Blow by
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Tuned
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 330
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From: SW Oklahoma
Blow by
I've been looking at used SD's. I've found an '01 that's really clean, runs and drives well, but when I pull the oil cap off at idle, there's a cloud of thick, black, oily smoke. Of course, the salesman tried to play it down, but I've always been told to stay away from one that does that...Am I wrong? This truck has 93K miles on it - I'm also looking at an '00with 112K that has absolutely no blow by. It's a crew cab, the 93K is a supercab. Both are 4x4 XLT's, the crew cab also has a ranch hand grill gaurd, nerf bars and brand new 285 AT's - the supercab needs tires. The crew cab is only about $3800 higher, but the $19,900 for the supercab is about the most I really wanted to spend.
So what I need to know is; (1) Is some amount of blow by acceptable, in terms of is it reasonable to think that motor can remain strong and reliable for at least another 100K, and (2) if so, is the crew cab still worth the difference?
I saw a list of things to check out in another post that I will also look at before I buy. I learn so much here
So what I need to know is; (1) Is some amount of blow by acceptable, in terms of is it reasonable to think that motor can remain strong and reliable for at least another 100K, and (2) if so, is the crew cab still worth the difference?
I saw a list of things to check out in another post that I will also look at before I buy. I learn so much here
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Tuned
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 330
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From: SW Oklahoma
Thanks gseeders - my thoughts exactly. There are several PSD crew cab 4X4's where I drove the crew cab I described - think I'm gonna head back there and try to sort through 'em, again. Salesman tells me they have an '02 F350 Lariat cc lwb PSD 6 speed 4X4 with only 20K miles...
Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2005
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I almost got taken on a blow-by situation with the explanation that is normal for anything with a turbo....I proceeded to tell the salesman that he was about as educated as a box of matches when it comes to PSD......I would stay away.
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: Silver Lake Dunes, MI
blow-by is compression from the cyclinder that passes by the piston rings or blows-by. it is seen or felt as air rushing out of the dip stick tube or the oil filler cap. blow-by is a sign of a worn engine. it means that the piston rings are shot or the cylinder wall is scratched or in an extreme case the piston has a hole in it. blow-by can cause oil seals to leak and other nasty things because it pressurizes the crank case.
hope that helps
tim
hope that helps
tim
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Yeah thanks for that. I had never heard of blow-by. Guess I'll have to check my truck. 
Would that also tend to produce blue exhaust smoke? My truck doesn't smoke at all as far as I can tell, so I guess that's a good sign!
Would that also tend to produce blue exhaust smoke? My truck doesn't smoke at all as far as I can tell, so I guess that's a good sign!
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Ok I checked my truck. When I removed my oil cap at idle, there was not a cloud of thick, black, oily smoke as ramblincowboy described, but there was a small amount of vapor that I'd describe as steam-like. There were just a few little wisps that would disappear about 3 inches above the valve cover. Does that sound bad or is it normal?
Also, when I removed the oil cap, there was no hiss indicating that the crank case was pressurized.
Also, when I removed the oil cap, there was no hiss indicating that the crank case was pressurized.
Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 2,417
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From: Braham MN
Thats perfectly normal, I have done a mod on both of mine that routes the gasses out to the atmosphere and they both give off a pretty good haze/steam looking cloud, but its very wispy and dissapears quickely. yours sounds like it is a happy PSD.
Diesel Rod
Diesel Rod
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Joined: Nov 2004
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From: New Hampshire
good news texasE.. i saved a bunch of money by switching... wait... sorry... wrong forum...! seriously... you are good to go... as far as I know... if you had any blow-by, you would KNOW IT...! what you are seeing is normal crankase vapors... that's what the pcv system siphons off into your intake air to be burned in your engine... that's another free mod that can help your psd breathe easier... unplug that hose from your intake, plug up you intake, and reroute that vent hose someplace where it can safely release your crankcase vapors and drain any oil residue that forms in the pipe...
Man I had some bad blow by last night ! Whew ! Maybe if I didn't eat so much Mexican food I wouldn't have it.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: FL
Originally Posted by 444dieselrod
Thats perfectly normal, I have done a mod on both of mine that routes the gasses out to the atmosphere and they both give off a pretty good haze/steam looking cloud, but its very wispy and dissapears quickely. yours sounds like it is a happy PSD.
Diesel Rod
Diesel Rod
-Robb
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Thanks, guys. I was a little worried there. So far I appear to have been blessed with a good truck. I hadn't heard of blow-by before, so I was afraid that this was going to be the one thing wrong with the truck. Fortunately not.
Now I'm back to wondering when I'm gonna have to replace the transmission.
Now I'm back to wondering when I'm gonna have to replace the transmission.