Here’s a ridiculous suggestion. Put a service body on it in place of the factory bed. Fill it with tools and such. Watch the fuel gauge plummet and kiss your carboning up goodbye 
Sudden loss of oil
- Thread starter Brian VT
- Start date
WrenchWhore
Full Access Member
That's what I did. Service body alone is what another 500lbs? That plus the 38 gallon rear tank weight in the rear my truck rides WAY better now.Here’s a ridiculous suggestion. Put a service body on it in place of the factory bed. Fill it with tools and such. Watch the fuel gauge plummet and kiss your carboning up goodbye
As far as oil goes I was using the cheapo SuperTech diesel oil from Walmart but noticed I had to top off oil twice as much. I switched over to the Delvac Synblend and notice half as much oil consumption. It's possible it's just a placebo effect. My truck does have a hefty amount of blowby but compression is great and she just keeps running.
Brian VT
Full Access Member
I'll be running Delvac for a while. A local liquidator store was selling gallons for $8.99
I bought 18 gallons. Hopefully I get my engine sorted before I run out.
I had a quart of Liquid Moly Engine Restore kicking around so I threw that in with the 2 quarts of oil needed today and gave it hell on the big hills around here. Will do the same tomorrow (hopefully I don't need to add oil).
I bought 18 gallons. Hopefully I get my engine sorted before I run out.
I had a quart of Liquid Moly Engine Restore kicking around so I threw that in with the 2 quarts of oil needed today and gave it hell on the big hills around here. Will do the same tomorrow (hopefully I don't need to add oil).
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Old Goat
Full Access Member
How many mile on your 87?
My 86 has 361K and I use a qt every 600 miles.
Been doing that since I bought it 10 yrs ago at
192K.
My oil use age dosn`t seem to change putzin around
or working her hard.
I agree, ya gotta work these engines, don`t baby them.
They are a truck engine made to work.
Everything here in Nevada seems to be a long where from something else. HD is 20 miles from here as is Costco.
So adding the miles doesn`t take too long.
This summer on 4 trips put 6,689 miles.
Goat
My 86 has 361K and I use a qt every 600 miles.
Been doing that since I bought it 10 yrs ago at
192K.
My oil use age dosn`t seem to change putzin around
or working her hard.
I agree, ya gotta work these engines, don`t baby them.
They are a truck engine made to work.
Everything here in Nevada seems to be a long where from something else. HD is 20 miles from here as is Costco.
So adding the miles doesn`t take too long.
This summer on 4 trips put 6,689 miles.
Goat
Before you give up on your IDI, you might want to try a dose of AutoRX. I've had really good luck with using it in my old red & white truck.
Brian VT
Full Access Member
Well, I've been putting the screws to her on the hills around here and at every stop sign. And I left today on a 4 1/2 hour trip that would give her a good workout (and higher RPMs) and maybe clean out some coke. All was well for an hour or so. And I've noticed less smoke (not that it was bad before). Then my windshield suddenly fogged up. And coolant was dripping on my passenger floor mat.
Yup. Heater core went. I thought about bypassing it and continuing but it would have made for a rough, cold, weekend. So I drove 1 1/2 miles to a convenience store, called AAA, and bought a 6 pack of PBR for my wait.
I had the truck, and me and my beers, dropped off at my local mechanic. I don't mind getting my hands dirty but getting at the heater core looks like a nightmare to me. Especially in my unheated garage.
The bright side is that I can go ice fishing tomorrow instead of driving 4 1/2 hours back from VT.
Yup. Heater core went. I thought about bypassing it and continuing but it would have made for a rough, cold, weekend. So I drove 1 1/2 miles to a convenience store, called AAA, and bought a 6 pack of PBR for my wait.
I had the truck, and me and my beers, dropped off at my local mechanic. I don't mind getting my hands dirty but getting at the heater core looks like a nightmare to me. Especially in my unheated garage.
The bright side is that I can go ice fishing tomorrow instead of driving 4 1/2 hours back from VT.
Brian VT
Full Access Member
No kidding? Oh well. Pete's a good ol' boy. I don't mind sending some work and $ his way once in a while. He needs a few $ to keep his old Harleys running. And his 80 y.o. self.
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Old Goat
Full Access Member
I had the heater Core blow on my 86 10 years ago.
Was heading back to Santa Cruz cutting through the Farm land south of Sacramento in the middle of the night.
Luckly I had my too bag, and 2 small 6" Vice Grips to pinch off the 2 Heater Hoses.
Also good thing we had a roll of Paper Towels and a rubber floor Mat. I now have carpet, that would be a wet mess, especially this time of year.
Picked up a Chicomm Heater Core and Hose form Auto Zone.
Was an easy job as NERO said.
I also replaced the Blower as it had been complaining for a long time.
A few years later the whole length of the Heater hose was damp like dew on it. Coolant was seeping right through it.
Use Gates Green Stripe Hose.
Install a couple of these Heater Hose shut off Valves.
They are great for the summer time, so hot Water isn`t flowing into the cab all the time.
www.summitracing.com
Goat
Was heading back to Santa Cruz cutting through the Farm land south of Sacramento in the middle of the night.
Luckly I had my too bag, and 2 small 6" Vice Grips to pinch off the 2 Heater Hoses.
Also good thing we had a roll of Paper Towels and a rubber floor Mat. I now have carpet, that would be a wet mess, especially this time of year.
Picked up a Chicomm Heater Core and Hose form Auto Zone.
Was an easy job as NERO said.
I also replaced the Blower as it had been complaining for a long time.
A few years later the whole length of the Heater hose was damp like dew on it. Coolant was seeping right through it.
Use Gates Green Stripe Hose.
Install a couple of these Heater Hose shut off Valves.
They are great for the summer time, so hot Water isn`t flowing into the cab all the time.
Four Seasons 84706 Four Seasons Manual Shut-Off Valves | Summit Racing
Free Shipping - Four Seasons Manual Shut-Off Valves with qualifying orders of $109. Shop Heater Valves at Summit Racing.
Goat
WrenchWhore
Full Access Member
It's not too difficult to fix but if you don't have your tools ready to go it's can be annoying to change on the side of the road. I'm sure Pete enjoyed the work.
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Brian VT
Full Access Member
My guy charged me for 3 hours. I think he's a straight-shooter and trust him. Let me know if you think he's blowing smoke up my rear. He did it on their 1st day back to work. I should have told him that I wasn't in a rush for it. I was just glad I didn't have to do it in my cold garage (or on the side of the road).
I'm afraid that AAA is gonna drop me. They are very in the red for my account. lol. I must says that their service has been fantastic every time I've needed them.
I like the idea of having heater core bypass valves. Simple and could come in handy.
My oil usage seems to be getting back to my normal (a quart per tank) after my road trip and "giving it to her" often. I'll try adding some chemicals in hopes of even better results and I'll try not to drive it like a grocery-getter any more.
IDIBRONCO
IDIBRONCO
That's good to hear.
Eh I wouldn't sweat two more hours. As long as he made sure to take that extra time to get it up to temp and burp all the air out. Also depends on how fussy the coolant lines at the firewall are. Glad you're back on the road.
Cant Write
Full Access Member
The are way into the black on my account. So we even each other out!!
IDIBRONCO
IDIBRONCO
It's just another type of insurance. Some people use it quite often, others never need it. If you need it, it's great. Otherwise, giving them all of that money gets to be frustrating.
