1st off great website lots of info.i'm driving a 1988 ford f250 4wd 7.3L zf-5spd reg.cab.i have put 530 miles on it since i put it on the road 7/7/06 overall it has 104000. starts and runs good but struggles pulling my trailer with my allis tractor or my jd crawler.i have read most of the postings and learned alot about the 7.3's.i cut out the soup bowl and ran the intake 4" under the batt tray next to rad. frame and put in k&n filter also run diesel kleen in every tank and it has been a big inprovment.today i'm going to remove the stock muffler but i noticed when i drive on the thruway my dipstick pushes up about 2" and it goes in rather tight too. do i have pressure building up in crankcase is this normal?i cleaned the cvc valve and replaced the water pump last week thats when i noticed the dipstick up and puffing smoke not alot but it caught my eye.the truck has been used for plowing parking lots its whole life and has been sitting for 2 yrs. before i got it.i couldn't pass up a running and driving diesel for 400.00 !!!!! after the water pump i added some lucas oil treatment (2 bottles per instructions for 2.5 gal.) of oil,to it and haven't seen it smoke anymore i use 15w40.i have done alot of work on it since i got it in april...sorry long post just trying to give you info being the new guy here thanks....mike

 

fordbug,
Welcome to FTE and the IDI diesel forum.

I have seem mine do that when I do a lot of high speed driving.
I am sure part of it is blow by related, but I think some of it is also vibration related.

 

dave thanks for info.i was thinking about that and was hoping someone else would mention it.i removed the stock muffler today and the truck ran and sounded terrible.the top end rpm's improved and wound up better when you put your foot in it...the motor just didn't run smooth at all so i put the muffler back on and removed the tailpipe and put on a deflector directing it down and not into the axle so the system ends at the muffler.the truck ran much better go figure that 1. i'am not a fan of mufflers at all my equipment all run on a straight pipe's but over the years i have had some that didn't like it...