Since I bought my truck it always smoked on startup, it clears up after around 5 seconds, but as it's getting cooler the amount of smoke is going up. The smoke is blue, and the truck slowly looses oil, so from what I've read on here new injector o-rings should fix this problem? I'm getting ready to order new o-rings, and motorcraft glow plugs, and have a few quarters sitting around. Anything else I should do while I'm under the valve covers?

My second issue is I can't seem to keep the coolant level up in the tank. It doesn't have any visible leaks, but within an hour of adding to it the level will be at least an inch low. It also seems like it never completely drains the tank, just ends up two or three inches low. Should I just buy a new tank to be sure, or is there somewhere else the coolant could be going? There's no fluid contamination that would make me think bad injector cups or oil cooler.

 

If I was going that deep I would take the extra time and pressurize the tank and look at all the injector cups just to make sure. Replace your radiator cap if you have not yet done so, the older ones with smaller spring are a major problem with keeping pressure. With a new one inplace with the correct pressure you may find that cold water leak, if you even have one. the tank draining only an inch could be the system circulating but after cooling should go back up.

As for other stuff under the VC look to see if you have briddle wires running to the glow plugs/injectors and replace if necessary, when I was in there for glow plugs I went ahead and did so I don't have to go back. I believe the newer harnesses don't have plug loosening problem and I know the 50cent trick won't work unless you do more trimming.

Someone else can probably give more advise.

 

I'll definitely get a pressure tester when the time comes and see how the cups look. Hadn't thought about the radiator cap, but it does seem pretty loose. I filled it up last night before work, checked it when I got home and there was no moisture on the bottle or anywhere that I could see. Today after cooling down the level is about half an inch down from where it was last night.