- Thread starter SVcummins
- Start date
Bruce from Can.
Well-known Member
- Location
- Woodville, Ontario, Canada
Does it have a big block engine? I don’t know how much gas you would run through your truck when you say you are working it hard. My old Ford 429 would use a quart every 1,000 miles like clock work. And it never smoked or fouled the spark plugs. When I was a kid, my friends folks had 6-8 school buses. And I learned that it was a common thing for a GM 350 or 396 to use at least a quart of oil every week right from new. Big engine in trucks and buses with carburetors and conventional ignition systems just seen to like more gas and oil. I’d just pour the oil to it and never look back.
Ultradog MN
Well-known Member
- Location
- Twin Cities
I'll bet if you had someone follow you in it - or you followed them - you'd see the blue smoke. The bed/rack hides it.
Dunno what guage should be in that hole.
You could put an oil consumption meter in it
Dunno what guage should be in that hole.
You could put an oil consumption meter in it
OregonAaron
Member
It doesn't need a blue cloud to be burning plenty. I had an old junker Subaru once with 300,000 miles on it. It would go thru a quart in a couple hundred miles and it didn't leak a drop.
J Hamilton
Well-known Member
- Location
- Southern Illinois
Have you ever tried using Lucas oil treatment? I have used it in some oil burners and it slowed it down quite a bit
jd man wis
Member
I would check the pvc in the valve cover. If they stick it will suck small amount of oil out of the motor. You will be surprised on how hard the vacoomed is on it. The center hole is for a tack. A lot of guys would set the motor by the tach to run hyd pumps to run loaders for unloading fuel and some for running wreacker trucks.
oldwrencher
Member
I had an international s-160 with a gazillion miles years ago that burned a quart every 25 miles, leaked none and a relative followed me and said no smoke even going down hill. Didn't foul plugs either. then a allis ca fouled plugs but burned miniscule amounts of oil. Go figure
Steve@Advance
Well-known Member
It happens, can't explain it, but seen it before. Massive oil consumption and little smoke.
Also had leakers that left a puddle every place it was parked, and rarely had to add oil.
Yes, the center hole is for an optional tach.
Also had leakers that left a puddle every place it was parked, and rarely had to add oil.
Yes, the center hole is for an optional tach.
Most likely, the valve guides are beyond worn out. Oil goes out the exhaust, but the exhaust isn't hot enough to burn it off, hence no smoke. The life of a 350 in that heavy of a truck is pretty short. Even the 366 and 427 were short lived in those trucks. My dad drove for a fleet that used gas C60 366 trucks in the 70's. He said if they got 60K out of the engine, it had lived a good life.
You just need to break down and just put an engine in that truck. With the non-foulers on the spark plugs, I'm surprised it has enough power to keep itself running, much less pull that truck. 350 long block is cheap as far as reman engines go.
You just need to break down and just put an engine in that truck. With the non-foulers on the spark plugs, I'm surprised it has enough power to keep itself running, much less pull that truck. 350 long block is cheap as far as reman engines go.
timcasbolt
Well-known Member
Sometimes you can get away with putting umbrella seals over the valve stems, but usually you need to pull the heads.
DaveBN
Member
- Location
- Western lower Michigan
I thought the wife's car was using oil until I learned to let it sit over night before checking it. It was full every morning. Some engines are slow to drain the oil back into the pan.
Dave
Dave
We had one of those in the shop for a new engine as the old one was burning about the same amount of oil as yours. After the new engine install the cust was PO'd as it was still using oil. The distributor was the culprit it had a part of the governor system in it so we re-used the old one. I would check the vacuum line to the dist for oil. This was 40 years ago so it's all I can recall but A new dist fixed the problem. HTH, Jf
Determined
Well-known Member
A few thoughts regarding your truck.
I've owned a lot of Chevy big blocks and have worked them all hard.
One thing consistent with all of them when worked hard is they break down the additives in the oil then start consuming it.
