Oil use on my F-250 Ideas????

[jjett84724]

My 86 F-250 is using oil. Not a little bit either. If I go 100 miles, it needs a quart. It has the 460 in it and has tons of power. I have noticed (as has everyone else) that when I have been driving for a few miles and slow down, the truck SPEWS smoke out of the exhaust. A lot of smoke, enough to cover an intersection. It really emberasses my wife.

What gives? I am thinking valve guides, but want to be sure before sticking any money into the truck. I am going to sell the truck in the next year, but would prefer to fix it before selling. I don't mind doing my own mechanic work, as it's really not all that hard to change the heads on a truck. If it's rings, I might was well sell the truck to someone for $500 and let them deal with it. What do you guys think?

 

[Rookie1]

Is it burning oil or leaking oil or both? A quart in a hundred miles is ALOT. It should be smoking the whole time its running.Id pop the valve covers and see what the inside of engine look like.Ive seen drain holes in head get plugged and oil backup around valves and get sucked into combustion chamber.
Also my grandfather told me a story about his younger days in the depression. He had a car that burned oil like crazy and he would go the the corner gas station and get used motor oil for free. He filtered it through a sock and put it in his car. So maybe if you dont fix it you could make friends with the JiffyLube manager.

 

[jjett84724]

It leaks underneath a little. And burns a lot. It's my firewood truck and around the farm truck. I found a truck that I am going to pick up in the next couple weeks. There are some good deals in the classifieds right now. I found a 1991 with a freshly rebuilt 460, extended cab, four wheel drive for $2200. Lots of choices for under $3000 out there. Good time to buy a used vehicle and it's not costing you any taxpayer dollars.

 

[Rookie1]

Id pull the valve covers. Does it smoke all the time? Does it smoke when you first start it then clear up? Im not familiar with the engine in the truck but if its easy to get at Id start there.

 

[Henry G.]

Sucking oil past the valve guides or rings When you close the throttle there is tremendous suction in the CC. If the compression/power is good like you say valve guides are suspect.

 

[olyman]

tho late post---pull the valve covers. money says the valve stem seals are hard, which causes HIGH oil consumption---you can check the guides for back and forth play, but why??? put some new stem seals on, it may stop completely using oil--have been there more than once. do it right on the truck-------

 

[t613]

tho late post---pull the valve covers. money says the valve stem seals are hard, which causes HIGH oil consumption---you can check the guides for back and forth play, but why??? put some new stem seals on, it may stop completely using oil--have been there more than once. do it right on the truck-------

+1 on the valve seals. Cheap and relatively easy. Good first step.

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[ShoerFast]

My $0.02 cents woth?

If it smokes when you let up on her and punch it, it's rings.

A huge puff of blue on start up is valve guide seals.

It would be real hard for valve guide seals to run out a quart in 100 miles, it would be nothing for rings to do that.

The test, warm the engine and kick it down a few times to about 2500 - 3000RPM's and let up quick, you want to make a huge vacuum when you let up.

After you did this a few times kick her down to about 1500 - 2000 RPM's and hold it, watch the mosquitoes run!

Another check is if there is a lot of oil in the air-filter as it is coming past the breather element = bad rings, can you see a lot of blow-by when you open the oil-filler cap and crack the throttle?

Re-ring it and be happy!

 

[spacemule]

My recently acquired personal rule is if it requires the valve covers to be pulled, vehicle is trash and it's time to buy a different one.

 

[Kansas]

Intake gaskets first thing I would suspect, you can tell usually by how the engine runs with the oil cap removed, if it runs like crap probably intake gaskets also there will be tremendous suction if you put your hand over the opening with the pcv pulled and plugged of course. hth

Kansas

 

[046]

almost all my motors require valves to be adjusted after 60k miles or so... valve covers has to come off to do this

My recently acquired personal rule is if it requires the valve covers to be pulled, vehicle is trash and it's time to buy a different one.

 

[limelakephoto]

Before pulling your motor apart I would try a good sythetic oil in it. Synthetics generally contain additives that make your seals swell. Or even a "High Milage oil" of a reputable brand, as these oils also contain additives to soften and swell seals. Newer motor oils don't contain as many desireable additives as when your engine was made because the EPA and SAE mandated less additives to reduce pollution. I would look at an oil with a "SL" rating or "SJ" rating. Stay away from "SM" rated oils. I have found many noticeable differences by changing oils and brands. Just an example my engine (turbo) was using about 1.5 quarts in 6000 km, switched to a different type/brand in 4000 km I haven't added a drop. Some oils burn off really quick. Just a thought.... I know it is not a permanent solution but, this may help. I don't want to turn this into an oil thread and..... If you are an AMSOIL dealer.... I don't want to hear it ! Let's put it this way, I KNOW PEOPLE IN THE OILS INDUSTRY, I KNOW PEOPLE IN LABS THAT TEST OILS ! I KNOW A LITTLE BIT TOO MUCH ! (No insult to any one intended.)

 

[olyman]

almost all my motors require valves to be adjusted after 60k miles or so... valve covers has to come off to do this

not on a 460. non-adjustable--

 

[olyman]

Intake gaskets first thing I would suspect, you can tell usually by how the engine runs with the oil cap removed, if it runs like crap probably intake gaskets also there will be tremendous suction if you put your hand over the opening with the pcv pulled and plugged of course. hth

Kansas

NEVER have seen a 460 suck the intake gskts--

 

[olyman]

My recently acquired personal rule is if it requires the valve covers to be pulled, vehicle is trash and it's time to buy a different one.

 

[Kansas]

NEVER have seen a 460 suck the intake gskts--

Its actually fairly common remember this is an 23 year old truck and like I mentioned to the orig poster its easy to check.

Anybody can throw parts at a car hoping it will fix it the zone thrives on it!

A real engine tech would prove what the problem is first rather than use someones lack of experience opinion to determine what it wasnt.


Kansas

 

[jjett84724]

Thanks for all of the replies. I took the truck hunting this week and was using a quart every 60 miles or so. It is really burning through the oil.

I haven't done anywork on the engine lately. I need to hurry up and get it done. Thanks again for the replies.

 

[Kansas]

Thanks for all of the replies. I took the truck hunting this week and was using a quart every 60 miles or so. It is really burning through the oil.

I haven't done anywork on the engine lately. I need to hurry up and get it done. Thanks again for the replies.

The intake is one of the easiest things to do, the gaskets would be obvious when you pull the intake off the ports into the head will show it they will be oil soaked and clean. hth

Kansas

 

[djmercer1]

Thanks for all of the replies. I took the truck hunting this week and was using a quart every 60 miles or so. It is really burning through the oil.

I haven't done anywork on the engine lately. I need to hurry up and get it done. Thanks again for the replies.

if the truck can get about 10mpg, you are running a 25:1 mixture.....if the truck isnt smoking like the kyle, it has to be going out, are you sure that there isnt a major leak somewhere?

if the truck is on decent shape, its worth a ring job, my memory tells me those big block were pretty durable.....

 

[Pruitt1222]

You can do what my sister does, Her truck yusta drink oil too. Just don't put any more in it. I didn't say it was good but it will stop smoking for a while.