Bandaid on a bullet wound

Golden Helmet

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I can't make much sense of it, but my truck seems to guzzle the first quart and then sip gently at the second quart much slower.
Mine does the exact same thing. If I try and keep the full 10 quarts in the crank case, it'll burn a quart in well under 500 miles and it'll burn every quart I add just as fast. But if I just let it drink that first quart and leave it at 9 quarts, I can go the entire 3k interval without adding oil, the dipstick will always be low but never dry.

@ OP: like others have suggested, I'd try changing your oil to another brand since IDI's are notorious for drinking rotella (I run Rotella and it doesn't burn, but my engine seems to be the exception, not the norm). If that doesn't help, a compression test might not be a bad idea, it'll give you a better idea of how worn your engine is and help you determine if it's worth saving or not.
 

hacked89

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Linds, your oil pressure is fine and within spec.

If you are trying to throw parts at it without diagnostics.. Run it hard and change the oil (maybe stuck rings) and replace the cdr. Your acrid white smoke is diesel not burning efficiently.

Anything else will be diagnostic time.

Why do you think this website is called oil burners.
 

Chemgrad

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I had a 1994 Turbo IDI, traded it away, had similar miles as yours and never had an issue with oil consumption. Mine did have a bad compressor wheel on the turbo though so maybe that was why. Mine had a tendency to run hot when working but a new set of injectors solved that issue. Unfortunately the ******* who sold me a new turbo lied his ass off on what the turbo was and while I did get it running with that turbo it was way too big for a stock pump and or even the 90 cc pump I put on it. It's really easy to sink a lot of money into these or any diesel for that matter and getting your money back on vehicle upgrades is unlikely. As my profile pic shows we had twins so I bought a truck that could haul the 4 of us and was planning on pulling the engine and putting it into something else until a trade I thought looked decent came along. Any thoughts on using the Amsoil engine flush or something like that to get things unstuck? Personally that's what I would try and that's the oil I run in mine. Your oil pressure seems a little low but not horribly. It's been a long time since I ran mine but I believe it idled warm around 15psi and was running around 40psi down the highway.
 

Clb

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Once upon a time "here" there was an "auto rx" thread claims that Mercedes Benz snake oil fix for this...
I dunno might look it up.
 

snicklas

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Just an fyi, Mobil Delvac does not meet Ford's newer spec for CK oils, which is terrible because it's on sale right now LOL

That spec really matters to the 6.7 and maybe 6.4 engines. Our IDI’s really don’t care. If it is diesel rated and slick, that is what we need…. The 6.0’s seem to like a “thinner” full synthetic (I run the 5w-40 Delo), but that is to keep the injectors happier….
 

Black dawg

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I have had many of these trucks and been around/worked on many more. I have seen a few that didnt consume excessively (like 2 quarts in a 5k oil change), the rest burn much more. And they can be super inconsistent with the amount/miles...
My truck will burn a quart....sometimes twice that in 500 miles just normal driving.......but then here recently it has had a trailer hooked to it at all times, so between 3500 and 12k behind it anywhere it has gone. I have added a little less than 2 quarts to it in 3k? Has just short of 400k and has been this way since about 300k, before that it was inconsistently about 2-4 quarts between oil changes (3k at that time)
 

Cubey

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Change the oil… and at short intervals.. I would even use the SuperTech or Traveler brands

I use Traveller a lot since it's often on sale for less than SuperTech. I tend to change my oil every 2500-3000 miles but it's under heavy load constantly due to it's size plus the cargo trailer, and often in dusty conditions.

I'll go with SuperTech this time, since there's no TSC here. It's due again now but it'll have to wait a week or two when I get to WM again and it's not 25mph+ winds. I've replaced at least a gallon from consumption/leaking through, so it's partly fresher. And I run a PSD sized filter for extra filtration. I have a Rotella branded filter on it right now that I got several of cheap on clearance a few years ago.
 
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chillman88

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That spec really matters to the 6.7 and maybe 6.4 engines. Our IDI’s really don’t care. If it is diesel rated and slick, that is what we need…. The 6.0’s seem to like a “thinner” full synthetic (I run the 5w-40 Delo), but that is to keep the injectors happier….

That may well be, but I can't help but feel if it's bad for those engines, it can't really be good for these ones either. Thanks for the info though!
 

Selahdoor

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That may well be, but I can't help but feel if it's bad for those engines, it can't really be good for these ones either. Thanks for the info though!
Clearances/tolerances are different. Etc...
 

LindstheMarine

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Guess it's Corona time ...
Inside joke o.p


I put a qt in during an oil ch. Interval.
Sub 60 k factory miles..
First thing
Load the bed down and tie on something HEAVY, then get it hot and sweaty for @ least an hour or so...
PS put truck starts in yet sig line per towcat...
Helps us I'd the equipment to diagnose....
Lol my husband and I got quite a good laugh at the 'tie on something heavy then get it got and sweaty' bit.
 

LindstheMarine

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As others have said; the cheap gallons of Wally World Delo will do you fine. I'm at the point I just keep it topped off and spin a filter on every year or two. Oil can disappear through a lot of small leaks, blowby into the turbo intake, valve stem seals, etc. Took a lot of small chases and finally not burning off nearly what I was even a few years ago. That said, a big help was running the highway from CdA to Missoula or down to Poky (especially with a trailer) and it cleaned up about everything running.

