Normal oil consumption?
Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2023 6:25 am
The post by ez8 about excessive oil consumption reminded me of something I've often wondered:
What is considered normal oil consumption for a 230 or 251 engine?
Does it vary significantly based on driving conditions: running around at 40-45 MPH vs in-town local driving or "parade duty", towing or hauling heavy loads vs light cruising?
At one point I was running around 1 qt per 1000 miles driven on my 251 engine. Since the time I checked that consumption, I did find I was overfilling the oil a bit (based on measurements with me in another thread, the dipstick tube on my engine is about 1" taller than normal, which holds the dipstick higher). Correcting that and sealing/re-torquing some bolts stopped a very slight drip I had, so it might have changed since then.
What is considered normal oil consumption for a 230 or 251 engine?
Does it vary significantly based on driving conditions: running around at 40-45 MPH vs in-town local driving or "parade duty", towing or hauling heavy loads vs light cruising?
At one point I was running around 1 qt per 1000 miles driven on my 251 engine. Since the time I checked that consumption, I did find I was overfilling the oil a bit (based on measurements with me in another thread, the dipstick tube on my engine is about 1" taller than normal, which holds the dipstick higher). Correcting that and sealing/re-torquing some bolts stopped a very slight drip I had, so it might have changed since then.
