Rebuilt 5.0 Using Oil

[Accarguy]

So my beloved 5.0 that i spent half the summer rebuilding is going through oil. I had the engine out because the rear main and front cover was leaking. So the engine got broke down into a million pieces and most of everything got replaced trying to do things the right way and I put in a comp cam while I was at it.

But now after having around 7,000 on it now since the rebuild and I noticing that I am going trough about a quart of oil every thousand miles. I broke it in on 5w30 synthetic and is still on synthetic. I have changed the oil at about 500, and about 3000 miles since. I see nothing dripping or even wet underneath and no blue smoke out the tailpipe, I am thinking but hoping not the piston rings are the issue. I really do not want to pull the engine out again.

I also do have a slight lifter tick still after putting on adjustable roller rockers but I think that is the not so good lifters that came in the kit with the cam. But I think that is the least of my worries right now.

If anyone has any insight or has been through this before could chime in, thanks for the help.

 

[Turdle]

I would start by pulling out the spark plugs, laying them in order to take a look at them. If you are burning thru that much oil, there should be visible signs on the plugs.

 

[boominXplorer]

I do know I have been told a few times no synthetic on 500 mi break in. It might keep the rings from seating. I just went through a whole cam install and gained some valve train noise in the swap. It is definitely a weak lifter or 2. They are the cheaper ford racing ones which are the same as the entry level comp and crane lifters.

Did you change the compression at all? Oil pump standard or upgraded? I would pull plugs and if all look good just step up to 10w30 or 10w40 oil. Thicker oil is just fine for pushrod motors. Also swap to a synthetic blend and run 3000 mile oil change intervals.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums...m-install-in-my-5-0-swapped-01-ranger.451919/

 

[Accarguy]

I will pull the plugs and take a look because you are right that should tell the story.

As far as compression goes, I don't know if it changed, will the upgraded cam make that much of a difference?. Its a Comp XE266hr.

Oil pump is the stock one, I was going to upgrade it but the upgraded one didn't fit inside the stock oil pan, so I left the stock one.

I have been running on full synthetic blend since the get go. I was told that there are properties in synthetic that are good for break in. But I could be wrong. after the 500 mi i have changed it around 3-4000mi.

I will put thicker oil in next time oil change soon and try that.

 

[Centaurus5.0]

What type of rings did you use on the rebuild?

Did you re-hone or .30 over?

 

[CDW6212R]

What type of rings did you use on the rebuild?

Did you re-hone or .30 over?

That's the question, does it have new rings, and a cylinder refinished? The synthetic oil is bad to start a fresh engine ring/cylinder job with. New rings need the normal properties of dyno oil, synthetics are slicker and will reduce the friction at the rings, which can keep them from mating, thus it'll use more oil at the rings. I hope that's not it, so you don't have to take it apart again.

 

[98 MERC]

I know when i had a shop rebuild my 5.0 he made sure i understood no synthetic oil for awhile, he put in some kind of break in oil with dye and i ran that for like 1000 miles and changed in to conventional for another 3000 miles.Then i switched to synthetic.So i put a good 4K on it before synthetic.Now i have a rear main seal leak when i went to full synthetic.LOL. I should of never done that.But she burns no oil.I am gonna switch back to motorcraft synthetic blend instead of full synthetic so i can slow the leak a bit.

 

[Accarguy]

Yes it did get new rings, I wanted what was the best that I could get and my machine shop told me to get these ones and said that they we made my hastings but they came in a plane white box. Which I was hesitant from the get go about. but the bock did not get re honed.

 

[Dono]

No hone when new rings went in? Are you sure?
Do you mean the cylinders did not get an over-bore? Did you install new pistons, or just rings?

If just new rings went in. how many miles on the block? Also, valve guide seals...Were those done?

On a side note with that cam, did you upgrade your valve springs? That definitely needed to be done to reduce/stop valve float with a more aggressive cam.

Sorry your living this pain by the way.

 

[Centaurus5.0]

but the bock did not get re honed.

Doh!

 

[Dono]

I simply can not believe a machine shop would install new rings and not at least hone the cylinders.
I'm really questioning why an overbore was not done. Maybe not many miles on the block?

 

[Centaurus5.0]

Did you rebuilt it yourself and not do any machine work on the block or heads?

Not going to give you a hard time if you did. I'm trying to get to the bottom of things and help you get your rig running right.

 

[Accarguy]

My father did most of the rebuilding with my help. The machine shop got the heads and the upper and lower intake. Heads were ported and polished, intake was ported.

I appreciate the help

My father owns an auto repair shop in the chicago area of which I have worked at part time while going to school for about 10 years now.

 

[Centaurus5.0]

Have you pulled the plugs yet?

New (coated?) rings on an un-honed used block?

I agree. break in a new motor with dino oil for the first 5,000 miles.

 

[Accarguy]

Havent pulled the plugs yet.

We did re-hone the bock, there was no ridge at all, walls look brand new before and after. but it did get re-honed. Crosshatch looks great for 100,000mi

We replaced the rings because of the fact that they were stuck to the pistons, so the pistons got cleaned like new with the new rings.

 

[CDW6212R]

Havent pulled the plugs yet.

We did re-hone the bock, there was no ridge at all, walls look brand new before and after. but it did get re-honed. Crosshatch looks great for 100,000mi

We replaced the rings because of the fact that they were stuck to the pistons, so the pistons got cleaned like new with the new rings.

That sounds good, which should have worked. I rebuilt a 302 from my first 91 Lincoln, and reusing the pistons it worked out very well. It never smoked so I kept those forged pistons.

I suspect yours is from the synthetic oil, which after the fact is really hard to deal with. I'd consult with engine builders who might have heard of that before, and have suggestions you could try. That's a tough one.

 

[Centaurus5.0]

Coated rings also take longer to break in (with dino oil).

Get yourself a case of cheap 10w-30 (Valvoline or whatever) and run it HARD for the next 5,000 miles (change at 2,500). After that switch back to synthetics. That's all I got.

 

[SupaSwope]

Did you notice a difference in power after the rebuild and cam swap? Just curious as I am debating on doing a cam swap.

 

[Dono]

We did re-hone the block

Thank you, were all breathing a sigh of re-leaf. Maybe a valve guide seal popped out and is still on the head, under the valve?
I know its not easy to get the valve covers off, but that is a possibility. Again, pulling the plugs should give you a hint.

 

[CDW6212R]

Coated rings also take longer to break in (with dino oil).

Get yourself a case of cheap 10w-30 (Valvoline or whatever) and run it HARD for the next 5,000 miles (change at 2,500). After that switch back to synthetics. That's all I got.

That's about what I'd do, run it to 5000rpm a bunch, and change the fluids at early intervals.

Oh wait, I do that anyway with all of my cars(unless I'm babying it for some reason).