I bought my truck a few months ago and the PO said he had his neighbor re-build the engine around 2000. I know absolutely nothing about engines so when in started right up, idled for about 20 minutes, and everything sounded alright I just assumed everything was ok.
I went through and replaced all the fluids and started to drive around on the weekends. Since putting in new oil I have probably driven 50 miles, and I am already a quart low.
I have absolutely no experience or speciality tools needed to work on an engine, but I am fairly mechanically minded. Is this something I can takle on my own? Or should I take the engine to a shop and have it done professionally?
personally I would stay as far from a shop as I can, with the exception of machine shops. As I don't have the $100,000 worth of machines I would need. Even then I have had horrible experiences. Also do you know the neighbor? Just because someone rebuilt it doesn't mean it was done even remotely correct. You first need to get a manual. Was it full after you changed the oil? Did you check? What have you done already, did you check the oil and come straight to the forum? Or did you check around for where it might have went. You have a huge advantage over us, as you can actually go look at your engine, These engines have been known to leak a lot of oil. Oh did I mention you should get a manual, most especially since you have no engine experience. I would suggest you get a manual. (all the references to getting a manual wasn't a typo) Other than that What Mr. Lang has suggested is 'bout it. Now if you are emitting a huge mosqito fogger smoke screen, that would be a whole other story, but (oh I hate to do this) for now I am assuming you would have mentioned that part. (the smoke I mean)
I'd have to disagree with ya on this one Chris. Before I had my engine bored .030" in 2010 I had driven it for about 8k. It started and ran just fine but it was using between 1 & 2 quarts of Rotella-T every 100 miles (leaking some but not that much). In the day time you really couldn't see that it was burning the oil but at night in the lights of the cars behind you it was clear. I was however cleaning plugs every thousand miles. They were not oil soaked, just a lot of tan build up which in the begining I thought was due to the fuel I was using. Since the rebuild I've put on a bunch of miles and every thing is hunky doory, no oil usage, no fouled plugs. On the "my neighbor rebuilt it in 2000", I hear that often but in fact what they did was maybe honed a worn cylinder (making it even bigger yet, not replacing the worn pistons and expecting the rings to take up all that clearance. Most Stovebolts that I've seen with more than 50k on them were worn at least .010-.015" and simply re-ringing them would not cut the mustard. They will start and run just fine but they usually sound of piston slap and use a lot of oil after this sort of "rebuild". Denny Graham Somewhere north of Sandwich, IL
After I changed the oil (there is no filter) I drove it around the block to make sure everything was alright, I did not notice any leaks. It sat for a few hours then I went to check the oil level and it was normal. After two longer trips I noticed it was low (.5 quart after the first trip, 1 quart after the second). I have not noticed any leaking or any puddles.
It does smoke, but I have read these things do burn oil so I though it was normal. The amount of smoke is similar to what Denny Described.
As far as the shop goes, my cousin restores pre-80 Corvettes and gave me the name of the place he sends all his engines to. My main question was in regards to is this something I can learn to do (with a manual) or should I skip the learning curve and send it to the shop?
If you want to find out more information about your engine you could buy a few specialty tools and do some testing yourself. I'd start with getting a compression tester and a vacuum gauge. Do a proper compression test first. Then button things back up after doing a compression test and install the vacuum gauge and take some readings, both hot and cold. You could come back and post the results. This will get you started and give you some direction as to what the state of your engine is. Good Luck Don
Just zxacley what Don said. Being an engineer you probably were born with a natural curiosity as to how things work. So…..you should understand the learning curve that you speak of. If you really want to get to know your machine do a little research and if you feel the need to take it a step further, buy some of the tools to trouble shoot the cause of your oil burning. After this you will have earned the bragging rights to say “And, I did all the work myself.”
Of course if you would rather spend your time at the golf course while your mechanic works on your truck then that’s your other prerogative.
Oh yeah, and above all keep on asking questions, we have the potential here of coming up with almost 32,000 opinions so your bound to come up with an answer.
The 235 that's in my panel burned a quart of 50wt per hundred miles. It left a cloud of smoke behind me that was a bit outrageous at times!
I did a ring job, and valve seals myself, with the engine in the truck.
I bought the valve seals for $7 at FLAPS, and got some NOS rings on ebay for $40. I also replaced the con-rod bearing shells too, those were $95 at FLAPS. I think my head gasket was $40.
I lapped the valves too.
I don't burn oil anymore, and I had a great time doing the work. The work doesn't require too many specialized tools. A torque wrench, feeler gauges, plasti-gauge, and a hone, but you can use the cheap hard stone one, instead of the fancy ball hones. I didn't need a ridge reamer, as the ridge in my cylinders was so slight.
The manual describes all this stuff, and right here is a great place to ask questions if you're stumped, or unsure.
no, burning oil isn't normal for any engine that I know of. There were many cars that did, but it wasn't right. That is one of the reasons they came up with the positive valve seals. However don't use them on these engines, I did and ended up pulling the head and getting all new exhaust valves. I'm still not sure it was the seals fault because in theory they simply CONTROL the amount of lubrication that gets to the valves. They aren't supposed to wipe the valve stem clean. So I'm not sure if it was the seals or the fella just didn't give enough clearance when he assembled the head. Next time I am just going to do the work myself. I didn't do it this time due to several factors, they DID however replace the valves at no cost. With the seals removed. But anyway, burning oil is bad.
Was able to get the compression data this morning.
1 - 98 2 - 92 3 - 90 4 - 98 5 - 112 6 - 105
I also made a quick video of the motor running. There is a knock that I can hear when sitting in the cab, you can hear it when standing over the engine but it is not nearly as prominent. The knock sounds like someone is tapping the firewall with a ball-peen hammer. PO said he thought it is a broken fly wheel due to the sound being worse in the cab... I was wondering if it would be a worn bearing or something else going out.
Just to make sure I am on the right page. The valve adjustment will help with the knocking?
Any idea on where all the oil went (or is going)? I had it idling in the garage before and after testing the compression, and there was zero oil on the floor.
I'm thinking you had a mental glitch on the oil level part? unless it got in the radiator, there IS an oil line that goes through the block after all, I'm not sure which way things would go though...oil into water or vice versa. Just keep an eye on it and see if it keeps doing it. My truck smoked so bad no one would get near me, 9certainly made it easy to avoid getting rearended,) it had a couple of thoroughly matured oil leaks as well, and I only went through a quart every 150 miles.
I shot the video about 5 minuets before I turned the idle down, I will try and get a recording of the noise it makes it the cab, it is a lot more prominent.
One of my neighbors also threw out the oil into radiator idea. I changed the antifreeze out a few weeks ago and there was no oil in it. I checked the radiator again and there did not appear to be any oil.
As for the mental glitch, I might go with that but both my Dad and I that have been documenting the oil problems. I filled it full (checked after 10 minute idle), then he drove it for a little the next weekend and let me know it was a 1/2 quart low. Then I drove it the following weekend and noticed it was a full quart low.
When I changed it I filled it until the dipstick said full which was 5 quarts, should it have been 6? What weight of oil should I be using? I currently have 10w-30 in there.
