How I Stopped Excessive Oil Use!

[WhiskeyBottle2]

First off...I use Ford's 15W-40 HD oil for diesels and a powerstroke oil filter...the same oil and filter that is recommended for powerstrokes. My truck is an 86 F-250 4 X 4 dually conversion with a 6.9l n/a zf-5 tranny. The truck now has 314K miles on her and she started using lots of oil. At that point I was thinking it was time for an overhaul, but I didn't...

I did a cylinder compression test and was surprised at the results...So much so that I did it again and all cylinders were in the 350-400 range...Good right? I didn't have any oil leaks worth mentioning so I am thinking CDR...I bought a new one, but instead of installing it stock...I relocated the CDR to the intake nose on the breather via a catch can. Now my intake is oil free and dry, but I was still getting more oil in the catch can than I thought was normal, however my oil use went down about half. What to do? Well I heard of autorx but I also heard of Kreen over on Bob is the Oil Guy. I have always been afraid of engine flushing and I was thinking maybe my ring packs were gunked up and not working right and causing excessive blow-by...but why the good compression figures? I was at a loss to explain the excessive oil use...none in the coolant...no oil anywhere except where it is supposed to be as well as the catch can, so I thought I had nothing to lose because of the high milage and decided to try flushing.

Well I bought 3 qts. of Kreen from Kano Labs...I think I paid about $15.00 a quart plus shipping. When it arrived I drained a quart of oil out and poured in 1 qt. of Kreen in the crankcase. I also poured 4 oz. of Kreen in with 16 gallons of fuel. After driving half the fuel out I changed the oil filter and drove the other half of the fuel.

Here's what happened...even before I burned all the fuel and changed the oil and filter...My engine got less noisy, more power and lots less oil in the catch can. Being the worry wart I am...I drove 1000 miles on the new oil change and changed it again...this time I let it drip overnite trying to get it all out. The first oil change was black as black could be and the first two filters looked like they had been on the truck forever. Anyway, by that last oil and filter change my truck was not using an excess of oil nor was the catch can "catching" excessive amounts...Back to normal oil use!!! and still that way today...

Now all I do is add 3 oz to the oil and fuel every 2nd oil change for maintenance. It...the Kreen worked for me...will it work for you? I don't know, but for me it was well worth the chance vs. overhaul....Maybe I'll get another 100k before I do need an overhaul...maybe more...Well there's my story...

 

[icanfixall]

Kano Labs makes some great products. I use the Aerokroil all the time. It can be purchased in spray form or bulk form. The company I retired from bought it in the 55 gallon drums. We had three on hand all the time...

 

[CDX825]

Good to hear Kreen worked for ya! Ive been thinking of giving it a try in my truck as well.

How much did it help your oil consumption? Have you checked the compression again since running it?

 

[dgr]

No pics of your catch can? You're a tease

 

[WhiskeyBottle2]

Catch Can Pic

No pics of your catch can? You're a tease

Well a catch can is a catch can...just depends on how much you spend on one to make yourself feel good. They all do pretty much the same thing as a mason jar with 2 hoses will do so I thought a pic wasn't needed. Sorry! I will try to get one.

As far as oil use goes...before CDR relocation and Kreen treatment...3 to 4 qts. per 1000 miles depending on how hard I push the old girl...

After CDR relocation and Kreen treatment...1/2 to 1 qt. per 1000 miles depending...

I didn't do an after compression test. I wish I would have...It just never crossed my mind because I was just so happy the CDR relocation and Kreen treatment worked so well...

I will also add...and not sure why yet...my oil temps are down 10 degrees as well as the oil pressure improved...Now it will hover between 60 & 70 psi @ running speeds...sometimes 80 psi when I give her the fuel...and 25 psi @ idle after engine is warm...

And like I said before...the upper end runs noticeably quiter. Kreen may have loosened up a lifter or 2 and/or cleaned some valves...I do know my injectors are really cleaner. When I pulled them for their 15k ultrasonic cleaning & pop test...they didn't need the ultrasonic cleaning this time...

Well that's about it...except to say that that Kreen is prettu good stuff..

 

[fsr7]

Nice! That's pretty awesome... makes me want to buy some... after I fix some oil leaks... on the never ending list of things to do

 

[dgr]

Well a catch can is a catch can...just depends on how much you spend on one to make yourself feel good. They all do pretty much the same thing as a mason jar with 2 hoses will do so I thought a pic wasn't needed. Sorry! I will try to get one.

