burning oil

[tylerMM95]

Hey guys so my truck just recently started to burn more oil and now is smoking blue on acceleration and im looking for a TEMPORARY fix. I know i have bad rings (previous blown head gasket ruined them) and now they have gotten considerably worse, i will be buying a new vehicle in 3 months so basically i need a temporary fix until then. I usually use 10W40 so i was thinking of going to 20w50 and maybe even throwing in a can of The "restore" product...so what do you guys think? Ive never been a fan of the "miracle in a can" but after i used some blue devil HG sealer in an old beater i had and it worked for 3k miles ive been leaning in that direction. Like i said i just need a temporary fix for 3 months, so im stuck between using heavier oil with either some "restore" or maybe the LUCAS HEAVY DUTY OIL STABILIZER or anything similar. So let me know if you have used any of these products or what is the best remedy for the mean time. Thanks in advance😀

[tylerMM95]

Also i heard using conventional oil is better too because it burns less than synthetic, is there any truth to that?

[royster]

Hi Tyler~

You're sure it isn't (also) valve seals?

Your best bet is to use straight 30 weight, skip the additives. Even recommending the 30 wt will get some flak from fellow members, but you can't go too thick on the oil (like Lucas...just read my build thread!!!), as the oil passages are very small in some areas of the 4G64. I know from personal experience.

If you think the valve seals are worn, for three months of less smoking, it might be worth your while to replace them: it isn't a difficult operation.

I've been running straight 30 wt in mine for 20,000 miles and it's doing fine...even in these cold winter months.

[tylerMM95]

Yeah i think my valves are good because i have no smoke on startup, just when i accelerate. from my expierence leaky valves will cause smoke on startup correct? Also should i go with a "non detergent" 30 weight and what brand woyld you recommend? I figure non detergent cause' the more gunk around my rings the less oil that can slip by haha

[camoit]

Valve seals will leek after sitting and after decelerating. So you will get a puff when taking off

[tylerMM95]

Oh ok well i have no smoke on deceleration so id assume they're in ok shape. Also royster recommended a straight 30 weight over a 20w50 which is kind of confusing me. I undwrstand when its cold it will be a 20 weight but once i come uo to eperating temp wouldnt the 50w be better? Also im replacing the crankshaft seal, any advice on this procedure?

[ratesheet]

Here's what I've done to slow the oil burning....86 G63B....I use diesel motor oil, it has zinc for extra wear protection and is thicker...I have worn valve seals so I added half a small bottle of brake fluid to the crankcase oil, brake fluid swells the rubber it comes in contact with, with those 2 changes the smoke is gone and oil loss has dramatically lessened..

[geezer101]

:shock:...And that, is home brew chemical engineering at it's best. I have heard of using diesel oil - but the brake fluid additive is a new one. I'm assuming as long as the seals are still pliable the brake fluid will do its funky thing. Awesome tip :thumbup:

[dash]

won't smoke on decelleration... that is when high vacuum will suck oil into cylinders, past worn valve stem seals.
As said, will get a puff on take off
Just for kicks I tried 'restore' in my old 1981 corolla daily, years ago. After a few weeks, I noticed the (stock)motor performed significantly stronger, and I couldn't figure out why. I had forgot about the 'restore'. Seems like it worked for me.
Had a bad intermittent smoking & oil use problem years back with my 95 corolla. Several suggested worn rings and valve seals.
Although it was a motor I put together from scrapped parts, it pulled decent..... so stubborn me, kept at it.
Turned out the baffle or whatever it is in the valve pan cover that keeps oil out of the PCV hose, had failed. I rerouted
No more smoke, performs fine, purrs like a kitten ever since

[royster]

leaky valves will cause smoke on startup correct?

Yes.


Also should i go with a "non detergent" 30 weight and what brand woyld you recommend?

I never was sure about the "detergent/non-detergent" debate. I just use Shell Rotella, because it's one of the few that still offers a straight weight.


I figure non detergent cause' the more gunk around my rings the less oil that can slip by haha

The concept is certainly there :)

[BradMph]

Shell gas is poo poo, lol. They say they put Nitrogen in the fuel, lol. That is another word for water. Doh!
Chevron was the top detergent fuel when I was younger, not sure now.

[pennyman1]

I have used Restore in Geronimo and he runs great - he was down on power so I tried it - made a believer out of me.

[MechBertrand]

Make sure your case ventilation is in good shape. Pressure buildup can cause all kinds of weirdness.


Shell gas is poo poo, lol. They say they put Nitrogen in the fuel, lol. That is another word for water. Doh!
Chevron was the top detergent fuel when I was younger, not sure now.

Specfically Nitorgen is not water but the shell thing is still a gimmick. Air is 78% nitrogen and it's an inert gas which means it does absolutely nothing beneficial for combustion. Always irritated me mildy.


I never was sure about the "detergent/non-detergent" debate. I just use Shell Rotella, because it's one of the few that still offers a straight weight.

if you haven't been using detergent(for a long time) it's better to stay away from it until a rebuild. Using a detergent can let sludge (chunks?) release and clog up filters(possibly critically). Otherwise, detergents prevent sludge from causing restriction of flow resulting in an early rebuild.

generally the route would be Rebuild > Mineral oil (until break-in, this is non detergent) > detergent. At least this is how it's done in aviation. (where rebuilds cost as much as new luxury car even for recip engines.)..

FWIW detergent is also a synonym of ashless dispersant.

[MechBertrand]

sorry about that, mistook the convo on fuel detergent for a convo on oil detergents. I do not have much knowledge in the field of fuel additives.

[royster]

To be clear, my suggestion was to use Shell Rotella motor oil, because it comes in 30wt. Straight-grade oil is becoming harder to find these days.

Big thanks, MechBertrand, for some great insights.

[pennyman1]

detergent vs non-detergent oil is not as big of deal in a modern motor as it is for older motors. Detergents in motor oil prevents sludge buildup caused by hotter running motors in newer cars. Older cars and trucks didn't have the sludge issue because they ran differently. The main issue with running non-detergent oil in newer motors is they will sludge up the motor due to the hotter operating conditions of new motors. Unless the motor was run on non-detergent oil from day one, don't run it in our trucks.

[Yoshiwarrior]

You leave the brake fluid in The oil for a regular 3k miles between oil changes?

[LSR Mike]

back in the day, we would filler up with STP, the Racers Edge, to kill the smoke before the For Sale sign went on the windshield....

[pennyman1]

I know the results of people that ran STP all the time - my Dad helped a friend rebuild a 390 motor out of a 62 tbird - the owner ran so much STP in it that when his son started to beat on it, it tore the motor up from oil starvation. They pulled the heads off the motor and went to pull the lifters - they popped like corks coming out of the lifter galleys. It took the machine shop 3 days to boil the block clean. They rebuilt the motor, and gave it back to the owner amd told him not to let his son drive it until it was broken in, or he could spin a bearing. One week later, the owner called and said the motor is making noises after his son drove it, and expected it to be repaired for free. That didn't happen, and the car owner got to pay for the 2nd rebuild of the motor.

[geezer101]

Yikes, I'm never going near that stuff! I've seen how badly an engine can get fouled up just from oil breaking down and varnishing everything inside.