New 351W rebuild - oil loss???
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Senior User
Joined: May 2003
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New 351W rebuild - oil loss???
OK, I have had this engine running for about 1500 miles now, and have been loosing about a quart of oil every 100 miles or so. At first I thought it was due to break-in, and then I had thought the problem was solved when I put baffles in the valve covers, but I was wrong.
I don't notice any blue smoke under regular driving conditions, but I recently started experimenting and found out how to make it smoke, and it smokes alot when I do this: I drive in 3rd gear at around 3500 to 4500 RPM for about 2 or 3 miles, and then I go down a hill with it still in gear and let off the throttle, and let the engine slow the truck, that is when blue smoke starts coming out the exhaust like crazy.
The guy who built the motor for me suggested that the intake manifold gasket may have not sealed. Any one have an idea???
I don't notice any blue smoke under regular driving conditions, but I recently started experimenting and found out how to make it smoke, and it smokes alot when I do this: I drive in 3rd gear at around 3500 to 4500 RPM for about 2 or 3 miles, and then I go down a hill with it still in gear and let off the throttle, and let the engine slow the truck, that is when blue smoke starts coming out the exhaust like crazy.
The guy who built the motor for me suggested that the intake manifold gasket may have not sealed. Any one have an idea???
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 788
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From: Hendersonville, TN
Your rings may have not fully seated yet. I'd like to give some anecdotal evidence for this. I rebuilt my dad's 300 I6 several years ago. He kepr complaining for months afterward that it was using oil and smoking. Me and my brother both told him his rings weren't seated. Finally, he took a long interstate trip and the smoking/oil consumption ceased. Similarly, a friend had a 69 Camaro with a 327 that he rebuilt using TRW rings, and couldn't get them to seat. It went through oil like mad. He tore down and installed Perfect Circle rings, and the problem ceased. Take it on a long, high-speed interstate jaunt and see if it's solved.
Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 2,735
Likes: 38
From: Sunny Florida
When breaking in a new engine you should always bring the motor up to highway speed on the highway and then let the engine slow you down to around 40 or 45 and then back up 60 65. This is a good practice for sealing the rings on both directions and it sounds like you haven't gotten the rings to seat yet. I to agree with the long highway drive
Tuned
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 281
Likes: 1
From: Petersburg, MI
Rings aren't seated yet. You didn't use any oil additives in the beginning did you? Like Prolong or Slick 50? You don't want to add any of that stuff or use any synthetic oil until after several thousand miles or else it will take forever to get the rings to seat.
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Thanks everyone for the replies.
RLKBOB, I didn't use any synthetics or additives in the engine, just regular 10w30. I had taken it in December on a hunting trip that was about 70 miles each way, but that was about the longest that I've driven it at one particular time.
I don't drive the truck very long distances, it is basically just to get me back and forth to work (6 miles round trip). I do plan on using the truck to tow a 24' camper a few times in the summer to a campground, but other than that it doesn't get driven too far.
The machinist who built the engine suggested that the intake was not sealed properly to the engine, and that when the engine was producing lots of vacuum that it was pulling oil from the gap between the engine and the intake. (Of course he probably wants this to be the problem, since I put the intake on, and that would make the problem not his)
I guess I'll keep driving it, and hope for the best. The guy who built the motor warranted it for 3 years, so I got lots of time to try and get the rings to seat.
RLKBOB, I didn't use any synthetics or additives in the engine, just regular 10w30. I had taken it in December on a hunting trip that was about 70 miles each way, but that was about the longest that I've driven it at one particular time.
I don't drive the truck very long distances, it is basically just to get me back and forth to work (6 miles round trip). I do plan on using the truck to tow a 24' camper a few times in the summer to a campground, but other than that it doesn't get driven too far.
The machinist who built the engine suggested that the intake was not sealed properly to the engine, and that when the engine was producing lots of vacuum that it was pulling oil from the gap between the engine and the intake. (Of course he probably wants this to be the problem, since I put the intake on, and that would make the problem not his)
I guess I'll keep driving it, and hope for the best. The guy who built the motor warranted it for 3 years, so I got lots of time to try and get the rings to seat.
Tuned
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 281
Likes: 1
From: Petersburg, MI
I put a reman 302 in my Crown Vic a few years ago and it took a little over 10,000 miles before the rings finally seated and it stopped using oil. I wasn't going through as much as you but just something to keep in mind. All them short drives to work aren't helping with the break in, you need to go on some longer drives maybe every weekend for an hour or more to help it along.
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 255
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From: Spokane
It could be that the mechanic didn't put the oil rings in correctly or one of the rings cracked. A compression test and take a good look at your plugs to isolate a problem to one cylinder.
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