350 oil consumption

boflaade · July 21, 2002

Ibought a used 1990 with 4 speed and 350 TBI. The truck was used in a coal mine and has only 35000 Kms on it. It runs fine and the only guage not working is the oil pressure. However it appears to need a liter of oil once over 500 kms. I know it must have spent a lot of time idling but no puffs of smoke to indicate bad rings or valves. I does drip a little but not enough to mark the ground underneath.

Is it usual for these engines to consume oil?

This is my first gas engine in a lot of years and I am unfamiliar to what is normal or not.

maggot · July 23, 2002

Well, I wonder how the truck was used. Fist thing I would do is make sure the gauage is not broke and the reading is not correct. The gauage could be broke, or it could be reading very low oil pressure. A shop could test it fairly cheap.My 97 350 used 1/2 quart every 3000 miles. I consider that OK. You may look into a tune up, plugs, wires, PCV valve, change every filter and fluid. Flush everything you can.Get that coal dust out of everything. Think about it, coal is a pre diamond, diamonds scratch anything. I wonder if coal dust inside the motor would act like sandpaper???? Look at the intake and valve covers, they can leak pretty bad on the early 90's motors, adding up a drip here, blow by here, bad PCV, could add up to a little bit of oil. If it dont constant smoke than most likely the 350 is fine inside. Probably loose as a goose but that is not always bad.

boflaade · July 23, 2002

Thanks Maggot!

The sender unit is okay (I had a shop check it out) but the gauge does need replacing. I did not flush the system and bet you are right. The coal dust is every where. I did change the oil a soon as I got it. A hour meter was installed under the hood and indicates the truck did idle a lot or traveled at approx. 50 kph most of its life. It runs very smooth. I will check the VV covers and see if this is where I am loosing oil.

Thanks again.