This doesn't look good! (pics) help!!!

[dpuder]

My 94' idi turbo is burning about a gallon of oil every diesel fill up and blowing unacceptable amounts of blue/white smoke to be road worthy or safe as the fumes are pretty obnoxious in the cab without the windows down. Although the truck seems to be running fine haha. The truck has been sitting for over 2 years, put new batteries in it and it fired up. I'm torn. keep it and fix it or sell it?! I pulled the CDR and intake and found an oil puddle in the turbo boot and white sludge in the CDR. I also noticed I could see the tops of the radiator fins through the fill cap (coolant was low). Is this potentially a blown head gasket/cavitated/worn out ring motor that still runs good?!!! worth salvaging? What do you think the main issue may be? Thank you much!

 

[AcIdBuRn02ZTS]

How much blowby are you getting? Let the engine idle and remove the oil fill cap.

A blown diaphragm in the CDR could cause it to drink oil... The white sludge is most likely just from the moisture in the air and cooler weather.

If you want to check for coolant in the oil... let it sit for a day and then crack the oil drain plug loose and look for water passing the threads. You can also fill the cooling system back up and run it... watch the radiator for bubbling or install the cap and check the hoses for excess pressure.

How many miles are on it?

 

[dpuder]

How much blowby are you getting? Let the engine idle and remove the oil fill cap.

A blown diaphragm in the CDR could cause it to drink oil... The white sludge is most likely just from the moisture in the air and cooler weather.

If you want to check for coolant in the oil... let it sit for a day and then crack the oil drain plug loose and look for water passing the threads. You can also fill the cooling system back up and run it... watch the radiator for bubbling or install the cap and check the hoses for excess pressure.

How many miles are on it?

270,000 miles i think. Under 300k. When I pulled the CDR/intake and used just the turbo for air intake it seemed to reduce the smoke a little bit but it is still waaay to much smoke. and its blue and white smoke

 

[AcIdBuRn02ZTS]

How long did it run with the CDR unhooked?

I'm sure the intake, turbo, etc... are all oil soaked which will take some run time to burn off. Did you let it come up to temperature or see the smoke and shut it down?

I would check blowby. Also, you could pull the glow plugs and run a compression test which would give you a good idea of engine health.

 

[dpuder]

How long did it run with the CDR unhooked?

I'm sure the intake, turbo, etc... are all oil soaked which will take some run time to burn off. Did you let it come up to temperature or see the smoke and shut it down?

I would check blowby. Also, you could pull the glow plugs and run a compression test which would give you a good idea of engine health.

Actually I didn't run it long with the CDR disconnected. I didn't even think about getting it to operating temp and how the residual oil build up might affect the smoke. Ill check that out tomorrow, thanks! is the oil "pool" in the turbo from the CDR? which in turn is coming from either the valve train or the cylinders?

 

[AcIdBuRn02ZTS]

The oil pool in the turbo inlet is most likely coming from the CDR.

When you had it unhooked, was it smoking heavily from the CDR tube and blowing with a good bit of pressure?

I would bet that the CDR diaphragm is blown which helps control how much oil enters the intake. I would clean the oil out of the turbo inlet tube and run it up to temperature with the CDR unhooked. Make sure oil and coolant levels are topped up. Once its up to temp, remove the oil fill cap and see how much pressure you have blowing out of the fill hole.

The CDR is designed to regulate crankcase pressure. When working properly, it will vent pressure but the oil mist/vapor will be trapped in the CDR and drain back.

Was it parked due to this issue or is this something new?

 

[dpuder]

The oil pool in the turbo inlet is most likely coming from the CDR.

When you had it unhooked, was it smoking heavily from the CDR tube and blowing with a good bit of pressure?

I would bet that the CDR diaphragm is blown which helps control how much oil enters the intake. I would clean the oil out of the turbo inlet tube and run it up to temperature with the CDR unhooked. Make sure oil and coolant levels are topped up. Once its up to temp, remove the oil fill cap and see how much pressure you have blowing out of the fill hole.

