Reasons for Engine Oil Consumption- Tech Talk

AMSOIL Technical Service Bulletin

Brought to you by Detroit, Michigan Truck and utomoti!e Engineers and
"ubrication #pecialists$ %e ha!e &' () years e*perience engineering cars and
trucks right here in the heart of the car and truck engineering and
manufacturing capital of the +orld and +e +ill put our e*tensi!e kno+ledge to
use for you$
%e are also longstanding ,rofessional -rade members of the #ociety of
utomoti!e Engineers .#E/$ This prestigious position is O0"1 granted to
degreed engineers +ith documented +ork e*perience in the automoti!e
engineering industry$
%e ha!e packed this +ebsite +ith useful information that +ill help you to make
an informed decision regarding your choice of lubrication and filtration products
for your !ehicles and e2uipment$
It is interesting to note that only two oil related problems are explained by "dirty oil" and by
overilling the cran!case" The balance o the problems are all mechanical and have nothing to do
with the choice o motor oils"
Beore we review the reasons why oil consumption occurs# it should be noted that a degree o
consumption should be anticipated in all engines" $hat is considered normal or acceptable#
however# will vary rom one engine application to the next" %or example# %ord Motor &ompany
considers consumption as high as one 'uart o oil per ())) miles to be acceptable in a gasoline
engine" %or large diesel engines used in over the road truc!ing applications# many manuacturers
are not concerned until consumption reaches one gallon oil oil per ()#))) miles o operation"
E*ternal Oil "eaks - Some o the many points where external lea!s occur may include* oil
lines# cran!case drain plug# oil pan gas!et# valve cover gas!ets# oil pump gas!et# uel pump
gas!et# timing cover and camshat bearing seal" +o possible source o lea!age should be
neglected because even a very small lea! will cause extremely high oil consumption" %or
example# it has been estimated that a lea! o one drop o oil every ,) eet is approximately e'ual
to a loss o one 'uart every ()) miles" The best way to chec! or external lea!s is to road test the
vehicle with a large piece o light colored cloth tied under the engine" Oil on the cloth will
indicate a lea! which should be traced bac! to its source"
3ront or Rear Main Bearing #eals - $orn ront or rear main bearing seals almost always result
in oil lea!age" This can only be determined when the engine is operated under load conditions"
Bearing seals should be renewed when worn because a slight lea! will result in extremely high
oil consumption .ust as it would with an external oil lea!"
%orn or Damaged Main Bearings - $orn or damaged main bearings throw o an excessive
amount o oil which lows along the cran!shat and is thrown up into the cylinders" The amount
o oil throw o increases rapidly when bearing wear increases" %or instance# i the bearing is
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designed to have )"))(1 inch clearance or proper lubrication and cooling# the throw o o oil
will be normal as long as this clearance is maintained and the bearing is not damaged in any way"
2owever# when the bearing clearance increases to )"))3 inch# the throw o will be ive times
normal" I the clearance is increased to )"))4# the throw o will be ,1 times normal" $hen the
main bearings throw o too much oil# the cylinders are usually looded with more than can be
controlled by the piston and rings" This causes burning o the oil in the combustion chamber and
carboning o the piston and rings"
In a conventional# ull-pressure lubricated engine a large loss o oil at the main bearings may
starve the downstream connecting rod bearings o lubrication to such an extent that sometimes#
especially at low speeds# insuicient oil may be thrown on the cylinder walls" This will cause the
pistons and rings to wear to such an extent that they will not be able to control the oil at high
speeds" The eect o main bearing wear will be high oil consumption"
%orn or Damaged Connecting Rod Bearings
&learances on connecting rod bearings aect the throw o o oil in the same proportions as
mentioned or main bearings" In addition to this# the oil is thrown more directly into the
cylinders" $orn or damaged connecting rod bearings lood the cylinders with such a large
volume o oil that the pistons and rings# which re designed to control a normal amount o oil or a
reasonable increase in the normal amount# are overloaded to such an extent that some oil escapes
past them to the combustion chamber and causes high oil consumption" C4T5O0 - Insuicient
bearing clearance can also produce piston# ring and cylinder damage as well as damage to the
bearing itsel"
%orn or Damaged Camshaft Bearings
&amshat bearings are generally lubricated under pressure and# i the clearances are too large#
excess oil will be thrown o" Large 'uantities o this oil may lood valve guide and stem areas
resulting in increased oil consumption"
%orn Crankshaft 6ournals
$orn cran!shat .ournals will have the same eect on oil consumption as worn bearings" $hen
they are worn out-o-round# they cannot be set up with round bearings to give uniorm oil
clearance" A bearing it to the larger dimension o a worn .ournal will be loose at the smaller
