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General Information => Troubleshooting => Topic started by: stewardc on June 27, 2006, 06:10:20 am

Title: Oil usage --- HELP !!!
Post by: stewardc on June 27, 2006, 06:10:20 am
had the 1.6 turbodiesel (Garrett T3) rebuilt in my 1981 Caddy pickup. It sounds good, has great power, etc., but, at present (5000km on rebuild) it is using a liter of oil every 400km (240 miles). There are no obvious leaks, so where do I start looking for this extreme usage????
Title: Oil usage --- HELP !!!
Post by: greggearhead on June 27, 2006, 11:40:37 am
5000km on rebuild is still pretty fresh - you are using non-synthetic oil to seat the rings, yes?  Don't know if it still holds true, but I have seen new engines that never broke in with synthetic glaze the bores or whatever happened that didn't allow them to seat, even after using dinosaur oil later.
Title: Oil usage --- HELP !!!
Post by: stewardc on June 27, 2006, 11:45:41 am
I started on Dino - switched to synthetic, then back to dino. Here's hoping :cry:
Title: Oil usage --- HELP !!!
Post by: zyewdall on June 27, 2006, 07:04:42 pm
I broke mine in on pure synthetic, driving the hell out of it (i.e. trying to keep up with traffic flow and such...  :) .  NA 1.6 diesel, but should be similar to the turbo.  It doesn't seem to be burning any.  Might check valve guides?  My friend's rabbit has good compression, but burns a quart ever 250 miles from bad valve guides).
Title: Oil usage --- HELP !!!
Post by: fspGTD on June 28, 2006, 11:39:50 pm
Moved to troubleshooting.  IDI Engine is for power enhancement related discussion only.
Title: Update
Post by: stewardc on July 04, 2006, 08:48:15 am
I have been keeping accurate records, and here's what I found. Short hauls of an hour or less give 1200km per liter. Long hauls to Fredericton (4 hours on divided highway) give 400km per liter.
I'm thinking it may be a PCV line suction issue. I changed to a smaller diameter hose-see below (this might increase the velocity???) Perhaps this could be corrected by putting on a larger hose with a pot scrubber in the end. Anyhoo, I'm also looking for a PCV oil separator now, if anyone knows of a good one????

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/stewardc/Misc/100_3316.jpg)
Title: Oil usage --- HELP !!!
Post by: stewardc on July 21, 2006, 08:17:35 am
I changed the PCV hose to a larger one and installed a baffle material. The hose is now clear, but absolutely no difference in oil usage. 400km on the last liter of oil and it now has abour 9000km on the engine. I'm baffled.
If the valve seals were bad, would it use this kind of oil??? After all, the engine sat for 7-8 years after being rebuilt.
Title: Oil usage --- HELP !!!
Post by: jtanguay on July 21, 2006, 08:31:28 am
Quote from: stewardc
I changed the PCV hose to a larger one and installed a baffle material. The hose is now clear, but absolutely no difference in oil usage. 400km on the last liter of oil and it now has abour 9000km on the engine. I'm baffled.
If the valve seals were bad, would it use this kind of oil??? After all, the engine sat for 7-8 years after being rebuilt.


was it broken in after rebuild???
Title: Oil usage --- HELP !!!
Post by: stewardc on July 21, 2006, 09:15:56 am
It was rebuilt, then sat with no usage for a number of years. I only started driving it for the first time on April 1 of this year. From the first day till now, nothing has changed. I'd think that with 9000 km on the rebuild, oil usage would be improving.
Title: Oil usage --- HELP !!!
Post by: addautomotive on July 21, 2006, 09:48:38 am
You noticing much smoke?

What about your turbo? I was using 1 liter per 1500kms, then swapped in a good used t3 and now I'm using 1 liter every 2-3000 kms, depending on how hard I drive.
Title: Oil usage --- HELP !!!
Post by: stewardc on July 21, 2006, 09:51:17 am
Quote from: addautomotive
You noticing much smoke?

What about your turbo? I was using 1 liter per 1500kms, then swapped in a good used t3 and now I'm using 1 liter every 2-3000 kms, depending on how hard I drive.


No great amount of smoke...mostly black when pushed. The turbo was not rebuilt, but seemed good and tight at the time of install.
Title: Oil usage --- HELP !!!
Post by: jtanguay on July 22, 2006, 04:31:55 pm
did the engine sit with dino oil in it? did you change oil before starting it back up? The engine has 9000k on it now, so 5000k was done right after rebuild?
Title: Oil usage --- HELP !!!
Post by: stewardc on July 23, 2006, 03:15:38 am
0 miles right after rebuild. 9000 since getting it our in April. It sat with dino oil in it...not changed till it had about 3000km on it.
Title: Oil usage --- HELP !!!
Post by: jtanguay on July 23, 2006, 05:34:13 am
well if the car sat for 4-5 years with dino in it, and no oilchange before driving 3000km, then that could be a problem :(
Title: Oil usage --- HELP !!!
Post by: stewardc on July 23, 2006, 10:41:24 am
How?
Title: Oil usage --- HELP !!!
Post by: jtanguay on July 24, 2006, 04:33:20 am
Dino oil breaks down and who knows how long the detergents take to break down as well.  Synthetic oil would probably be ok.   It's always a good idea to start an engine up at least once a month if not each week if it wont be driven.  It must get up to operating temps too just to be sure everything is circulating, and that the additives in the oil get mixed properly and are doing their job.

Do you live in a warm climate, or does it have a snowy season? lots of moisure?  Moisture will eventually creep into the engine and do damage to the oil that way too.

edit: just saw your location.  The moisture there might have done some bad things on the inside of the motor :(  if you used an oil additive like lucasoil or something to keep it sticking to metal parts, then you should be ok.

2nd edit:  yea if the motor was stored in a heated shop for the amount of time it sat, then it should be ok...  but who knows