Opinions on oil changes for a G54B that burns lots of oil?

[StarquestMan]

I have been racking on the miles lately on my 87' 4x4 which has gotten me thinking about whether or not I should be changing the oil more or possibly just the filter. The thing is that it burns about a quart every 200-400 miles so it has been getting fresh oil added regularly. I would just change it as recommended by the owners manual and use a high quality oil and use a zinc additive as most recommend but have just been adding NAPAs house brand oil like crazy since it burns it so much and haven't bothered with an oil or filter in a while. I guess ive been stuck with the mindset that its getting fresh additives through its regular oil fillings. I have a friend who used to own an old ford ranger with a similar oil consumption problem and he owned that truck longer than any of his other vehicles and just added oil regularly. the oil is getting a bit dark but still has the consistency of fresh oil. Im sure the oil control rings are to blame since i have been through everything on the engine except the bottom end. it has new valve stem seals, valve cover gasket, timing chain and seals etc. I like to think eventually ill get around to re-doing the bottom end but who knows when that will happen, maybe when i get my 88' SPX on the road soon. what do you guys think? should i just do a new filter and keep adding oil for now or does all 5-6 quarts of capacity need to go?

[StarquestMan]

On second thought i have read a bit about Frantz oil filters ( toilet paper oil filter system, do a google search they are pretty interesting) and it sounds like the oil that stays in the engine can look clean after being filtered many times but people say it turns acidic over time. Im beginning to think that i should quit being a cheapskate and just do an oil change

[geezer101]

If it's old then there is every possibility it is no longer holding it's full viscosity at operating temps. If you haven't flushed the engine, it wouldn't hurt to do it either. I always do the filter when I change oil. The old filter is already full of contaminated oil and all it does is reintroduce that tired oil back in to the engine shortening it's serviceable life. Acidity "shouldn't" be an issue unless the truck sits for extended periods undriven.

[StarquestMan]

good point on the viscosity at operating temps. ill definitely replace the filter regardless of whether i do the oil too which im now leaning towards. what do you recommend flushing it with? i normally add a little seafoam to the oil and run it to operating temp before draining the oil and removing the filter. things look pretty clean through the oil fill on the valve cover, i can see a nice clean rocker arm etc plus i cleaned everything i had access to when i had the timing cover and head removed about 20k miles ago to redo the top end and replace the timing chains/guides.

[xboxrox]

Hello TightWad (NO complete oil changes for my truck..!) opps StarquestMan (I love my truck..!)

In Hawaii's weather I use Castrol GTX 10W-40 motor oil & a WIX brand oil filter at least once, sometimes twice a year... Don't have much choice on these brands, you get what is shipped to the island stores & military bases... I believe in spending $ on exotic special synthetic oils & additives (for this 2.6L engine) about as much as President Trump believes in global warming... hehe...

P.S. My truck burns some oil too; I think the 129,800 miles on the clock has something to do with that... I've learned to check the engine oil level when filling the tank with gas... If one quart low, I just add one quart and go...

Happy Christmas to all who read here,
Aloha-George

[geezer101]

This is how I've been performing my own engine oil flushes - http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...ll=1#post49592

Yes, you will waste some fresh oil in the process but it will carry a large amount of contaminants out of the engine. Had plenty of positive feedback from members using this method. It especially helps with noisy hydraulic heads and may even restore some compression if the piston rings are gummed up.

[StarquestMan]

cool ill have to try geezers method of flushing when i get the cash to do so. maybe for now ill just try the diesel fuel and drain it. ive got some left over from when you recommended the manual trans flush (worked great by the way now that im thinking about it I think the last full oil change on my truck was at 176K miles and I now have about 194k but maybe thats not all that bad since it sounds like xboxrox has done similar to me. there are definitely lots of snake oil products out there but i have been surprised at some of them working quite well. I used "Cataclean" in my Toyota Tercel to clear a P0420 code (catalytic converter inefficiency) and the code cleared itself in about 5 minutes!

[xboxrox]

I think your onto something StarquestMan, a USNavy Construction Mechanic (navy talk for Seabee auto mechanic) told me that diesel fuel is nothing but carburetor cleaner... He recommended one cup of it added to a tank of gas will keep your engine clean as a whistle... It worked in a 1994 Chevrolet Caprice 9C1 Ex cop car that I once owned with the LT-1 Corvette engine...

Are we there yet..?

[Giovanni89]

I'd drain and filter change every 3k if you're running conventional, or 5k if you're running synthetic. adding fresh oil won't drain out the sludge in the pan. And top off as necessary.

[xboxrox]

Engine clean, fill two or three 5 gallon GI cans with used oil from gas stations & remove the crankshaft rear main seal. Get on the FWY and see how many gas stations you can find every 15 gallons of oil... Don't forget to keep an eye on the oil pressure warning light ��