Interesting oil consumption issue

[tom4bren]

I've been driving the 99 Amigo for a few weeks now. It has the 3.2L engine that is very similar to our VX engine. I'm consuming oil at about a quart every 1000 miles.

Sound familiar???

I'm starting to think that it's pretty much just the 'luck of the draw' with Isuzus & not specific to the VX.

BTW - the mpg sux on it too. I'm lucky to get 3 days out of a tank. I haven't been keeping track of the mpg yet but I'll start tonight when I fill up.

On the bright side, the 5 speed is a blast to drive & it's a fun vehicle overall. I wanna get a soft top for it but that'll have to wait till the furlough is over.:)

I installed a brush guard on it the other day ... came out pretty nice (if I do say so meself). Supposedly the brush guard came off of an older Ford Ranger. It had my price written all over it ... $0. It cost me about $10 in supplies to put it on. I cut 2 mounting brackets out of some bar stock I saved from the scrap bin for the machine shop at work, drilled & tapped 8 holes for 3/8x16 bolts. I'll try to schlep on some paint this weekend & then post some pix.

[evillecutter]

i ask every isuzu owner i see (mostly rodeos in town) if they eat oil and so far i have had mixed results - havent found one yet that did not have some sort of an engine tick and most sound more like a diesel - all 3.2l so far - most have the window problem too - they all seem surprised the vx is an isuzu - the most recent said he had seen me before and thought it was the new honda

[tom4bren]

My Amigo has a slight engine tick but it's FAR from sounding like a diesel.

Windows on the Amigo do not seem to have the binding/tilting issue (derived from a statistical sampling set of ... one :)).

[evillecutter]

well its unanimous so far on how to get rid of engine noise: louder stereo/exhaust!

[Gizmo42]

All the 98+ 3.2/3.5 have the same oil issue. Just a matter of time as to who gets it when. Mine used to burn 1 qt every 3k for the longest time. Now its at least 1 qt every 1k miles but even that varies a lot. It can burn 1qt in 100 miles then nothing for the next several hundred. If I'm doing a lot of engine braking, like coming back down a trial, it burns enough that I can smell it.


drilled & tapped 8 holes for 3/8x16 bolts.

Best is to go with 1/2" grade 8 bolts. If you are mounted to the tow hooks like the factory one does then cutting a hole and putting a shackle in there works even better. Thats how mine are mounted and even slamming many rocks really hard it never budged.

Notice the bent/smashed lower cross bar and bent up lower parts of the uprights.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c337/Gizmo420/Moab%20ZuZoo%20XV%202012/IMG_156015.jpg

Mike (Protetype) had his mounted with the 3/8" bolts that came with it. He rear ended a RAV4 at low speed. The lower bolts sheared allowing it to pivot and it did $5500 in damage.

[tom4bren]

Best is to go with 1/2" grade 8 bolts. If you are mounted to the tow hooks like the factory one does then cutting a hole and putting a shackle in there works even better. Thats how mine are mounted and even slamming many rocks really hard it never budged.

Right now it's mounted with standard grade bolts (because that's what I had on hand). I cleaned out Home Depot of the grade 8's on my way home from work last night but still need to pick up 4 more.

I was going to use 1/2" but a couple of the holes that I drilled & tapped were too close to the edge. My 'rule of thumb' is that the hole shouldn't be any closer to the edge than the diameter of the bolt that is being used.

The Amigo won't be seeing hard 4 wheeling anyway so I'll take the risk. The secondary reason for me picking this Amigo as a DD is that if I ever have an accident, it'll be a 5 speed donor to the VX. The 3.2L may have been used for the same purpose till I noticed the oil consumption.

[CowboyErik]

My solotion for half a decade has been to overfill by a quart; so, fill with 6 quarts; and it really seems like it burns leff oil; but oil does disappear, it can be seen inside the exhaust system; caked up my O2 sensors, soooo, heating those up with a TORCH til they glow hoping they would come out, and they didn't even when glowing, actually fixed that problem, all buildup on the sensors renewed them and I have not more codes lolol

[blacksambo]

Let my truck stand in garage for a week with a half quart of Marvel Mystery Oil in it. Consumption went down quite noticeably. Ticking long gone since the introduction of Marvel.

[Gizmo42]

Let my truck stand in garage for a week with a half quart of Marvel Mystery Oil in it. Consumption went down quite noticeably. Ticking long gone since the introduction of Marvel.

Did you put it in the oil, run it, then park it or pour some in the spark plug holes and let it sit? I really need to start doing something about mine before it gets worse. Now that I have the Volvo, the Rodeo sits most of the time anyway.



The Amigo won't be seeing hard 4 wheeling anyway so I'll take the risk. The secondary reason for me picking this Amigo as a DD is that if I ever have an accident, it'll be a 5 speed donor to the VX. The 3.2L may have been used for the same purpose till I noticed the oil consumption.

The 98+ DOHC 3.2 can be rebuilt as a 3.5 with the upgraded pistons that eliminate the oil burning issue (more holes in them). Its the same block and heads. Need the crank, rods, pistons, rings, and oil gallery of a 3.5.