If you can that would be great! I'd like to see the whole CDR relocation you did.

 

[WhiskeyBottle2]

Fixing Oil Leaks

Nice! That's pretty awesome... makes me want to buy some... after I fix some oil leaks... on the never ending list of things to do

Believe it or not...if you have some slight or what people call normal oil leaks on elderly vehicles, especially our trucks...these oil leaks are usualy caused by old gaskets/seals and yes...a CDR system malfunction...How you say? Well with old and weak gaskets/seals the CDR system that is not working correctly has a tendancy to NOT keep a slight vacuum on the crancase thereby allowing positive pressure in the crankcase to "push" or force oil out via the weak, old, gaskets/seals...

The main reason I modified my CDR system besides the excessive oil was to keep any and all oil out of my intake so the rear cylinders wouldn't run hotter...That's why I think the Kreen cleaned up and loosened the ring packs...especially on the rear pistons...which allowed the oil rings to work properly and wipe down the cylinder walls and reduce the excessive blowby. You have to remember...our engines "squirt" oil up into the bottom of the cylinders and pistons to help keep them cool because of high compression...so it's normal to have some blowby, but a faltering/not working CDR system...well you can see how excess oil can get past the rings and pushed or forced thru the CDR system from positive pressure as well as leaking by your gaskets/seals.

Now...some people use "high mileage" oil that is sold for high mileage vehicles thinking it helps the engine...I am not sure about that...but "high mileage" oil does have gasket/seal swellers in it that does swell the gaskets/seals and thereby helps cut down on "minor" or normal oil leaks...But once you start using the "high mileage" oil you can never go back to regular oil...

Now as far as my CDR relocation goes...I will work on getting some pics and a parts list...But here is the gist of it...

I removed the CDR valve and plugged the intake hole with a 1" oil gallery expandable rubber plug. Next, I took the tube off the bottom of the CDR and stuck a piece of 3/4" id oil and gas resistant hose inside the tube. It will be slightly loose...then I screwed a 1/2" mpt X 5/8" barbed elbow into the hose...this tightened up the fit...then I plugged the modified tube back into the valley pan grommet and hooked some 5/8" hose to the barbed end and ran a length to my catch can...From the catch can I ran 5/8" hose to the CDR I mounted upside down at the breather nose. At the breather nose I drilled a 1" hole and used the big round rubber seal from the back of he CDR that hooks it up at the back of the original spot on the intake where it came from. That rubber seal is about 1/4" thick so when I mounted the CDR to the breather nose I had to "shim" the 2 mounting holes on the CDR so when I bolted it to the breather the little ears don't bend....Then I put an elbow on the bottom of the CDR...which is now facing up and hooked the 5/8" hose to it...and wallahhh...a relocated CDR on the breather via a catch can...so far I get very little...and I mean very little oil inside the breather and on the air filter...I am thinking of putting some PCV filter element on the inside right behind the CDR to "catch" what little oil vapor gets thru...but so far it's not needed as the catch can collects most of it..

Ok...I will try and get some pics soon and upload them...kewl...

 

[Kevin 007]

In an early VW 1.6 hyd lifter diesel I had once, it was burning great amounts of oil and I had no time for a re-build/ring job. It was a high mileage beater that had been abused by the PO unfortunatly, and the car was not worth much so I had nothing to loose. So I drained the oil and filled the crankcase with diesel; ran it for 20 seconds at an idle and then let it sit overnight. Repeated that two more time and then flushed it out and filled with oil again. It did the trick!! Cleaned or loosened up the rings and my oil consumption was about 1/10 of what is had been. I didn't do a compression check but that would have been interesting to see a before and after. The car ran for quite some time after that and might still be running, don't know where it is now.
When I drained the fuel from crankcase; it was blacker then sin!!!!!

 

[WhiskeyBottle2]

Early VW Diesel

In an early VW 1.6 hyd lifter diesel I had once, it was burning great amounts of oil and I had no time for a re-build/ring job. It was a high mileage beater that had been abused by the PO unfortunatly, and the car was not worth much so I had nothing to loose. So I drained the oil and filled the crankcase with diesel; ran it for 20 seconds at an idle and then let it sit overnight. Repeated that two more time and then flushed it out and filled with oil again. It did the trick!! Cleaned or loosened up the rings and my oil consumption was about 1/10 of what is had been. I didn't do a compression check but that would have been interesting to see a before and after. The car ran for quite some time after that and might still be running, don't know where it is now.
When I drained the fuel from crankcase; it was blacker then sin!!!!!