dimension and throw o many times the proper amount o oil" 5ournals which are out-o-round#
rough or scued should be reground and itted with undersi6e bearings o the correct si6e"
Tapered and Out-of-Round Cylinders
In slightly tapered and out-o-round cylinders# the oil can be controlled by the pistons and rings"
2owever# with increased taper and out-o-roundness# satisactory oil control becomes more
diicult to maintain" This is due to a combination o many actors" The increased piston
clearances permit the pistons to roc! in the worn cylinders" $hile tilted momentarily# an
abnormally large volume o oil is permitted to enter on one side o the piston" The rings# also
tilted in the cylinder# permit oil to enter on one side" 7pon reversal o the piston on each stro!e#
some o this oil is passed into the combustion chamber"
%or each revolution o the cran!shat# the pistons ma!e two stro!es - one up and one down"
$hen an engine is running at 3))) 8"/"M" 9approximately 4) miles per hour: the rings in
tapered and out-o-round cylinders are changing their si6e and shape 4))) times per minute"
&onse'uently# at high speeds# the rings may not have time to conorm perectly to all worn parts
o the cylinders on every stro!e" $henever this occurs# the engine consumes higher amounts o
oil due to what is commonly reerred to as oil pumping"
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Distorted Cylinders
&ylinders which are distorted so that they are out o shape - not rom wear# as described under
"Tapered and Out-o-8ound &ylinders"# but rom other causes# such as une'ual heat distribution
or une'ual tightening o cylinder head bolts - present a surace which the rings may not be able
to ollow completely" In this case# there may be areas where the rings will not remove all o the
excess oil" $hen combustion ta!es place# this oil will be burned and cause high oil consumption"
Clogged 7,C87 8al!e
The main purpose o the /&; 9positive cran!case ventilation: valve is to recirculate blow-by
gases bac! rom the cran!case area through the engine to consume unburned hydrocarbons"
Blowby is a mixture o air# gasoline and combustion gases orced past the rings on the
combustion stro!e" The /&; system usually has a tube leading rom the cran!case to the
carburetor or inta!e maniold" ;acuum within the engine inta!e maniold pulls blowby gases out
o the cran!case into the combustion chamber along with the regular inta!e o air and uel"
A valve can become clogged with sludge and varnish deposits and trap blowby gases in the
cran!case" This degrades the oil# promoting additional ormation o deposit material" I let
uncorrected# the result is plugged oil rings# oil consumption# rapid ring wear due to sludge
buildup# ruptured gas!ets and seals due to cran!case pressuri6ation# oil thrown out around the
iller cap and conse'uent rough engine operation"
9oning brasi!e
I cylinder honing or gla6e brea!ing is perormed on an engine# cleaning instructions should be
careully ollowed to prevent metal ragmentation or abrasive damage to the rings< seating
suraces"
&leaning instructions or reconditioned cylinders* Ater honing thoroughly wash cylinder walls
with soapy water and a scrub brush and oil immediately thereater# or swab cylinders with +o"
() oil and careully wipe clean" 8epeat until all evidence o oreign matter is removed" In either
method that is used# a white cloth wiped on the surace should remain clean"
+ote* =o not use gasoline or !erosene to clean the cylinder walls ater honing" Solvents o this
nature will not remove the grit rom the cylinder wall and oten carry particles o abrasives into
the pores o the metal" %ailure to properly clean the cylinder walls will leave abrasives that will
cause rapid wear and ring ailure and will result in elevated oil consumption"
%orn Ring -roo!es
%or piston rings to orm a good seal# the sides o the ring grooves must be true and lat - not
lared or shouldered - and the rings must have the correct side clearance in the grooves"
+ormally# automotive ring groove side clearance should not exceed ")),-"))>" As the pistons
move up and down# the rings must seat on the sides o the grooves in very much the same way
that valves must seat to prevent lea!age" +ew rings in tapered or irregular grooves will not seat
properly and# conse'uently# oil will pass around behind the rings into the combustion chamber"
$orn grooves are usually lared or tapered causing increased side clearances which permit more
than the normal amount o oil to pass the rings into the combustion chamber" ?xcessive side
clearances also create a pounding eect by the rings on the sides o the piston grooves" This
promotes piston groove wear and# i the condition is not corrected# brea!age o rings lands may
occur"
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Cracked or Broken Ring "ands
&rac!ed or bro!en ring lands prevent the rings rom seating completely on their sides and cause
oil pumping by a process similar to that described above in "Tapered and Out-o-8ound
&ylinders"" In addition to this# they also lead to serious damage o the cylinders as well as
complete destruction o the pistons and rings" &rac!ed or bro!en ring lands cannot be corrected
by any means other than piston replacement and this should be done as soon as there is the
slightest indication o a crac!"
