I think 1 Qt oil/1000 miles is above average, but not excessive. 1 QT/100 miles, you're in trouble. Typical signs of the oil pump going bad, if it gives you any warning, is low oil pressure. The factory gauge is just LNH, but you can check it with an actual pressure gauge to get a better reading at idle and WOT, or like when the motor is warmed up and you come to a stop the pressure drops. Now that could also be due to worn main bearings. But as the bearings wear, the fine metal clogs the pump, and will kill it eventually. Or you will notice a "knocking" sound, like a diesel engine, as the crankshaft wobbles around inside the wornout bearings. One of the most common problems I've seen is that the pick-up tube for the oil pump will get clogged with sludge, starving the oil pump. You flow less oil to the engine parts, then they wear faster. When you change the oil, always look for metal or water. You can also cut open the old filter, and check it for sludge build-up or metal.

The perceived lack of low-end power could be from several things. Either the engine is running poorly, or the tranny. Clogged cat.conv's will often reduce your power. A clogged fuel filter, bad spark plugs, the list goes on. IF you've done a recent tune-up, and still have problems, Iwould check for codes and look for vacuum leaks. Any of the maintenance items you do, before tearing into the motor. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is a good motto.

 

Maybe a pressure test- for vac leaks? Also- the stock guages are poor. I did the wires/plugs, coil/pcv valve/cap-rotor,fuel filter/new radiator at 175K- one year ago.
FYI what is LNH??

 

LNH = Low/Normal/High I often refer to that as an "idiot" gauge, so it doesn't give you a specific reading, just shows if you have a problem. THe oil pressure gauge will read low at 20psi, but not the difference from 10-30 psi. You can install aftermarket gauges to get a true reading on the vitals like voltage, temperature, and oil pressure.

A good test to do/have done is a compression test. That will tell you if the cylinders have a good seal on the rings, or if one is low due to a problem.

 

Okay- yes "idiot guages" that describes it...I was toying w/after market guage idea then - the oil burn issue.. A compression test will be done ASAP... Will the compression test isolate a cylinder wear problem? If after the test, I have wear and some bad ring seals- if I want to fix this issue, does it mean tearing into the engine? I already had one mechanic tell me that at 195K "it's normal to have some wear "

 

Yes, if you have a low compression reading in a cylinder, you may need to tear the engine down to replace the rings or repair the heads. IF you don't re-work the cylinder walls and just replace worn piston rings, you run a bigger risk of breakingthe new rings. The cylinder walls will get a "ridge" at the top over time, as they wear down. That's why boring them out to 0.030" is usually done.

An approximate good compression reading is 140-160 psi. It may be different on your engine, but the real sign of wear is a big difference in readings for one or more cylinders compared to the others. SO, if 5 show 130 psi, 2 are at 120, and 1 is at 115 psi, that's not too bad. IF one reads 80 or less compared to those numbers, you have a problem!

 

JSM84- that is the information that I needed. That clears a few things up. I want to get that compression test done before the new year.
Happy Holidays!!

 

I think my 96 rig came with a tranny cooler-- it's located infront of the radiator. Are you saying I should consider replacing with a higher capacity/higher quailty cooler?