Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Strange oil consumption problem

[ROADWARRIOR]

My truck has 77k on it and has the mods listed in my signature. For the last 2 years(20k miles), possibly right after the fire-ring/cam/stud job, but not sure, my truck has used a slight amount of oil between oil changes during daily driving, maybe a 1/4 quart over 3k miles. Last year while pulling a gravity wagon loaded heavy, I used a quart of oil in 25 miles. I just got done from pulling a trailer 400 miles and it used a quart again. It seems like it is from high rpm/boost when my heavy oil use occurs. I can't figure out where it is going though.



My blow-by tube has a steady hazy white stream from it, but doesn't seem excessive, it doesn't have a pulse to it. The blow-by haze reeks like a fresh batch of Rosmella oil is in there, but I'm running 3k mile old CenPeCo oil in it and it shouldn't stink yet, I wouldn't think. I don't seem to be losing any oil out of the breather other than an occasional drip. My exhaust looks nice and clean, not blue. My oil looks nice and somewhat golden yet after 3k miles, it isn't black. I checked the turbo and there isn't any in/out play and minimal side to side play and there isn't any oil present in the compressor housing. I can't find a vacuum leak either.



I put a puke tube catch bottle on today and went out and was running much harder than usual(30 to 40psi) and there isn't any oil in the bottle. I did find some coolant weeping above the oil pressure regulator though.



Could a headgasket cause this? There isn't anything suspicious with the coolant or oil as far as contamination.



Thanks for any help, I'm running out of ideas.

Dan

 

[Houser]

Might be the seals in the turbo leaking under high load.

 

[ROADWARRIOR]

Well fast forward a few years and it appears that I finally solved my oil consumption problem. I am posting this here to try and help others I have read about having similar issues. Of all the things I tried and replaced to fix this, it was the simplest of things. My truck seems to have really enjoyed eating the CenPeCo oil I was using. I switched to Delo 400 LE and the consumption dropped drastically, but not completely. I switched again to Valvoline Premium Blue and have completed two long trips and now am not seeing the dipstick readings dropping at all. I read a post from Hbarlow a long time ago where he said a Hotshotter he knew experienced something similar and switching oil brands resolved it. This appears to be the case for me as well, so I hope this helps someone else.

Dan

 

[Killer223]

love these 10 year old thread resurrections.

 

[rotohead]

Thanks for that informative post roadwarrior. Wish more people would do that when they find a solution to a long suffering problem. I will remember this one as it's the kind of problem I would've thrown a whole lot of time and money at trying to find a fix.

 

[SAndreasen]

Well I had a big reply all typed up but the pos said the token expired o well yes it can happen but the oil companies will tell you that your crazy and that it's impossible for our precious oil to ever change your consumption