Losing oil into thin air...

[FMExplorer]

Hey guys,
I am burning off about 1 quart of oil every 1500 miles. There is no smoke in the exhaust and no significant performance drop. I have read a few places that the #5 cylinder is likely to have a leak in the head gasket. I noticed when changing plugs a few months back the #5 was a bit dirtier than the rest. Any other thoughts before I tear this thing apart??

Jon M

 

[zensius]

If you think it's the head gasket, then where's it going? If it's not running down the side of the block and you don't have blue smoke in your exhaust then the only other place would be in your coolant. If it's not there then the head gasket might not be your problem. And it's a lot of work to pull the heads if you didn't have to. But, if you are going to pull the heads, think about a valve job while they're off. It's worth it.

 

[AgExplorer]

There have been several threads lately about "losing" oil, most are still active. Take a look around the forum and you will find some more info. One solution has been retorquing the lower intake manifold.

 

[FMExplorer]

There is no visable signs of the oil going anywhere. That's what has me confused. How about the PCV valve? I had read somewhere you could lose oil there if not functioning properly.

Jon

 

[AgExplorer]

I have not heard about the PCV but, it's a cheap part and easy to replace. Try it and let us know.

 

[SteveVB]

Jon,

It is the intake gasket not the head gasket with the problems. Wouldnt hurt to try and tighten the bolts.
Check out this recent thread
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=23533

Good luck, and have fun.