Does your Ford 6.8l V10 use oil?

[doublevan2]

ScrapIron -- sounds like replacing the heater vac assembly "cured" your oil leak and "oil smell cab" - but wow that's odd - I'm not a mechanic by any means so don't understand how they could be related or connected ??

[86Scotty]

Great info everyone, thanks.

Originally Posted by REDOVAL

Long story but my original engine lasted 155k before extreme oil usage. After I removed the engine and tore it down the #10 cylinder oil control ring was no longer good and prompted the long block change. The root cause ended up being the K&N air cleaner letting too much dirt through and scoring the cylinder wall. This isn't surprising with as much offroad use the van saw (it was quite a lot of very heavy use). I have since replaced it with a new Ford long block and now only run an OEM air cleaner that is changed after each offroad run. This seems ridiculous but cost is negligible considering what the engine replacement cost. It is acceptable for these engines to burn up to 1 quart per 3k miles but the new engine has zero oil usage issues after 15k miles on the clock.
This is an extreme case but maybe useful for some.

Edit- the oil coolers on these engines are also known for leaking into the cooling system. This doesn't account for a lot of oil but if the coolant reservoir is brown that's the most likely cause.

Scott

I will watch that. Also, I have read and changed my maintenance routing on air cleaners in offroad/travel vans. If I'm doing what I want with my van it sees a lot of dust. Not like desert racing but lots more than typical vehicles by far. I have started to buy air filters in bunches from RockAuto and have several on the shelf.

@carringB, do you think I would suffer any lost fuel mileage running a bit heavier oil like 5w-40 in my newer V10 (which calls for 5w-20)? I need to compare the spec but I've considered switching to Rotella or Delo or the like.

[carringb]

5w-30 is now recommended by Ford for V10s in heavier applications (E450 and up).

I’d save the 5w-40 for either very high mileage or very extreme use scenarios, like towing over GCWR. Otherwise it’s overkill and it’s quite a bit more expensive. It likely won’t have any adverse affect on cruising fuel consumption,

[deserteagle56]

70,000+ miles on my 2007 with the V10. I change my oil every 3000 or so miles, and the dipstick shows no usage at all between oil changes.

[Steve Hunt]

My 2008 V10 uses some oil sometimes but not all the time. It only had 17,000 miles on it when I became the 2nd owner a few years ago. It now has 47,000. Never smokes on start, never any visible smoke when rolling or on heavy acceleration. No leaks at all. Worse case a few times it was 1/2 quart low relative to the full high mark. Runs smooth as silk and strong...I'm not worried about it. I don't know if it applies to our V10s but i have read that in general the manufacturers have been trending for some time now with not as tight of piston rings as they use to on purpose due to the ever increasing CAFE requirements. They are looking for less friction with the trade off being a little oil blow by. Maybe one of the engine gurus here knows??

[ScrapIron]

Originally Posted by doublevan2

ScrapIron -- sounds like replacing the heater vac assembly "cured" your oil leak and "oil smell cab" - but wow that's odd - I'm not a mechanic by any means so don't understand how they could be related or connected ??

I have no idea. I was planning to yank the motor the following spring and get a replacement or rebuild it. But then after the 3rd PCV valve and the vaccuum canister mod it just quit so i never looked back. I halfway expected it to start again but so far it hasnt and thats been at least six years ago now.

I bought it in 2015 down in texas, maybe it was left sitting and the oil rings got gummy or something and finally freed up? I have no idea..

[CDACamper]

I've got 107k miles on my V10. I burn about a quarter of a quart between oil changes at 3000 miles intervals. I run Pennzoil Ultra Platinum synthetic 5w20 oil.

When I first got the van (had 87k miles) it burned about 1.5 quarts between the first oil change running Pennzoil synthetic. During this first oil change interval, I added a crankcase cleaner for the last 500 miles before changing the oil in addition to a fuel additive. The oil was extremely black so there was a fair bit of sludge in the engine. I repeated this for another oil change interval and again had very black oil. By my third oil change my oil consumption dropped to a quarter of a quart and has remained there ever since.

I’m not certain what caused the reduction of oil burning, but my theory is that I had a stuck oil control ring(s) that was resolved by using the Pennzoil (known to clean engine internals fairly well on its own), using a crankcase cleaner, along with a fuel system cleaner. I also changed the original spark plugs when I first got the van and did a soak of the cylinders (through the plug holes) with Chemtool B12.

The above is inexpensive to try, so you might give it a shot. If this doesn’t help, you can try a 5W30 synthetic blend or dino oil instead of a 5W20 full synthetic. This may reduce your oil burn rate.

[86Scotty]

Originally Posted by CDACamper

The above is inexpensive to try, so you might give it a shot. If this doesn’t help, you can try a 5W30 synthetic blend or dino oil instead of a 5W20 full synthetic. This may reduce your oil burn rate.

Thanks, I just changed my oil and went back to my old standby Motorcraft semi-synthetic 5w-30. I should've added a system cleaner as you did for the last few hundred miles!

I will do that this round. I've heard Amsoil makes a great product for this as well.

I changed plugs and boots when I got the van as well as every other fluid. The oil has certainly been black the two times I've changed it and I have grown rather used to young, modern motors coming out fairly clean so it's never 'comforting' to see that.

[Annie O]

Originally Posted by mikracer

Mine uses oil. No leaks or anything, but at every oil change, I'm probably about a quarter or two low...

^ ditto.
Thought you drove a Toyota now 86? Lol

[Steve Hunt]

Originally Posted by 86Scotty

Thanks, I just changed my oil and went back to my old standby Motorcraft semi-synthetic 5w-30. I should've added a system cleaner as you did for the last few hundred miles!

I will do that this round. I've heard Amsoil makes a great product for this as well.

I changed plugs and boots when I got the van as well as every other fluid. The oil has certainly been black the two times I've changed it and I have grown rather used to young, modern motors coming out fairly clean so it's never 'comforting' to see that.

Just send a sample to Blackstone oil Lab for analysis and end any concern you have. Like everything else the price has gone up dramatically the last 2 years but even at $35 it's a bargain for the info you get. I worked for a Caterpillar dealer and we had our own lab, it's really the only truly objective way to evaluate and maintain any engine. You can find out if your air filter is doing the job, if your add package is depleted, if your change interval is too long or too short, any trace of fuel or antifreeze in the oil etc etc etc