I have a 96 Indyram 5.9 thats doing strange things and it has me perplexed.

A little history on the truck. i bought it new in 96, then traded it off in 99. truck had 27k miles on it wen traded off. Found the truck again on a car lot in 2004 and bought it back...truck had 96k miles on it. the low oil light came on driving it home from the car lot.
I checked the oil when I got home and it was full but old, so i did a oil change. When the oil came out it looked like black coffee..total viscosity breakdown. I pulled the pan and the inside of the motor was cooked on varnish black/gold in color....so I knew i was on borrowed time.
I replaced the oil pump with a Melling, put it back togther and everything seemed ok.

fast forward to now.... truck has 140k and everything on the truck is still original except for the oil pump 40k miles ago, water pump replaced last year, and plenium gasket and thermostat replaced last month...due to burning oil like described below.... and still got the same issue.

Now ....this is what has me scratching my head.
i can start the truck after it sits all night...no smoke at all out the tail pipes. I can rev it up...no smoke. I can let it idle for a hour...no smoke. I back down the driveway...no smoke.
I put it in drive and head down the road...and its rolling coal out the exhaust for about 1/4 mile like a diesel then it clears up.
Also my oil light is coming on now when I come to a stop light...etc.. when the rpm drops to idle. It did not do this before I replace the plenium gasket. oil is full, oil was changed 800 miles ago.

So I am at a loss here. Compression test is still great on all cylinders.
No knocks, pings, or strange noises. it still runs like new.
If valve guide seals were bad it would smoke at first start. it only does it when I drive forward. i guess I could drive in reverse everywhere but prefer not to..LOL

Could this be a simple fix of something I am missing?
Or do you think i got all the goodie out of the Ol'Gal and its time to park it and start restoring it?
I was planning on a 408 and a frame off restoration when she died anyway.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions/answers to my dilemma.

 

This is indeed strange. What color is the smoke?

 

The smoke is blue/dark grey. and alot of it! Looks like i am a old misquito truck. LOL
it is oil burining...no doubt about that.

 

Interesting. Mine cheby does the EXACT same thing. Start up, revving, driving, etc, no cloud. As soon as I take off from a stop though, huge puff of bluish smoke, not a 1/4 mile though, just right when I take off. Valve seals/guides/seats maybe?

 

How is your PCV valve? And where did you get it from?

 

I have to check the pcv valve, i got one from the dodge parts dept when I changed it last because I have read the ones at the part stores are junk on Dodge motors.
But would the pcv valve make it smoke/ burn oil only when I drive forward? and just that one time when I leave the driveway in the mornings? It dont smoke after it clears out within that 1/4 mile. I can drive it all day after that and no smoking at all.
Its just strange...but the loss in oil pressure on the "idiot light" bugs me. straight up on the guage is 40psi and the truck holds around 30/35 psi driving.then it will drop down to around 20 psi at a stop light...(the first line on guage) and light will come on.
I am wondering if the oil sending unit is starting to mis-read... or if i do actually have a issue knowing how the engine condition is internally.

I am wondering if a valve seal on one intake valve is gone or badly deteriorated on one of the rear cylinders. then the
forward velocity causes oil in the valve cover to flow to the back and increases it's level, where it is sucked in?

 

stock oil guages are electric and suck.

Put a mechanical gauge on there to get a real reading. And you will probably not like it.

 

I would put the mechanical guage on it, just to see what its really doing. On mine, oil pressure would drop to zero at idle, but, on mechanical gauge, still showed 35-45 PSI. Changed the sender, end of problem.

Yours seems kinda low for cruising though...... Mine is over 40 at anything off idle. Usually around 60 or so cruising. (even warmed up.....)

 

That sounds like a good plan of action...When it warms up....I will put mechanical guage on it and see what is going on. and change the pcv valve. I am going to park it just to be on the safe side. I might just tell the wife its time to tear it apart and start restoring it LOL! But her 66 chevy panel truck was next in line...she might not like her truck getting bumped outta the garage.
Looks like i might be starting a build/restore thread soon.

thanks guys!