what else besides Penz Platinum?

[cb_13]

Well it's a Christmas miracle the 3 small block powered GM trucks I owned made it to 200k miles then. They were all using 1 QT every 1500 miles by 50k miles. I traded them off with between 170-200k still using about that much oil. An alarming amount by your standards.
A guy might want to check the pcv system before rebuilding an engine as well. The 5.4 3 valve has a metered orifice in the valve cover for the pcv system. If it was to become clogged that could cause consumption issues. Although the engines I have seen with pcv issues were consuming more like a quart every 500 miles.
But what do I know? I continue driving vehicles that are not road worthy for 150k miles!

 

[meborder]

open to ideas on how to clean the PCV orifice without pulling the cam cover.

i've suspected the PCV system from day 1, but other than checking to see that there is airflow through the PCV system all the way from the breather to the manifold, there isn't much you can do without pulling the cam cover.

thought about spraying some solvent down through the PCV hook up at the DS cam cover, but i'm not real excited about flushing junk down into the motor.

it does flow air all the way through both cam covers, but i have no way to measure the flow (as the manual suggests to check the PCV system air flow), nor do i have any numbers by which to compare.

 

[willbur]

I'm curious- how does changing oil brands lead to an (temporary) increase in consumption? I noticed this on one of my vehicles after switching from 5-20 Valvoline (or Castrol) to PP 10-30. I assumed I must have measured the oil level incorrectly.

 

[otis24]

I don't know what you drive. But, if it is a Dodge/Chrysler van, I had success with Pennzoil Ultra. I typically use Pennz Platinum. Also, oil weight was an issue. Consumption went up when I went to an OW/20 from a 5w/30.

 

[meborder]

The oil consumption may be tapering off already.

at 2,000 miles it had consumed a full quart. at 4,000 it has consumed less than a full quart. it is in the bottom 1/4 of the "safe" hashes, so I didn't need to add yet.

I've found that from the bottom of the "safe" mark to the top is almost exactly 1quart, so I always wait until it is at the bottom so I don't have to carry around 1/2 full quarts of oil.

anyway, if it continues to taper off during this OCI I'll consider using it again.

I'm going to stretch it out to 7,500 and see what happens.

I'd really like to see it going 4,000mi before having to add. (well, I'd like to never add, but that's not going to happen with this vehicle)

 

[donnyj08]

Originally Posted By: meborder
The oil consumption may be tapering off already.

at 2,000 miles it had consumed a full quart. at 4,000 it has consumed less than a full quart. it is in the bottom 1/4 of the "safe" hashes, so I didn't need to add yet.

I've found that from the bottom of the "safe" mark to the top is almost exactly 1quart, so I always wait until it is at the bottom so I don't have to carry around 1/2 full quarts of oil.

anyway, if it continues to taper off during this OCI I'll consider using it again.

I'm going to stretch it out to 7,500 and see what happens.

I'd really like to see it going 4,000mi before having to add. (well, I'd like to never add, but that's not going to happen with this vehicle)


I don't see anything to worry about honestly. Modular Fords Run forever with little to no oil changes. Ive seen these engines 3-4 quarts low and still purring. they are super tough. My family has owned many well above 200k miles running great. If it is only using a qt every couple thousand just keep topping it off every 2k miles.

The people suggesting rebuilds are silly, that amount of consumption isn't abnormal at all. On the plus side it allows extended oil changes by boosting the oils additives. You should have no trouble running 7500 miles per OCI. Your essentially adding 3,5-4 quarts over that time period which will keep your TBN high. Good luck!

 

[GenaFishbeck]

Hello meborder - There seems to be a lot going on here, but we do notice that you have used many different oils (both synthetics and non-synthetics), but still have experienced the same consumption issue. Unfortunately, this could indicate that your engine has mechanical issues such as valve guide problems, piston ring problems, etc (all of which could/should be checked out by a certified automotive technician).

That being said, these issues are best discussed live, as there is too much going on here to adequately address without a full conversation. Please feel free to give us a call on the Pennzoil/Quaker State Technical Hotline (1800.237.8645 - follow prompt 3 then 2).

- The Pennzoil Team

 

[meborder]

i think the pcv is not circulating air through the crankcase properly.

normally and easy fix, but on this motor the pcv system is ran by pixie dust and black voodoo magic, so it's not a straight forward fix.

regardless, i stand corrected. oil consumption is steady at 1qt/2000mi. I rechecked it today while doing other work in the garage. When i checked it yesterday it apparently wasn't as level as it seemed.

11 quarts per oil change at this rate .... sweet!