Mysterious Oil disappearance...

[boat]

It is really freakin' strange... I changed my old oil cooler with a new one w/a new gasket from Keystone, from his parts page, 5-21-11. I have lost a quart and half of oil since.

Here is what I have changed in the last 20k miles, and NONE OF IT IS LEAKING. Everything is bone dry. Never oil on the ground. I have not seen any blue smoke coming out of the tail either. When I did my head swap 20k miles ago, I put in 21k mile 3.0 heads with all valve stem seals changed.

All cam seals
Front main
Rear main
pan gasket
valve cover gaskets, and plug well seals
Oil cooler to block gasket
Intake and exhaust valve stem seals

It just seems really strange to have gone through that much oil in 2 months. Where could it be going? There is nothing in the anti-freeze, no oil sheen. I am not terribly worried, I can add oil when I need to, but just a real "head scratcher".

Any ideas?

 

[93rev2sev]

When you changed the gasket, you changed the oil? Did you check the oil after running the car for 10 minutes? If not, as oil circulates, it fills the oil filter and, in this case, the oil cooler.

Check it after a short drive. Note the level. Come back several hours later and check it again. It should be more full than it was before.

Now that it's cool, run the engine again, for only a few seconds this time. Check the oil again. It should be at it's lowest about now since cool oil was pumped and will cling to parts for quite a while.

 

[jayro]

I would do an oil change. Make sure you account for the use of the larger oil filter ect. I would then monitor your oil usage over until your next oil change. Always try and check the oil under the same conditions......engine hot or engine cold. Make sure you give it enough time for the oil to return to the pan.

 

[rubydist]

the other place that oil goes in 'old' engines is past the rings. these engines have low tension rings and it doesn't take much to get them sticky. you can use a quart in 1000 miles and never see smoke from the tailpipe if its leaking past the rings.

the good news is that even if it has sticky rings, there is a good chance that you can free them up with some AutoRx or just some atf in the oil for a while.