%orn 8al!e #tems and -uides
$hen wear has ta!en place on valve stems and valve guides# the vacuum in the inta!e maniold
will draw oil and oil vapor between the inta!e valve stems and guides# into the inta!e maniold
and then into the cylinder where it will be burned" I this condition is not corrected when new
piston rings are installed# an engine is li!ely to use more oil than it did beore because the new
piston rings will increase the vacuum in the inta!e maniold" $hen gum or deposits on the valve
stems are removed - a procedure recommended when overhauling an engine - the seal previously
ormed will be removed and lea!age will be more pronounced" This is particularly true on
overhead valve engines where loss o oil may occur on the exhaust valves as well as on the
inta!e valves" 2igh oil consumption caused by too much valve guide clearance can re'uently be
cured by reaming or nerraling the valve stem" In some cases new valves may also be re'uired"
7se o a permanently bonded valve stem seal will give added insurance against oil lea!age on
complete engine overhauls or on valve .obs"
Bent or Misaligned Connecting Rods
Bent or misaligned connecting rods will not allow the pistons to ride straight in the cylinders"
This will prevent the pistons and rings rom orming a proper seal with the cylinder walls and
promote oil consumption" In addition to this# it is possible that a bearing in a bent rod will not
have uniorm clearance on the cran!pin" 7nder these conditions# the bearing will wear rapidly
and throw o an excessive amount o oil into the cylinder"
%orn or 5mproperly 3it %rist ,ins or the %rong ,ins
The use o worn or improperly itted wrist pins or the installation o the wrong pins# as in the
case o rile drilled rods where oil is orced to the wrist pins under pressure# can cause such an
excessive throw o o oil onto the cylinder walls that the piston rings may not be able to control
it" This will not only result in the direct loss o the excess oil but also in the ormulation o
carbon which will clog the oil passages and cause the rings to become stuc! in the grooves"
%rist ,ins 3it Too Tightly
$rist pins that are itted too tightly at both ends prevent the pistons rom expanding and
contacting reely under the repeated heating and cooling encountered in engine operation" The
piston distortion results in scuing or scoring# which inevitably leads to blow-by and high oil
consumption"
Clogged Oil ,assages
Ater an engine has had long# hard service the oil passages in piston rings and pistons will li!ely
become clogged rom carbon or an accumulation o oreign matter in the oil" The passages are
designed or carrying oil - in excess o the amount needed or lubricating the cylinders - bac! to
the cran!case" $hen the passages become clogged# oil may be trapped in areas reducing the
indicated level o oil within the engine" It may also pool in areas such as above the valve guides#
which can urther promote consumption"
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&logged passages in the rile drilled rods or any clogged oil line will starve the engine o
lubrication# promote wear and lead to high oil consumption" To avoid clogging o oil passages#
the same precaution should be ta!en as recommended in "/istons 8ings Stuc! in @rooves""
Initial side clearance is not applicable in this case"
4ne2ual Tightening of Main Bearing Bolts or Connecting Rod Bolts
7ne'ual tightening o main bearing bolts or connecting rod bolts will throw the bearing bores
out-o-round enough to shorten bearing lie and to cause an abnormally large throw o o oil
rom the bearings" The eect on oil consumption is described in "$orn or =amaged Main
Bearings" and "$orn or =amaged &onnecting 8od Bearings"" $hen bearing bores are originally
machined# at the time o engine manuacture# the bolts are tightened to the manuacturer<s tor'ue"
A tor'ue wrench must be used to insure roundness o the bearing bores whenever the bolts are
tightened ater having been removed and reinstalled" 7ne'ual tightening o connecting rod bolts
may also cause connecting rod distortion# with results similar to those described in "Bent or
Misaligned &onnecting 8ods""
4ne2ual Tightening of Cylinder 9ead Bolts
The strains developed by une'ual tightening o cylinder head bolts may cause serious cylinder
distortion and result in oil pumping as mentioned in "Tapered and Out-o-8ound &ylinders" and
"=istorted &ylinders"" $hen re-installing a cylinder head# a tor'ue wrench should always be
used on the head bolts" The engine manuacturer<s instructions should be ollowed or the tor'ue
readings and the se'uence in which the bolts are tightened"
Dirty Cooling #ystems
8ust# scale# sediment or other ormations in the water .ac!et and radiator# or corrosion o the
water distributing tube# will prevent a cooling system rom perorming its duties eiciently" This
is li!ely to cause cylinder distortion with a direct loss o oil as mentioned in "Tapered and Out-
o-8ound &ylinders" and "=istorted &ylinders""
A deective cooling system causes overheating o the engine with the possibility o developing
locali6ed hot spots in some o the cylinders" This may also lead to scuing and scoring o
