Built motor using oil

[Chevy1925]

Ok guys, im getting a bit concerned. Ive got about 7k on my built motor and shes been using about 2-3 quarts every 1500-2000 miles. At first i figured it was just breakin in. I used regular diesel oil the first 500 miles then switched to full rotella t6 syn and ran it since.

It seems like it has gotten a little better as the miles went on but shes got 2k on it since i last did the oil and its down 2 quarts. It doesnt haze blue smoke, doesnt smell, and really shows no obvious signs of burning oil.

Am i being overly concerned or should i start digging back into this thing again? Ive heard of guys goin 10k before they quit using oil but this is kinda un-nerving to me

 

[paint94979]

Ok guys, im getting a bit concerned. Ive got about 7k on my built motor and shes been using about 2-3 quarts every 1500-2000 miles. At first i figured it was just breakin in. I used regular diesel oil the first 500 miles then switched to full rotella t6 syn and ran it since.

It seems like it has gotten a little better as the miles went on but shes got 2k on it since i last did the oil and its down 2 quarts. It doesnt haze blue smoke, doesnt smell, and really shows no obvious signs of burning oil.

Am i being overly concerned or should i start digging back into this thing again? Ive heard of guys goin 10k before they quit using oil but this is kinda un-nerving to me

what are your tolerances?

 

[Chevy1925]

Rings were set to guys specs (cant remember, wanna say .024 top, .022 bottom, dont remember whay the oil rings are at), stock pistons in stock bore, just honed. Piston to wall clearance is same as stock.

 

[paint94979]

Rings were set to guys specs (cant remember), stock pistons in stock bore, just honed. Piston to wall clearance is same as stock.

is it possible something happened in the honing process that was over looked? 2-3 qts every 2000 miles is a piss load after 7k miles

 

[PureHybrid]

Have you run it hard yet?

 

[Chevy1925]

I dont know nick, guy did all the machining. Cross hatching looked great when i looked in the cyls

Yeah ive ran hard on a 550+hp tune after putting 1000 miles on it till today. It was ran on a 700+ tune only a hand full of times.

 

[DIESELMAFIAPER.LB7]

I used no oil at all with mine?

 

[paint94979]

I dont know nick, guy did all the machining. Cross hatching looked great when i looked in the cyls

Yeah ive ran hard on a 550+hp tune after putting 1000 miles on it till today. It was ran on a 700+ tune only a hand full of times.

hmmm... if they were forged pistons i would understand that but considering they are stock cast im guessing something is definitely wrong Have you been in touch with guy?

 

[blk smoke lb7]

Are you running reg or syn oil?

 

[Chevy1925]

No i may have to call him. If i have to tear back into this thing again, im goin back to stock.

 

[PureHybrid]

Rings should be seated then, may not be the issue.

You could do a slobber test: Start and warm truck, take a trip down the road, maybe tow a trailer to keep the egt's up to burn off oil in the exhaust. Let it idle for about 20min, shutdown and pull the manifolds and see if any of the ports are wet. Might be a valve seal/guide issue.

 

[Chevy1925]

Ill try that. Goin on a trip this weekend with the toy hauler.

 

[Chevy1925]

Wouldnt a compression test and leak down test tell me if it was a ring related issue? If my thinkin is correct?

 

[JMK777]

turbo could be leaking.

 

[paint94979]

turbo could be leaking.

But wouldn't you see it in the exhaust?

 

[Chevy1925]

turbo could be leaking.

Nope, had the intercooler off about 2k ago and while the stock turbo is showing a bit of wear, there is no oil in the intercooler tubes and no oil in my exhaust. Oil pressure is good too

 

[JMK777]

But wouldn't you see it in the exhaust?

Hard to say, depends if its blowing out the hot side or cold side. if it is burning it @ 3 quarts per 2000 miles that is not that much in ratio to fuel.
could check the ic tubes and ic out for oil build up.

 

[coldLBZ]

I'm not totally sure, but maybe you switched to syn oil too soon? 500 miles seems a bit early to me, and maybe the rings didn't get a chance to seat fully. Hopefully you get this sorted out James.

 

[Dirtymaxx03]

do a leak down test real quick. that will tell you where to start. after a leak down test id check the valve seals like mentioned before

 

[Chevy1925]

I'm not totally sure, but maybe you switched to syn oil too soon? 500 miles seems a bit early to me, and maybe the rings didn't get a chance to seat fully. Hopefully you get this sorted out James.

dunno, ive heard it makes no difference running syn oil from the get go and visa versa. i figured i was playin it semi safe letting the break in oil be a reg oil

do a leak down test real quick. that will tell you where to start. after a leak down test id check the valve seals like mentioned before

thats what im thinkin. if the valve seals are leakin, may as well pull the heads and have them redone. They were not done when i originally did the motor but they never leaked oil neither.