96 Powerstroke

[FD5]

I have a friend with a 96 PS. His problem is oil consumption (1 gallon/100miles) yes you read that right. He took it to a local shop, they said it was the injector o-rings. Got it back and 2 days later same problem, he said hhmmm, took it back they said hhmmm, bad o-rings. Replaced the o-rings and 3 days later he said hhmmm, I don't have any oil on my dipstick. Took it back and they said hhmmm, kept it another week, problem fixed for 2 more days and $1,400 later. By this time he was not happy and took it to another shop and they kept it for 10 days and charged him $1,200 and he got his truck back on Wednesday. This morning I let him drive my 01 I got yesterday, he said that thing is fast, he called me a while ago to borrow my truck, hhmmm, no oil on his dipstick, he loves his Ford Powerstoke.



Any ideas about his oil beast??

 

[Evan A. Beck]

I work on a LOT of PSD's, and I have several questions...



Did they replace just the external o-rings on the injectors?



Is the fuel filter black & oily after a few thousand miles?



How many miles on the truck?



Is the turbo in good shape?



Does it run smooth?



What type of oil is he running in it?



Is there an oily residue inside the coolant recovery tank?



I have seen lots of trucks with bad oil comsumption, similar to what you are describing... Nine times out of ten, the problem is related to injector o-rings (external and internal). Replacing just the external o-rings is pointless, as it is only correcting half the problem.



Also, regarding oil to use in the engine... I recommend NOT using Amsoil or any synthetic in the PSD, especially after using standard since new. I have found the synthetics to break down the varnish left by standard oil, causing injector problems. PSDs are VERY sensitive to good oil. Changes should be performed no more than every 5,000. Delo 400, Rotella, and Cummins PB are the only oils I will use in a PSD.

 

[FD5]

All o-rings were replaced



Yes, oil in fuel system



116,900



Yes turbo is fine



Runs smooth, has power



Penzoil Long Life 15w40



Not sure about oil in cooling system



He has taken it to 2 different shops and still has the same oil consumption problem, the ONLY way he knows he has a problem is by checking the oil, truck runs great.



Thanks for your reply,

 

[Jeff Clark]

I had a similar problem, but mine was losing it alot faster. I lost 2 gallons on the 10 mile drive to the dealer. The high pressure oil pump on top of the motor had sprung a leak and was pumping it right out on the ground.

 

[Evan A. Beck]

Well if you are still getting oil into the fuel, then is is still going to be something with the injectors. Have the injectors ever been sent to a fuel shop, run on a flowbench, and checked for leaks? If not, this needs to be done. Injector bores and cups should be carefully checked too.



If oil is not leaking onto the ground, then is has to be leaking internally someplace. Could even be a cracked head, causing a high-pressure oil leak into the fuel gallery. A leakdown test of the high pressure rails should be done.



Hope this helps...

 

[FD5]

He also has a fuel leak, dripping on the ground. Does not leak all the time, just every now and then. The shop could not find a leak. Leaked before the shop and after the shop, like I say every now and then.

 

[Evan A. Beck]

The fuel leak is probably the lift pump. When they begin to die, they start to leak a bit of fuel from time to time. Could also be a pitted fuel filter housing, or the fuel hoses going to it. There is a SMALL chance some of the oil comsumption is due to a bad lift pump. Oil can leak into the fuel through the bore where the cam follower goes into the pump. This is pretty unlikely though.