D1 extreme oil consumption

peytondisco98

Active member
Nov 25, 2020
40
5
NYC
So, I replaced my valve cover gaskets, and now I have a disappearing oil problem that I'm trying to diagnose. It's always used a lot of oil, but never this much.

I've calculated that over 1qrt of oil is disappearing per 100 ish miles. No smoke unless I jam on the accelerator on the highway, and no oil spots on the ground. The undercarriage is not shiny and no oil in the coolant. I'm using Rotella 15w40. No ticking/knocking and the truck is running beautifully (except for guzzling all this damn oil!) I can smell it after a long highway drive.

Anyone experience anything like this? my girlfriend is sick of me popping open the hood to pour in 3qts of oil every time I get gas haha.

Thx!
 

Swedjen2

Well-known member
Sep 12, 2018
594
127
California
So, I replaced my valve cover gaskets, and now I have a disappearing oil problem that I'm trying to diagnose. It's always used a lot of oil, but never this much.

I've calculated that over 1qrt of oil is disappearing per 100 ish miles. No smoke unless I jam on the accelerator on the highway, and no oil spots on the ground. The undercarriage is not shiny and no oil in the coolant. I'm using Rotella 15w40. No ticking/knocking and the truck is running beautifully (except for guzzling all this damn oil!) I can smell it after a long highway drive.

Anyone experience anything like this? my girlfriend is sick of me popping open the hood to pour in 3qts of oil every time I get gas haha.

Thx!

Why, you're an ol and gas man!
 

peytondisco98

Active member
Nov 25, 2020
40
5
NYC
Here is a pic of the passenger side PVC valve cover. Could this be the culprit? Anyone know where I can get a replacement as I could not seem to find one on Atlantic British. Or could I just drill through? Also, I noticed there is no valve cover on the driver's side, and it goes directly into the throttle body, which is confusing.

Pic of Passenger side:
passenger side PVC valve cover.jpg

Pic of driver's side:
Driver's side PVC.jpg
 

Blueboy

Well-known member
Apr 20, 2004
3,205
459
Back in the USA; Rockwood, PA
Here is a pic of the passenger side PVC valve cover. Could this be the culprit? Anyone know where I can get a replacement as I could not seem to find one on Atlantic British. Or could I just drill through? Also, I noticed there is no valve cover on the driver's side, and it goes directly into the throttle body, which is confusing.

Pic of Passenger side:
View attachment 60474

Pic of driver's side:
View attachment 60475
Try Will Tillery or Rovers North.
 
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DiscoHasBeen

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2016
1,171
262
Indy
I bought a Colorado with 77k on it. Burned through oil but couldn't find out why. Going hunting one evening I found it. When putting a load on the engine it smoked/burned oil terribly. Normal driving didn't show anything.
 
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Blue

Well-known member
Mar 26, 2004
10,043
856
AZ
Rear main seal?

He'd have a nice puddle on the ground under the truck. Been there done that.

DiscoHasBeen may be onto something with his post....

Per peytondisco98's orginal post:

No smoke unless I jam on the accelerator on the highway, and no oil spots on the ground.
 
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DiscoHasBeen

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2016
1,171
262
Indy
He'd have a nice puddle on the ground under the truck. Been there done that.

DiscoHasBeen may be onto something with his post....

Per peytondisco98's orginal post:

No smoke unless I jam on the accelerator on the highway, and no oil spots on the ground.
Like I said, going hunting pulling my Rancher. Going uphill 70 mph when the transmission kicked down then just a cloud of blue smoke. #4 cylinder was f'ed. Dealer ended up putting an engine in it. Compression check might be in order.
 
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Blue

Well-known member
Mar 26, 2004
10,043
856
AZ
All that oil has to be going somewhere.....you are burning nearly 2 little airliner liquor bottles every damn mile!
 
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discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,706
1,015
Northern Illinois
It didn't use oil before you did the valve cover gaskets? That's weird. If it was burning 3 qrts of oil in 100 miles I would think it would be smokin bad. Are you sure it's not leaking someplace? You could try plugging off the rubber hose going to that little valve you replaced. If it was pulling it from there you should be able to tell at 3 qrts in 100 miles.
 
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RavenMocker

Well-known member
Jul 25, 2015
45
4
PNW
The breather hole isn’t going to allow that much fluid to bleed out.

Did you use a torque wrench to properly tighten the valve cover? If they are over tighten it would warp them enough to allow leaking.
 
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DiscoHasBeen

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2016
1,171
262
Indy
Reading the original post closer. The smoke you see under load is the "always used a lot of oil". So disregard this completely. So you are left with, valve cover gasket replacement, loss of oil, burnt oil smell. Deductive reasoning would lead one to conclude you f'ed up the gasket replacement and oil is leaking onto a manifold, or somewhere where it is burnt off before reaching the area under the engine.
 

Blue

Well-known member
Mar 26, 2004
10,043
856
AZ
Good catch.....

"No ticking/knocking and the truck is running beautifully (except for guzzling all this damn oil!) I can smell it after a long highway drive."

I missed that.
 

terryjm1

Well-known member
Jan 23, 2011
1,485
375
I can’t imagine that much oil getting into the coolant system, but I just pulled an engine (locked up) out of a 96 D1 that had a good amount of oil in the radiator and intake coolant passages.
 
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