cylinders# pistons and rings which results in high oil consumption"
Dirty Oil
%ailure to change the oil at proper intervals or to ta!e proper care o the oil ilter may cause the
oil to be so dirty that it will promote clogging o the oil passages in the piston rings and pistons"
This will increase the oil consumption as described in "&logged Oil /assages"" =irty oil will also
increase the rate o wear on bearings# cylinders# pistons and piston rings" All o these worn parts#
as explained in individual items on each part# will contribute to a urther waste o oil" +ote* as a
rule# dirty oil by nature is also consumed at a higher rate than cleaner oil"
Too Much Oil in Crankcase
=ue to an error in inserting the oil dip stic! so that it does not come to a seat on its shoulders# a
low reading may be obtained" Additional may be added to ma!e the reading appear normal with
the stic! in this incorrect position which will actually ma!e the oil level too high" I it gets so
high that the lower ends o the connecting rods touch the oil in a pressure lubricated engine or
the dippers go too deep into the oil in a splash lubricated engine# excessive 'uantities o oil will
be thrown on the cylinder walls and some o it will wor! its way up into the combustion
chamber"
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5ncorrect ,iston Rings for Type of Engine or Type of #er!ice
I rings o an incorrect si6e are installed 9or instance# "),)" oversi6e rings in ")>)" oversi6e
cylinders: they can readily cause oil pumping because they will not it the cylinders and will be
unable to !eep the oil down rom the upper cylinder walls" In this example# ring end gap will
also be greater# resulting in additional oil loss# as described in "/iston 8ings %it with Too Little
?nd &learance"" =ierent types o engines and their use in dierent types o service re'uire
individually engineering ring sets which vary in many ways" ?ach set has been designed or a
particular purpose# but i one is used in an engine or which it is not intended# it may be
incapable o controlling the oil in that engine" It is extremely important to always ma!e sure that
the correct set is used"
9igh Engine 8acuum
?ngine vacuum has increased in modern engines due to the act that engine rpm# valve overlap
and compression habits have also increased with these models" Some o the late model engines
will draw as high as twenty ive inches o vacuum on deceleration# as compared to twenty inches
in older engines" This high vacuum characteristic has made it necessary or the development o
an oil ring to seal both 9top A bottom: sides o the ring grooves and eliminate oil rom passing
around the bac! and sides under high vacuum or deceleration" Such vacuum could be the main
cause o smo!ing and oil consumption so it is important that you use a side sealing piston ring
when called or"
%orn Timing -ears or Chain
$orn timing gears or chain can cause the valves 9and sometimes the distributor: to be out o
time with the cran!shat" The large amount o bac!lash# which is caused by this wear# will
prevent proper engine ad.ustment because timing may vary rom one revolution o the cran!shat
to another" $hen the valve and piston motions are not synchroni6ed# extremely high oil
consumption may result" This will be caused by excessive vacuum which draws large 'uantities
o oil into the combustion chamber where it will be burned"
,iston Rings 3it +ith Too "ittle End Clearance
$hen itting new rings# care must be ta!en to see that# with the rings in the smallest part o the
cylinder# suicient end clearance is allowed or expansion due to heat" +ormal gap clearance in
automotive engines with cast iron rings usually runs "))3-"))1 per inch o bore diameter" The
rings will heat more rapidly and will operate at a higher temperature than the cylinder because
they are exposed to the direct heat o the burning gases rom the combustion chamber" The
cylinder walls are !ept at a lower temperature by the water in the water .ac!et" This means that
the rings expand more than the cylinder and this expansion must be allowed or by use o a gap -
!nown as end clearance - between the two ends o each ring" I suicient end clearance is not
provided# the ends o the rings will butt while the engine is in operation"
Butting will cause scuing and scoring o rings and cylinders which leads to oil consumption" I
the engine is allowed to be used or continued operation# especially under heavy load# scoring
will become more severe" The ends o the rings will be orced inward - away rom the cylinder
wall - so that a space opens up between the rings and the cylinder" This provides a direct path or
hot gases rom the combustion chamber to burn the oil on the cylinder and greatly increases the
oil consumption o the engine" Severe cases o butting may also cause ring brea!age# with the
same results as described in "$orn or Bro!en /iston 8ings"" ?xcessive ring end clearance leads
to increase oil consumption as well"
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%orn or Broken ,iston Rings
$hen piston rings are bro!en or are worn to such an extent that the correct tension and