Oil always reads low on IDIs since it was more about flow than pressure. Factory gauges can drop to zero sitting at a stoplight warmed up.
Sounds like you are from my neck of the woods then! That is a beautiful drive. Thats what I need to hear lol a sussess story. After your series of 'small chases' How much did you cut your oil consumption by?
 
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LindstheMarine

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I too agree, your blow by could be from sitting for years and causing some of your oil consumption. I would change your oil and filter and use Delo this round. (Walmart has both for less. Costco will have just Delo.). Run it for 3,000 miles and see what happens. Read some prior posts to confirm but as I recall some suggest a quart of Marvel Mystery oil can help with stuck rings. Give it some time before you abandon ship.

Don’t assume anything the PO said is fact. Maybe he did the turbo seals, but maybe he or his mechanic did them wrong. So look for a good amount of oil in the intake side of the turbo. Clean then there is no leak on the intake side. A little oil would be suspect, a lot of oil and that is a leak. Also see if you are leaking oil somewhere onto the ground, maybe you are loosing oil to the outside too. Main seal, valve cover, oil cooler etc. These trucks seep but shockingly most of us do not experience big leaks. My engine is dirty and greasy from 30 years and 189,000 miles but I do not seem to leak onto the ground. Your CDR valve does not stop blow by, just tries to separate as much oil as it can. Remember a diesel can burn oil, a gasser only tries to. (You may not see white smoke out of a diesel unless running down an exhaust valve and partially burning in the exhaust system.)

However you do need to take a reality check if a IDI is the right truck for you. Your truck is 28 years old and has 190,000 miles. Two things kill vehicles, age and mileage. Your truck likely has a few years and thousands of miles left to go. But at the cost of wrenching on it regularly and spending good money. So if working on your truck every month is not what you want to be doing (You rather spend your weekend in a tree stand or at a lake.) think about a new or slightly used gasser F150 or 1500. Buy yourself out of wrenching on a 30 year old truck By getting a new one that only needs oil changes, brakes, and tires for the next 60,000 miles.

Also note you are not the only one to ever gotten frustrated with these old beasts. Take a day or two off, cooler minds will prevail.

But overall most of us find they are runners and don’t leave you stranded very often if you take care of them. Also know that any diesel will cost you double to operate vs a gasser. Point in case you will use about 12 quarts each oil change vs 5/6 quarts with a gasser. Spark plug $8, injector $80. Fuel pump $200, rebuilt injector pump $800.(Or more if your core was not rebuildable.) Unless you got lucky you likely paid double for the little emblem on the front that said “Diesel”. If you tow or just love the smell of diesel in the morning it’s all worth it. If you just bought a cheap hunting truck well maybe that was not the case after all. So it’s time to decide what works for you before you dump a bundle into it.
'Cooler minds will prevail' has been some of the best advice on here. It took a day or two but im ready to get back at it. I do love working on the truck and as much as it stresses me out or generally ****** me off.

What quantity of oil in the intake would you consider a lot, or enough to be a leak? I have roughly a tablespoon at the intake of the turbo. I just assumed this was caused by blow by condensing there.

It never occured to me that the truck could be leaking and not have a puddle on the ground. I started paying extra attention after I read that and noticed tiny drops of oil where ever I drive... Im sure a good bit of my consumption is from that. I'll track it down and see where that leaves me.
 

LindstheMarine

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191,000 isn’t much on these trucks. It should have many miles left unless it was totally abused. You mentioned thinking turbo line is blocked or blowby is stopping it from draining. What are you seeing that makes you think that? What type of fuel mileage are you getti

191,000 isn’t much on these trucks. It should have many miles left unless it was totally abused. You mentioned thinking turbo line is blocked or blowby is stopping it from draining. What are you seeing that makes you think that? What type of fuel mileage are you getting?
Im concerned that my crankcase could be slightly pressurized and not allowing the oil to drain. I pass the upside down cap test you see all over YouTube but I'm not convinced that is a solid way to gauge the pressure. Other than my worry that my case is pressurized I have no other reason to think that is where my excessive consumption is from. I'll take it for a drive tomorrow to gauge my fuel mileage and get back to ya. Why do you ask though?
 

LindstheMarine

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If you just put the Rotella in it, I wouldn't throw it away. I feel like the Hot Shot Secret Stiction Eliminator is a good product, and will help free up stuck rings etc. I ran a heavy dose in mine once, and I feel like it made an improvement in oil consumption. I will also join the chorus recommending giving it a good work out. One other thing to point out on the factory turbos is that they have ridiculously small air filters. A restriction there could cause it to pull extra crankcase vapors and oil mist into the intake.
Yeah my filter is absolutely filthy... Thanks for the heads up.
 

LindstheMarine

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Another thing that hasn't been mentioned... How are you checking the oil? These are designed to be checked hot, and the oil will expand some when hot. If you're filling it to the top of the hash marks when it's cold you're going to go through a little more.

I can't make much sense of it, but my truck seems to guzzle the first quart and then sip gently at the second quart much slower.

Just an fyi, Mobil Delvac does not meet Ford's newer spec for CK oils, which is terrible because it's on sale right now LOL
I check the oil hot and make sure to let the oil I dump in work its way into the system before I check it again.

My truck does the same thing... Its like as soon as I fill it up the first qt is gone in 70 miles and then the second over maybe 120. Ive been running it a quart low for this reason. I wonder if it has to do with the location of where my leak is. Like if the oil is completely full it easily escapes and as it lowers it escapes less frequently.
 
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