Oil level rising

Cskaggs2 · Mar 4, 2022

My oil level keeps rising. I swapped out the mechanical lift pump. Redid diesel return lines as i found most were bad. I drained and filled oil, left halfway up the hatch mark. Within 100 miles, I was at the full mark again.

Coolant still looks clean and was flushed, new SCA additive about 6 months ago. Oil I drained doesn't appear milky or anything, so I assume it has diesel in it. Is the next step the injector pump? If so, I just did diesel return lines, valve covers, mechanical lift pump. How much harder is the injector pump to change out?

Isaac Ristow · Mar 4, 2022

If you did the lift pump and it's still doing it must be the injection pump. Is the oil thin like it's got diesel in it? I've never seen a stanadyne fuel the oil but not saying it's not possible. My David brown has a cav pump and its putting a crazy amount of fuel in the oil I put a electric lift pump in to confirm it's not the lift pump on my tractor. Injection pump isnt too bad at all to swap I've done then in half an hour biggest thing is you should really time the new pump and to do that you need a pulse adapter or find somebody with one there's a post somewhere on here with everyone that has one and their location and contact info

snicklas · Mar 4, 2022

Yes, the IP can put fuel in the oil.

If I remember right @BrianX128 had one that did that…

Big Bart · Mar 4, 2022

Some thoughts.

1) Did you watch the oil drain? When my oil cooler leaked it did not mix the coolant and oil, they came out unmixed oddly. Had I not watched, I might not of noticed. But mine was a quarter cup not a quart.
2) If it is diesel you should be able to smell it in the oil. I don’t believe the oil will cover the smell.
3) Sometimes the valley pan has little holes develop or the cdr gasket fails. Potentially if you had return lines or injector lines leaking on the valley pan it could have gone in that way.
3) The IP can leak out the front of the pump into the timing cover but that is very rare. But if the oil smells like diesel, it is likely the culprit.
4) Does your engine run smooth? Any chance this is wash down from a bad injector on a weak cylinder?

Cubey · Mar 4, 2022

Big Bart said:
4) Does your engine run smooth? Any chance this is wash down from a bad injector on a weak cylinder?

Completely unrelated (sorta) but my 2cyl Onan genset was running on 1cyl due to a bad spark plug and you couldn't even tell, except for gas ending up in the oil. It would run the air conditioner or water heater just fine.

Cskaggs2 · Mar 4, 2022

In reply to Big Bart:
1) I did watch the oil drain. Everything looked uniform, just seems thinned out especially considering I only had 100 miles on the oil.
2) Can't quite tell on the smell
3) I had a lot of return lines leaking. I fixed them and changed the oil. I only currently have a tiny seepage on one injector.
4) Engine runs like a champ. A little white smoke at startup but once I start driving, nothing, even at idle. I do have some blow by as I had the air hose from the valve cover pressure regulator to the air intake unconnected for a bit during maintenance.

Is there an easy way to test oil for diesel and/or coolant contamination?

Isaac Ristow · Mar 4, 2022

Cskaggs2 said:
In reply to Big Bart:
1) I did watch the oil drain. Everything looked uniform, just seems thinned out especially considering I only had 100 miles on the oil.
2) Can't quite tell on the smell
3) I had a lot of return lines leaking. I fixed them and changed the oil. I only currently have a tiny seepage on one injector.
4) Engine runs like a champ. A little white smoke at startup but once I start driving, nothing, even at idle. I do have some blow by as I had the air hose from the valve cover pressure regulator to the air intake unconnected for a bit during maintenance.

Is there an easy way to test oil for diesel and/or coolant contamination?

To check oil for fuel contamination you'd have to send a oil sample to a oil lab like Caterpillar or such to get a forsure result. But usually you can tell if its thinned hold the dipstick upside down and see how fast it moves. Fueled oil will take out bearings pretty quickly. If you have a injector still seeping maybe your valley drain is plugged and that fuel is going though the old cdr grommet?

Cskaggs2 · Mar 4, 2022

The cdr is installed on top of the driver side crankcase cover, correct? How would diesel make it there from an injector leak. The back injector on driver side has the leakage currently. It’s the only one that gave me the issue on the repair. I probably damaged an o ring. I will fix this now before I try anything else.

Big Bart · Mar 4, 2022

Since you do not have a signature we were assuming you had a non-turbo. The CDR hooks to the valley pan and intake neck on a N/A. But yes some turbos moved it to the valve cover. So to your point if yours is there not a issue for you. FYI most of us have some level of blowby.

As mentioned above, oil testing would be your test to see what is in the oil. But if thinning not milking up, sounds like diesel not coolant. If the coolant is not mixing in the oil it would sit in the oil pan or mix and milk up with the oil. (But not thin the oil.) I think you should pull the IP and send it for testing.

IDIBRONCO · Mar 4, 2022

Big Bart said:
So to your point if yours is there not a issue for you.

To continue on from this: but you still have that hole back there even if the CDR has been moved to a valve cover. Most likely, the oil drain for the turbo goes into that hole. You could still be getting fuel in through this hole if the valley pan drain is plugged, you have a return line leaking, and the seal around the oil drain isn't 100% good.

david85 · Mar 5, 2022

I hate to ask the dumb question, but are you consistently checking the oil level at the same condition? Same parking spot, pointed the same direction, and at the same temperature? If you did your first check on a cold engine and then again on a hot engine, you will see a noticeably higher level.

Cskaggs2 · Mar 7, 2022

I am checking oil on same condition. I think the rise has slowed considerably since I fix the return lines. Driver side fuel lines were weeping diesel. Now I only have the back injector leak. I also no longer have oil/diesel puddle under my truck in the morning. I am not familiar with the valley pan drain. Where is this located?

Old Goat · Mar 7, 2022

The VP Drain is at the rear of the VP, just aft of where the CDR hose connects. It is a a screw in plug that has a hose in the middle to drain fluids down the back side of the engine.

The eventually get plugged up with dirt, leaves, rat crap etc...

Valley pan drain plug

www.thedieselstop.com

This thread shows a good picture of the VP.

Valley Pan/head gasket leak? - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

Pre-Power Stroke Diesel (7.3L IDI & 6.9L) - Valley Pan/head gasket leak? - Welcome to my nightmare. I have a 1992 f-350 with a 7.3 idi. I have located a coolant leak coming from the top of my motor. It is on the top front passenger side. I replaced the valley pan/intake gasket thinking it was...

www.ford-trucks.com

Goat

BrianX128 · Mar 8, 2022

snicklas said:
Yes, the IP can put fuel in the oil.

If I remember right @BrianX128 had one that did that…

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

All the way to being so full on hills it would sucking it through the intake in the valve covers and trying to run away while choking on its own fuel/ oil mix. Was 2 gallons of diesel in my oil here.

Cskaggs2 · Mar 13, 2022

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Found my valley pan drain. Driver side next to rear injector. There is grommet in front of it as well. It was packed full of sludge, o rings, nuts, washers, a spring and even a couple small balls from a bearing. All cleaned out now and will monitor oil level.

Oil level rising

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Valley Pan/head gasket leak? - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

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