Yeah I hear ya on the blacker than sin! I too did the "diesel fuel" flush on my old 55 international pickup three on the tree with a flathead six banger...That was way back in 1968 when I was living deep in the sticks of Arkansas where the mailman didn't deliver...Anyway...I learned that trick from an old garrett & sons ***** spitting hick...Lots of diesel engines have had an upper overhaul before they needed it simply because sludge and diesel fuel soot pack the ring grooves and such that leads to low compression tests sometimes and makes people think it needs a valve and ring job...

On our elderly diesel engines the oil that gets to the rear cylinders via a faulty CDR system gets baked on like hard crusty carbon due to higher temps from burning that oil and diesel soot mix...Got to remember our pistons have 1 oil ring and 2 compression rings...plus I've seen guys pull the heads and oil pan...drop the rod caps and pull the pistons to clean the ring grooves and rings and put it back together cuz everything was still within specs...just packed up ring grooves...further to the rear of the engine...the worse they were...so...now I am not so much afraid of an engine flush as I used to be...

I used to own 10 big trucks leased to Ligon in Rockford, Ill....8 of them had 350 cummins engines and 2 of them had the old 3208b caterpillar engines...All of them lasted to 700 to 800k before overhauls...No reason our 6.9 and 7.3 blocks can't do the same...So what am I saying? The CDR system is a big flaw...and probably the cause of many premature engine problems...Relocate it and do the maintenance required and that engine should last 600 to 700k at least...It's not unheard of...Just look at how beefy the crank, mains, cam, and blocks are built...But like I said...replace IP, injectors, and do the other regular maintenance...see what I'm saying...

 

[Kevin 007]

I hear and believe that the CDR dumping oil into the two rear cyls is another reason for head gasket failure due to extra heat in them two cylinder. My current CDR is working well and staying pretty dry but next time my truck is off the road for a bit (few weeks every summer for some attention) I will be doing something with the CDR, probably a road draft tube...NO I dont mean to start a RDT vs CDR disscussion.
Just reinforcing what is said above by the whiskeybottle2

 

[WhiskeyBottle2]

CDR Dumping

I hear and believe that the CDR dumping oil into the two rear cyls is another reason for head gasket failure due to extra heat in them two cylinder. My current CDR is working well and staying pretty dry but next time my truck is off the road for a bit (few weeks every summer for some attention) I will be doing something with the CDR, probably a road draft tube...NO I dont mean to start a RDT vs CDR disscussion.
Just reinforcing what is said above by the whiskeybottle2

Oh I totally agree...both on the CDR vs RDT and the head gasket failures...Personally, I think an RDT or a CDR relocation will both accomplish the same thing...it's just a matter of personal preference...

As far as head gaskets...I agree there too...think of all the gaskets that leak...are usually at the rear of the heads...need I say more! Yes the oil and fuel mix do burn hotter and will produce a higher compression "POP" everytime the cylinders at the rear fire off on it's "power stroke". All that extra heat and pressure will work to the detriment of the head gaskets sooner or later. I wouldn't be surprised if the rear injectors fail more often than all the others...It just seems like when a bad injector shows up on the forum...we are not being told which injector is causing trouble...just that so & so has a bad one...Also...take a look at where most people find exhaust manifold cracks...AT THE REAR! in most cases...Now I can't blame the CDR system on every ailment, but only to say again it is a MAJOR DESIGN FLAW!...

 

[Kevin 007]

I have wanted to try to extend the CDR outlet pipe further into the intake manifold and have a few tiny holes drilled into that extension. This in theory, would expel the gasses more evenly throughout the cylinders. It is an experiment for the future

 

[PwrSmoke]

It's my understanding that it's not so much the gasses that cause blown gaskets but too much oil. If your CDR were bad, for example, you would get a LOT of oil vs a working CDR that does a better job of separating the oil and gasses.

 

[RLDSL]

I have no doubt that the Kreen does wonders. I've used plenty of fast flushes in the past, since I've been selling synthetics for about 34 years now and flushing before changing has been a mainstay of proper changover procedures from the start, but I quit using any kind of fast flush a long time ago and strictly use the Auto Rx now, because any and all fast flushes can knock large chunks loose and block an oil passage or scratch the heck out of a bearing ( after personally having had to tear an engine apart to repair the damage from a fast flush, this isn't just hearsay ) and I have yet to see any fast flush that will come close to doing what Auto Rx will do.