start it during the winter?

 

cjman15

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#24

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Like once every two weeks, has had Mobil 10w30 in it since I got it about 3+ yrs. ago

 

Michael Yount

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#25

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• #25

If you're starting it and the oil temp is in the 0F-15F range, I'd put a 5w-30 in it for the winter/spring.

 

281pony

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#26

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• #26

sorry to jump in here, but this thread inspired a couple questions for me.

first, is a 1/2-3/4" quart consumption/loss in 3k miles pretty normal? i always pour my dirty oil back into the 5 quart containers they come in. i have about 1/2 a quart less then 5 each time. just wondering if that is pretty decent since the back of my oilpan leaks some.

second, how does an oil temp gauge hook up? ive been considering a new gauge pod since the one in there doesnt fit right on the pillar. so i think ill purchase the triple holder and get an oil temp gauge. just curious how those hook up? it will be a mechanical gauge like my others.

 

Michael Yount

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#27

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• #27

There's no single "normal" for oil consumption - as you might imagine, it's all over the place depending on lots of variables. Yours doesn't seem unreasonable to me -- although I've only had one oil burner in my life (first car, high miles, broken rings), so it always somehow seems like there's something wrong if one is burning oil.

I use an electronic oil temp gauge - I wanted all my gauges to be of the type the factory originally used in the car, and oil temp. was an optional gauge on mine. The sender unit is placed in the center/back of the oil pan's rear sump. I had a fitting installed by a local machine shop while I had the pan off the engine when I did my top end rebuild serveral years ago. That's the best place to sense oil temps - you want to stay away from the front sump. Some places will sell sending units that screw into the drain plug of the pan in place of the stock drain plug --- ideal and easy solution.

Not sure how you're gonna handle a mechanical temp gauge as you've got to locate the sensing bulb/capillary tube in the oil pan. If I were you I'd reconsider going for a mechanical gauge in this application and see if you can't find an electric with a sending unit that will fit the drain plug in the pan.

 

281pony

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#28

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• #28

wow i didnt know that. definately not what i want to do, glad i asked.

do you know if summit racing happens to carry the sending unit that screws into the drain plug? that is where i had my order mapped out at.

thanks

 

281pony

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#29

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i found the number for the electrical one, and put it in on summit. it says there is a sending unit included, i am not sure how it works though?

im going to call their tech line and ask. did you go with a 100-250 or a 140-300 degree gauge btw? i am thinking the 140-300 degree one. it is just a street car if that should impact my decision.

 

Michael Yount

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#30

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• #30

My stuff is all VDO-Volvo orignal equipment - can't help you with your Summit questions.

 

crazypete

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#31

• Jun 3, 2005

• #31

HISSIN50 said:

Where is the unofficial supporter of 20W-50 (Crazy Pete)?

.

Click to expand...

D00d, put some 20w-50 in!!

=P

Put 20w-50 REGULAR oil in and see how the burn rate changes. Could be a lot. Mine went from 1 quart per 100 miles with 10w30 synthetic to 1 quart per oilchange when using 10w30 regular. If the rate changes, it's rings and seals and you are burning it somehow

If you are still losing oil after that, unscrew the oil filler cap and put a dryer sheet over the top with a rubber band around it (keeps stuff getting in:instant filter). See if that changes the rate. If so, you have blowby or a clogged pcv system.

If you check the oil right after you stop the engine, you'll get strange low results. A bunch of oil is still stuck to the inside of the motor and is dripping down. You need to wait. Check it on a slope and get obvious wrong results.

Now I've overfilled my GF's tbird 5.0 motor religiously for almost half a year now. It used to lose a lot of oil but we never encountered any loss of performance really cold starting it overfilled to about 6 1/2 quarts with 20w50 and sealer additive in the dead of new england winter. Started right up and ran real smooth. Still lost oil.....turns out it was oil being forced through the crankcase by some blowby. Added a breather to the filler neck and problem solved. Havent added any oil since 2000 miles ago.

Good luck!

Pete

 

HISSIN50

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#32

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• #32

88SC_GT said:

i found the number for the electrical one, and put it in on summit. it says there is a sending unit included, i am not sure how it works though?

im going to call their tech line and ask. did you go with a 100-250 or a 140-300 degree gauge btw? i am thinking the 140-300 degree one. it is just a street car if that should impact my decision.

Click to expand...

Were it me, I would want the 140-300* gauge - we will see what Michael says.

 

cjman15

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#33

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I've changed my PCV valve and screen and it seems to have helped some... I'm guessing it's my valve seals that are leaking... it's not leaking much, if any oil...

 

Michael Yount

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#34

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• #34

100-250 (if it's in F degrees) sounds like what should be used for coolant temperature, not oil. My VDO oil temp gauge has a 120-300F range. My car routinely exceeded 250F oil temps before I installed an oil cooler.

 

87TTopGT

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#35

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• #35

My 120,000 mile motor (untouched block, heads etc) was using about a quart every thousand until I started using Lucas oil additive. Now less than half a quart between oil changes (3000) so it would seem problem solved.
Any definitive downside to using such additives, or this particular one? I know, using oil means there is something to fix, but damn why rebuild an engine that is running great if you can spend $7 every 3000 miles and not have a problem?

 

Zero_chance

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#36

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• #36

I was going through 1 quart every 500 miles until I changed all the valve seals and the lower intake gaskets. Now Im about to hit 1000 and the level hasnt changed noticeably from where I scribed the dipstick.