Ok I have a question I have a 283 Chevy fresh build. Pretty much stock except mild cam it in my 1965 nova gasser. Engine runs strong no smoke 60 lbs oil pressure driving 20 idling hot. Any way just took it round. Trip from Indiana to pigeon forge then on to Nashville well on the way the oil pressure started to fluctuate Between 60 and 30 so I stopped Checked oil Added two quarts. Everything was fine went on and after two hundred miles same thing Got off highway and she was 4 quaurts low. ( has seven qt pan ). Drained the rest. Put seven quart in her buy the time I got home same thing damn near empty hears the kicker it does not smoke plugs are. Chocolate. Brown Has good. Compression even cross all. Cylinders. No leaks. Underside of car is dry Can't figure out what is going on or where the hell all this oil is going. Any suggestions would be appreciated. And this. Little motor is a screamer it runs perfect other than Having to. Check the gas and fill up the oil
That's a strange one alright. You'd figure you could see a trail from where you've been loosing that much. Either a nasty blue smoke screen or drops and an oily mess.
Sounds like an intake gasket failed and is sucking oil out of the valley. Been there done that, 2 quarts every 140 miles.
i OVERHAULED A CORVETTE ENGINE FOR A GUY ONETIME SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM. I CONSULTED AN ENGINE BUILDER FRIEND OF MINE AND THIS WAS HIS RESPONSE. THE RINGS ARE NOT SEATING AND THE OIL DISAPPEARS. HE SUGGESTED I TAKE OUT THE 10W30 OIL, REPLACE IT WITH 20WT. NON DETERGENT OIL AND DRIVE IT IN A MANNER TO SEAT NEW RINGS; THAT IS TO VARY THE SPEED SO VACUUM FLEXES THE RINGS TO HELP THEM SEAL. i DID THIS, DROVE THE CAR MYSELF 200 MILES AND IT NEVER USED ANOTHER DROP OF OIL. THEN I CHANGED IT BACK TO 10W30 PENNZOIL WITH NO PROBLEMS.
Im telling ya thought. Same thing if it was using that much wouldn't it be smoking I am not engine builder but have put 5 or so together and never had a problem and I am not easy on em I run the hell outa of em
I'm with 36 3 window. Had a friend that had the same problem. It was his PCV valve. Had to re-position it I believe...solved the problem. It was allowing oil to be suctioned from the crankcase. Don't recall all the particulars but is an easy thing to try.
i had a 283 in a model A that sucked about 3 quarts of oil on a 200 mile trip , the guy following me never saw a thing. it turned out to be the PCV valve in the valve cover , it was right above a rocker arm and squirting oil right at it simple to pull it out and see if it is full of oil
Actually clean oil burns clean and will not foul the plugs, that is why you can get away with dribbling a little oil in the cylinders if they get washed down to restore compression. I drove out of mexico one time on an engine that was using 4 quarts to the fillup. It was only a 5 quart system. It didn't smoke noticably, but it always had fresh oil in it. Have you checked the pipes to see if it is pumping oil out?
What was done to the engine for it to be a "fresh" engine? Just rings and bearings or a full rebuild with boring and oversize pistons and the heads done including new guides. The things that the guys suggested are some that have caused issues before. Intake gaskets not aligned or the wrong intake gaskets, rings installed with all the gaps in a line, Moly or Chrome rings in and engine that just has a rering job and hasn't been bored and honed to work with said rings, valve seals missing or installed improperly, unbaffled pcv valve that is sucking oil out of the engine and into the engine and possibly too much taper in cylinders that weren't rebored for the rings to maintain a seal properly. Or possibly the wrong rings for the bore size. Such as standard rings on a .030 over bore that the person doing the ring job thought was a standard bore.
Ditto on the PCV system. I had the same problem with the 401 nailhead i rebuilt and put in my '50 chevy. Wanted to use some no vent Fenton valve covers and aluminum valley pan. Pan had holes for breather and filler tube. I fastened a baffle under the hole where i put the PCV valve but it wasnt adequate. One quart every 50 miles. Went through about 6 quarts before putting the stock valve covers on. Hasn't used any oil in 2000 miles.
The pipes are clean has wheel well headers. And exhaust. Exits at rockers slit carbon in rockers not a drop of oil none on the wheels or car engine. Was bored line home hole nine ring gaps are good not in line has even cyl presure. That why I am stumped I'm sorry but with oil consumption like this it there is no way it's gonna go out the pipes and nut be dripping no way I can think of. And radiator is clean. I'm stumped
A friend of mine and my oldest son went to Bonneville with us with his 283 powered 51 sedan delivery,which never used a drop of oil around town, used 22 quarts of oil there and back, if he drove 50 MPH it was'nt to bad, it was hot as hell in that delivery , and we all would blast ahead and wait for them at fuel stops, we were all cooled down and relaxed when they got there and we made them hurry up and get gas, just to see the look of fear and desparation on their faces, which Gary, who is 62, looked like an old catcher's mit, we cried it was so funny, that car never smoked or leaked any oil! never did figure out what the hell was wrong with that motor.we pulled it when we got home and put a new motor in. I have that 283 somewhere, and someday ill pull it apart and look at it. Chris
Using that much oil you should see some evidence on the plugs if it were burning it, I would think. When my Son's Olds 455 was having a problem it was using a quart in about 100 miles and the plugs were black, so black it would start to misfire after a while. We went through 24 new plugs waiting for it to seat, which it never did. I can see why you are mystified. Don
I too am wondering what your crankcase ventilation system consists of. 1 drop of oil very 100 feet or so would be in the ball park of your oil usage per mile. http://home.comcast.net/~slsassoc/OilCons.html When I'm stumped I go back over the stuff I checked before, checking the old way, not skipping any steps, and then a new way too. Most of the time some pretty basic principals are involved. If none of that works I'd eventually even try stuff that folks suggest even if I thought it was impossible. Every now and then suggestions by folks I consider subscribers to coyote physics or from the accounting department held the key. Oil entering the combustion chamber via the intake port along with the official intake charge has a pretty good chance of burning clean. Oil sneaking past the exhaust guides only gets a chance to smolder in the exhaust system. 2 strokes mixing oil with gas at 35 or 50-1 and when sharply tuned emit no visible smoke. You mentioned using 4 qts of oil in 200 miles, which is about 200 mpg of oil. If you get 10 mpg gas, the gas/oil ratio would be about 20 to 1.
Friend of mine had a 55 Chevy with a well built 327. Had a factory dual 4 intake on it . From Sacramento to Reno and back, it would use 4 qts of oil (275 miles) Did not smoke or foul plugs and ran very well. Finally took the intake off and found it leaking /being sucked into two intake ports from the valley. Changed the intake and it is oil tight now.
Baffles in the valve covers are not there. Bet it is a fancy aftermarket cover set with out baffles sucking the oil into the engine. Buy baffled covers
Why is there no evidence of burning this much oil ? No smoke ? No smell? No sut ? No oily pipes ? Help me out here
The valve covers are baffled. But I did figure. It out I believe. PVC. Line sucking oil thanks for all the suggestions this was a new one on me.
Any sign of the lost oil, got to figure four to eight qts of oil somewhere. No smoke no leaks no fouled plugs clean underside
If the PCV is the cause, there will be oil in the plemum, of the intake ! Remove the carb and take a look.
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