clearances are not maintained# they will allow oil to be drawn into the combustion chamber on
the inta!e stro!e and hot gases o combustion to be blown down the cylinder past the piston on
the power stro!e" Both o these actions will result in burning and carboning o the oil on the
cylinders# pistons and rings"
Bro!en rings are especially damaging because their loose pieces with .agged ends are li!ely to
cut into the sides o the piston grooves" This causes land brea!age which results in the complete
destruction o the piston assembly" Instead o reinstalling worn rings during engine overhaul# it is
always advisable to replace them" +ew rings have 'uic!-seating suraces which enable the rings
to control oil instantly# unli!e rings which have been used in the past" 7sed rings# even those that
have only slightly worn will still have polished suraces that will not seat-in properly and will
lead to excessive oil consumption"
,istons Rings #tuck in -roo!es
Obviously# oil cannot be controlled by piston rings which are stuc! in their grooves# so every
eort should be made to prevent rings rom becoming stuc!" %irst# they should be installed with
suicient side clearance to enable them to remain ree while the engine is wor!ing under load at
normal operating temperatures" Second# every precaution should be ta!en at the time o assembly
to see that all parts o the engine are clean o any dirt particles which might cause the rings to
stic!" Third# a good grade o oil should be used to lessen the possibility o carbon or varnish"
%ourth# the oil should be !ept clean by regularly scheduled oil changes and proper care o the oil
ilter" %ith# every precaution should be ta!en to !eep the engine rom becoming overheated rom
any cause"
"ate 8al!e Timing
Late valve timing will !eep the inta!e valve closed too long ater the inta!e stro!e has started#
and will increase the vacuum in the cylinder" The high vacuum will have a tendency to suc! oil
up past the piston and rings into the upper part o the cylinder where it will be burned"
Oil ,ressure Too 9igh
An incorrect oil pressure setting or a aulty relie valve may cause the oil pressure to be too high"
The result will be that the engine will be looded with an abnormally large amount o oil in a
manner similar to that which occurs with worn bearings"
Oil 8iscosity
The use o an oil with a viscosity that is too light may result in high oil consumption" 8eer to the
vehicle owner<s manual or the proper oil viscosity to be used under speciic driving conditions
or ambient temperatures"
,iston #lap
Some late model engines meeting the latest emission re'uirements have changed their piston
design" This can sometimes lead to a light "!noc!" at startup" In some cases this can increase oil
consumption levels"
5nternal -asket:5ntake Breach
+ewer engine designs sometimes implement a combination o composite materials and metals"
@as!ets and seals can sometimes breach o become stressed over time to dierences in heat
expansion and contraction dierences causing oil consumption levels to increase"
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#park ;nock
Most new automobiles have !noc! sensors to ad.ust timing to reduce emissions as well as
increase engine power and perormance" Spar! !noc! is due to premature ignition o the uel
during the combustion process" /reignition results in surges o pressure being orced upon the
piston" This disrupts the movement o the piston ring# resulting in a loss o ring seal on both the
top and bottom on the ring# and ultimately allowing or increased blowby and oil consumption
past the rings" This may also occur due to a aulty mass air low sensor or throttle positioning
switch"
ftermarket ,erformance Chips and Modifications
Increasing perormance through the use o perormanceCpower enhancement products to a stoc!
or actory engine can increase the chance o excessive oil consumption"
"ugging Engine
Lugging is running the engine at a lower 8/M in a condition where a high 8/M 9more
powerCtor'ue: should be implemented" This causes more stress loading on the piston and can
lead to increases in engine oil consumption"
5nappropriate Operation of O!erdri!e
Operating the overdrive mode in conditions where it is not recommended will cause the engine
to consume oil or a variety o reasons" Such conditions include towing or stop-and-go driving in
city traic" See also "Lugging ?ngine""
"eaking Turbocharger #eal
A lea!ing turbocharger seal will draw oil into the combustion chamber where it will burn and
orm carbon deposits which contribute to urther oil consumption as they interere with proper
engine unction"
Restricted ir 5ntake
?xcessive restriction in the air inta!e system will increase engine vacuum and can increase oil
consumption as noted in "2igh ?ngine ;acuum"" A heavily plugged air ilter would be one
example o this situation"
3uel Dilution
I unburnt uel is allowed to enter the lubrication system# the oil will become thinner and more
volatile" Both will result in higher oil consumption" ?xcess uel can enter and mix with the oil
via a lea!ing uel in.ector# uel pump problem# restricted air inta!e or through excessive idling"
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