The CDR is designed to regulate crankcase pressure. When working properly, it will vent pressure but the oil mist/vapor will be trapped in the CDR and drain back.

Was it parked due to this issue or is this something new?

It was smoking pretty good with decent pressure when disconnected, more than the blow by tube on my 2nd gen 5.9 cummins, but blue smoke and more pressure (5.9 cummins reference is all I could think of for comparison.) If I closed the hood you would see the smoke coming out from under for sure. whats the best way to check for excess blow by as the oil fill tube is not in a position to rest the cap upside down on it? I purchased it as an in between truck for when i was selling and buying my last trucks. so it sat after i bough my cummins. but it seemed to have this issue before that as well. i'm just amazed it still runs with all these issues and am trying to justify keeping it if its fixable! i love this body style ford!

 

[AcIdBuRn02ZTS]

I would take the cap off when warm and just see if its blowing oil droplets out or if it blows the cap out of your hand. When cold, they will have quite a bit of blowby... That's normal.

Even when warm, it will be fairly noticeable due to high mileage.

The "steam" coming from the tube isn't an issue.

Another trick is to remove the cap when warm and slowly increase the rpm. The pressure should decrease as rpm increases. If pressure increases... It might be a good idea to run a compression test to see where things are at.

If it starts fairly easy, I doubt blowby is excessive or compression is really low.

Let it come up to operating temp tomorrow and let it run for a good bit once warm before doing anything.

 

[IDIoit]

i would pull the injectors and do a leak down test.
cavitation or blown headgasket would show in the coolant and oil.
the sludge in the CDR is condensation.
i could shoot ya a used CDR if ya wish,
but i would do a leak down before any further action.

 

[dpuder]

thanks guys! ill check it out tomorrow and check back! and ill post pics of the smoke its producing!

 

[icanfixall]

My guess is the turbo oil seals on the shaft have failed. With that many miles it might be the ONLY reason for the oil useage you posted bout.

 

[AcIdBuRn02ZTS]

My guess is the turbo oil seals on the shaft have failed. With that many miles it might be the ONLY reason for the oil useage you posted bout.

I might be wrong here... but dont turbo seals typically blow oil out of the turbine side when they fail? I know that it'll suck oil back through the compressor if you choke air flow off manually but Ive not seen one puddle oil like that at the inlet of the charger.

Again.. not saying you're wrong.. just hadn't seen it before.

 

[dunk]

A blown diaphragm in the CDR could cause it to drink oil...

How? CDR is open unless there is a strong vacuum on the intake side. It just serves as a slight baffle to help oil drop out of the blow by, and to close off the crankcase from the intake under vacuum from the intake side to stop or prevent a runaway fueled vie the crankcase vent. A blown diaphragm in the CDR would cause it to leak externally at the crimp and/or vent hole on back side, and reduce or eliminate runaway protection depending on size of diaphragm rupture.

 

[OLDBULL8]

My 94' idi turbo is burning about a gallon of oil every diesel fill up

That's a lot of oil to burn in 350 450 miles.

Did you ever change the oil and how many quarts did it take to fill? More than 12 quarts with a large (FL1995) filter would be an overfill. Cold oil level measure should be at least a 1/4" down from full mark.

You bought it used and you never know what the PO's did.

CDR's rarely go bad unless it's been cleaned with something that damaged the rubber diaphragm in it.

Pull the drivers side valve cover, see if it's covered with a waxy type substance, that might indicate cavitation.

As ican said, could be turbo seals or bearings.

 

[AcIdBuRn02ZTS]

Does the diaphragm not also function as a baffle? If there is a hole in it, will it not pass more oil through it then it would if there wasnt a hole in it?

I'll say this... I swapped my blown cdr for a better condition used one and cut oil consumption in half. I was under the impression that the diaphragm was ruptured or gone completely as its the only thing that could explain it.

I know there isnt much to them... but there has to be a reason why it does effect oil consumption.