You do an oil change then drive it for 4000-5000 miles without using a drop then suddenly it needs a quart, then another, then another...
Change the oil and it's good for another 4000-5000.
Being that you are working yours hard it is conceivable the same may apply.
Second thought;
Downshifting and engine braking (pretty common on old overloaded 3 tons with questionable brakes) the increase in vacuum during deceleration will pull oil past the rings and valve guides on a tired engine.
Last thought that may or ay not apply to your truck, aftermarket valve covers did not always come with the proper baffles to properly shield the PCV valve from sucking in oil mist.
I've owned a lot of Chevy big blocks and have worked them all hard.
One thing consistent with all of them when worked hard is they break down the additives in the oil then start consuming it.
You do an oil change then drive it for 4000-5000 miles without using a drop then suddenly it needs a quart, then another, then another...
Change the oil and it's good for another 4000-5000.
Being that you are working yours hard it is conceivable the same may apply.
Second thought;
Downshifting and engine braking (pretty common on old overloaded 3 tons with questionable brakes) the increase in vacuum during deceleration will pull oil past the rings and valve guides on a tired engine.
Last thought that may or ay not apply to your truck, aftermarket valve covers did not always come with the proper baffles to properly shield the PCV valve from sucking in oil mist.
I agree with most people that said most likely valve guides/ seals. Does it puff out a little smoke at startup after sitting a while? As for the center blank hole in the dash I would say either tach or maybe a larger vacuum gauge for some applications like a school bus. I rode to school on Reo and IH chassis buses and remember that they all had a large vacuum gauge . I see you have a smaller vacuum gauge to the right of the steering column.
I bought a beautiful 90 1/2 ton GMC Texas truck. The owner was a fanatic, truck looked like new and had about 140,000 miles on it. Not long after I bought it the oil was disappearing fast. Decided valve seals would be the cheapest place to start, pulled the valve covers and the seals were in pieces laying there. Later found a receipt in the glove box some shop just replaced the seals, apparently with hammer.
I sold the truck with 286,000 mi. on it and never had to add oil between changes. Truck had the original eng. and transmission and rear axle. A best buy.
Get some perfect circle type seals and tools and get on it.
I sold the truck with 286,000 mi. on it and never had to add oil between changes. Truck had the original eng. and transmission and rear axle. A best buy.
Get some perfect circle type seals and tools and get on it.
Don't know. My ford f150 with 5.4L engine uses a quart every thousand but doesn't leak or smoke. Same for the Expedition with 5.4L. It did it since new. Problem with those things is that they can go 3 quarts low and you never know it by looking at oil pressure gauge. Guess I'll check the pcv but it rattled the last time I checked it.
It could be burning the lost oil in the combustion chamber. How much fuel did it burn in that same time? If you dumped two quarts of oil into that amount of fuel you probably would not see any change in the exhaust. How much blow by is there past the piston rings? If the PCV system is working, high blow by could all be pulled into the intake and burned with little smoke out the exhaust. Worn valve guides usually shows up as a puff of blue smoke at startup.
A leak down test could pinpoint the problem or reveal if all of the engine is worn.
The big question now is will you use a 50 year old truck enough in the future to justify an overhaul or a re-manufactured short block?
Dumb question:
Would new valve seals over worn intake valve guides starve the valves guides of lubrication and accelerate guide wear even more?
A leak down test could pinpoint the problem or reveal if all of the engine is worn.
The big question now is will you use a 50 year old truck enough in the future to justify an overhaul or a re-manufactured short block?
Dumb question:
Would new valve seals over worn intake valve guides starve the valves guides of lubrication and accelerate guide wear even more?
Sir, center hole is for factory tach.
Change over requires factory tach, replacing printed circuit board for one with tach and plastic face plate with numbers for tach.
Easier to locate donor instrument cluster with tach
OR mount aftermarket tach on steering column.
I have done both on these model year trucks.
