I have an 88 GMC P/U with a 5.7 litre 350 with 130,000 miles. It burns about a quart every 800 miles. I only drive the truck about 3,000 miles a year to pick up stuff at the lumber yard and things like that locally, so it isn't like I need to spend the money to replace or rebuild the engine under the circumstances I drive the truck. I would like to stop the smoking it does at idle and slow it slow the oil consumption of I could. I have always put in NAPA oil of the viscosity the engine calls for on the filler cap. I do not remember if it is 5W/30, or 10W/30. Any recommendation on another brand of oil/viscosity that might help this condition?
88 GMC 1/2 ton p/u oil consumption
- Thread starter scottm1
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I got 5 qts of 10W40 Valvoline Maxlife and a NAPA Gold filter and did an oil change in this truck yesterday. I am thinking my mind is playing tricks on me but I swear this engine runs smoother now than it did before. I know it sounds crazy and believe me I realize how crazy it sounds too. I only drove the truck about 12 miles home from the shop, but this is what I witnessed on the drive home while stopped and idling. BTW, I remember back a few years ago that GM did not recommend using 10W40 oils in their engines. I personally did not understand what difference it would make when the engine was running at normal operating temps. Does anybody remember why GM said this?
My best recollection is that it was because they tested both 10W30 and 10W40 brands, and found more inconsistencies with 10W40 across the brands, so started to recommend 10W30 exclusively. I can tell you that I used 10W40 in GMC products from 1972 into the 1990's with no known problems.
When I was in jumior high school my grandfather bought a new Chevrolet pickup in 1977 with a 350 engine. He drove a lot of miles and for spending money he would let me change his oil every 2,500 miles and all he ever had me put in was Pennzoil 10W40. I am sure he could have went more miles on each oil change, but I think those close changes had as much to do with giving me some extra spending money as it did caring for the truck itself.(My grandfather was a very generous giving man..may he Rest In Peace).....Of course this was before GM recommended not using it. He put 0ver 250,000 miles on that truck before he sold it and it never even had a valve cover off of it. I did put on a couple of water pumps, a p/steering pump, and tuned it up a couple of times too, but never any internal engine work. He sold the truck and the next guy drove it for a long long time without any engine work either. That truck made me not pay much attention to GM when they announced that.
I've got a '94 GMC Suburban with the throttle body FI 350 with 250K miles. I use whatever 15W-40 HDEO is on sale. It says 5w-30 on the oil filler cap, but if you look at the owner's manual, 15W-40 is recommended for most temperature situations.
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