I need some help!!!

[BigBen]

I'm not sure if I'm asking this in the right place but here it goes. I bought a 1988 Dodge Pick-Up 4X4 318 V8 in Feburary of this year. The odometer and the owner says it only had 77,XXX miles so I'm not sure because it only has a 5 digit odometer. It used about a quart and a half of oil between the time I bought it and the time I had the oil changed in June. I work at Walmart TLE so I took my truck there to get the OC. I told the guy I wanted Pennzoil 10W30 but they put Pennzoil 5W20 and so far in almost 7 weeks and less than 500 miles it's used 3 quarts of oil. There are no signs of a oil leak around the gasket, the oil filter, or the drain plug. Is it possible to burn 3 quarts of oil in less than 500 miles? Is anything to add such as Lucas to slow this problem? Is the 5W20 just too thin/

 

[renegade_987]

IMO way to thin. Try a 10w30 or even a 15w40 HDEO

 

[Carbon]

I suspect the oil was not filled properly at change time. Next time I would check the level after driving a mile to let the filter get filled. I don't see the 5w-20 having that effect.

In the mean time, I would top it off with some 10w-40 or 20w-40 and watch the levels for a while.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: BigBen
I'm not sure if I'm asking this in the right place but here it goes. I bought a 1988 Dodge Pick-Up 4X4 318 V8 in February of this year. The odometer and the owner says it only had 77,XXX miles so I'm not sure because it only has a 5 digit odometer. It used about a quart and a half of oil between the time I bought it and the time I had the oil changed in June. I work at Walmart TLE so I took my truck there to get the OC. I told the guy I wanted Pennzoil 10W30 but they put Pennzoil 5W20 and so far in almost 7 weeks and less than 500 miles it's used 3 quarts of oil. There are no signs of a oil leak around the gasket, the oil filter, or the drain plug. Is it possible to burn 3 quarts of oil in less than 500 miles? Is anything to add such as Lucas to slow this problem? Is the 5W20 just too thin/

I just add 15W40 or 20W50 if you can find it. Use 10W30 High Mileage for the next oil change.

 

[BigBen]

Can using a "thicker" oil like 10W30, 10W40, or 15W40 and then adding Lucas to that on my next oil change be too thick?

 

[tinmanSC]

Hum...interesting... I'd try a little experiment. Top up with a think 30 or 40 weight oil and see what happens in another 500 miles?

 

[oggb]

Don't add the lucas. Do like HTSS_TR said and add some 15w40 or 20w-50 as make-up oil once it's a quart down again. If it were mine I'd change it out with the correct oil.

 

[bigmike]

Unless you resolve the consumption...

15w40 is cheap. I'd go with that until winter and 5w40 during winter might be a good bet. If it is too thick, replace a pint or quart with MMO.

 

[JOD]

how long is your average trip in this thing?

 

[addyguy]

Way, way too thin oil in there.

In Kentuky, in an old 318, 20W-50 wouldn'tr be out of place in the summer at all. Start topping off with that, and see how it goes.......

 

[JOD]

Originally Posted By: addyguy
Way, way too thin oil in there.

In Kentuky, in an old 318, 20W-50 wouldn'tr be out of place in the summer at all. Start topping off with that, and see how it goes.......


I'd like to know how long his trips are before spouting off about "way too thin"... Look at how many miles he's putting on the truck? The oil may never even see full operating temps. If he's just using it for local dump runs/hardware store jaunts of less than 10 miles, the oil is certainly not "too thin". Regardless, I don't see viscosity contributing to this sort of consumption.

 

[mechtech2]

5-20 is too thin for that engine. I don't know if it even existed when that engine was designed.
This is a huge part of the problem.

 

[JOD]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
5-20 is too thin for that engine. I don't know if it even existed when that engine was designed.
This is a huge part of the problem.


500 miles in 7 weeks...

I think one needs to know the average length of trip before declaring that thin oil is part of the problem. It may never see oil thinner than 20 cSt. Is that "too thin"??

 

[BigBen]

I normally only drive the truck to and from work which is about 12-15 miles one way. I changed the oil and filter this morning and put Pennzoil High Mileage 10w30 so we'll see how it goes. thanx for all the advice guys

 

[meep]

that's a lot of consumption. either rings or valve seals. my guess is on rings. you need to pull the valve covers, clean out the mung and goo, and start running a high mileage oil that would soften the seals, gently. That may give you great gains.

good luck

M