Easiest and cheapest is aftermarket tach.
Good luck, jac
Valve stem seals may cure your oil problem.
If you do remove the heads for seal replacement have the guides knurled.
Change over requires factory tach, replacing printed circuit board for one with tach and plastic face plate with numbers for tach.
Easier to locate donor instrument cluster with tach
OR mount aftermarket tach on steering column.
I have done both on these model year trucks.
Easiest and cheapest is aftermarket tach.
Good luck, jac
Valve stem seals may cure your oil problem.
If you do remove the heads for seal replacement have the guides knurled.
Not unique to Chevys either. Seems to be worse with multi-weight oils. My first job out of HS was at a service station. Bosses wife drove a 58 Cad, sedan DeVille. Only two years old at the time. Oil changes at 3k, never more. Oil of choice was Phillips Trop-Artic, 10w30. One of the first multi-weights. At 1500 miles it would need a quart. At 2500 another quart. At oil change time it was a quart low.
As an experiment at one change we put in a straight 30w for winter use. No added oil needed between changes.
That said, I'd bet on valve guides/seals as the cause. Cheap to try a set of umbrella seals. Positive seals are better, but require removing the head to machine the guide ends. Then you might as well do a full valve job.
As an experiment at one change we put in a straight 30w for winter use. No added oil needed between changes.
That said, I'd bet on valve guides/seals as the cause. Cheap to try a set of umbrella seals. Positive seals are better, but require removing the head to machine the guide ends. Then you might as well do a full valve job.
I am using this truck way more than I thought I ever would it runs well and has a lot of power for what it is . I have been kicking around the idea of rebuilding the engine but not this year . The mileage is terrible but it’s a fun old rig to drive . I will use it exclusively to haul my hay and straw it is so handy to just dump the bales and go get another load .
If I dig in my tool box I can find the sparkplug I knocked the center out of and braized a 1/4" pipe nipple on it so I could put an airline male end on it. Bring a cylinder to tdc, attach air so it holds the valves closed. Remove keepers and spring, replace seal, reassemble and move to the next one. Also listen for air escaping in carb and exhaust to indicate valves leaking slightly.
Hobo,NC
Well-known Member
- Location
- Sanford, NC
While you are at it drop the pan and remove the piston's life will be good... I have been thru this same engine in the end new rings sealed the deal...
Texasmark1
Well-known Member
If I let my '63 Ford 4 cy diesel tractor, 3800 hrs, engine never been gone into, idle for a few minutes and max out the throttle in a jerk type motion, It will emit a puff of blue smoke. The tractor, after having sat for several weeks without running, starts in 1 second and on really cold days here in N. Tx. it may take 3 seconds with no starting aids. This is proof positive that I don't have bad rings, nor burnt valves/mal adjusted solid lifters. Initially there is a bit of blue smoke out the tail pipe which all but disappears when up to the 170 T stat opening temp. Oil consumption is non existent best I can tell.
I was told years ago that what I experienced was bad valve guides or seals. Saying was at idle, with the tractor running it's (Ford's) 50+ oil pressure (15w-40 HD oil) the volume of air-fuel going through the engine isn't enough to offset the amount of oil leaking down the valve stems as it is at PTO rpm for example where smoke isn't noticeable.
In opposition to your problem, I don't consume the 2 qts per day. This might explain better what I am trying to say:
https://carused.jp/blog/car-maintenance/how-to-check-for-bad-valve-seals/
I was told years ago that what I experienced was bad valve guides or seals. Saying was at idle, with the tractor running it's (Ford's) 50+ oil pressure (15w-40 HD oil) the volume of air-fuel going through the engine isn't enough to offset the amount of oil leaking down the valve stems as it is at PTO rpm for example where smoke isn't noticeable.
In opposition to your problem, I don't consume the 2 qts per day. This might explain better what I am trying to say:
https://carused.jp/blog/car-maintenance/how-to-check-for-bad-valve-seals/
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