[psychos2]

pcv valve is most likely the cause.plug the hose going to the intake and put a small valve cover breather where the pcv valve goes and solve the problem. mine ate 2 qts in 1000 miles did this and back to 1/2 to 1 qt in 3000. trust me it works.

[blacksambo]

pcv valve is most likely the cause.plug the hose going to the intake and put a small valve cover breather where the pcv valve goes and solve the problem. mine ate 2 qts in 1000 miles did this and back to 1/2 to 1 qt in 3000. trust me it works.e


Like the simplicity of this approach, maybe will try.

FYI I did not put the marvel mystery in the plug holes, used it in the crankcase only.

(Pyschos...haven't heard from you in a while? We're in Bolton Landing quite frequently. Maybe meet up sometime?)

[evillecutter]

pcv valve is most likely the cause.plug the hose going to the intake and put a small valve cover breather where the pcv valve goes and solve the problem. mine ate 2 qts in 1000 miles did this and back to 1/2 to 1 qt in 3000. trust me it works.

i have been cleaning my pcv with carb cleaner about every 3 days and i havent lost any oil yet - first time since ive owned it that it didnt need to be topped off after a couple weeks - ive cleaned it after every oil change and i change the oil religiously but i honestly think this is helping and might soon consider the tiny breather if it can eliminate the need for me to keep cleaning the pcv

[tom4bren]

There's lots of threads on the subject. Use the Search function with "Oil Breather" & you'll find them.

The one point that seems important (but was only mentioned once) is that if you put a breather where the PCV is, make sure you cap off the hose that connected to the other side of the PCV.

Another little factoid (question actually) is that the PCV only vents one of the valve covers. Shouldn't both be vented to ensure that the pressure is balanced? Is there a cross over that makes that happen? What about etlsports find of a oil filler cap/vent/filter replacement for that side ... would that be a good idea if replacing the PCV with a filter/vent?

[evillecutter]

There's lots of threads on the subject. Use the Search function with "Oil Breather" & you'll find them.

The one point that seems important (but was only mentioned once) is that if you put a breather where the PCV is, make sure you cap off the hose that connected to the other side of the PCV.

Another little factoid (question actually) is that the PCV only vents one of the valve covers. Shouldn't both be vented to ensure that the pressure is balanced? Is there a cross over that makes that happen? What about etlsports find of a oil filler cap/vent/filter replacement for that side ... would that be a good idea if replacing the PCV with a filter/vent?

all very good questions - anyone ever find a breathing oil cap that will fit a vx? im seriously considering the pcv breather to start with - worst case scenerio i take it off and go back to cleaning the pcv every few days

[Scott Larson]

The atmospheric pressure in the valve covers would be equalized through the oil drainback passages in the heads...

As to the oil cap breather, fab one up, it would be a snap to drill and tap the original and fit it with a breather tube and filter!

[blacksambo]

The atmospheric pressure in the valve covers would be equalized through the oil drainback passages in the heads...

As to the oil cap breather, fab one up, it would be a snap to drill and tap the original and fit it with a breather tube and filter!

Good think'n.

[tom4bren]

I might start with this one to test out on the Amigo before I copy over to the Vehicri:

http://www.pepboys.com/product/details/9291218/00031/

I'm starting to like Ldubs approach with an oil accumulation can more & more though. It looks like this might get messy if too much oil is present with the fumes.

Also keep in mind that this modification is slightly illegal. IIRC, it's been required since the 60's to NOT vent the crankcase to the atmosphere. Those gasses are required to be incinerated.

One thing I'll need to check when we pull the valve covers off of Boy's VX is for a baffle under the PCV. There's supposed to be one to prevent the oil from splashing into the PCV.

Mebbe dis one:

http://www.s2carbonworks.com/mfbialoilcac.html

[MSHardeman]

Tom,
I have been tearing down my old engine in my garage and I would be happy to take any pictures of anything that you would like to see so you don't have to rip into anything of yours. I seem to remember seeing baffles under both valve covers, but my memory ain't what it used to be.

Let me know and I'll snap away (that goes for anyone else too).

P.S. - pulling the driver side valve cover is a MAJOR PITA!! The valve cover fastener that is on the bottom closest to the fire wall requires VERY small hands or some serious ingenuity and tool creation to get at it at all, much less actually remove it. I have a tool that I bought at Lowe's which ended up working fairly well, but I'll have to take pictures of that too because I can't remember what it's called. The other thing; in order to get the driver side valve cover back on without twisting the gasket like a pretzel I actually had to remove the driver side engine hoist point to get enough room to work. Iffn' you don't HAVE to remove the valve cover DON'T.

[tom4bren]

Tom,
I have been tearing down my old engine in my garage and I would be happy to take any pictures of anything that you would like to see so you don't have to rip into anything of yours. I seem to remember seeing baffles under both valve covers, but my memory ain't what it used to be.

Let me know and I'll snap away (that goes for anyone else too).

P.S. - pulling the driver side valve cover is a MAJOR PITA!! The valve cover fastener that is on the bottom closest to the fire wall requires VERY small hands or some serious ingenuity and tool creation to get at it at all, much less actually remove it. I have a tool that I bought at Lowe's which ended up working fairly well, but I'll have to take pictures of that too because I can't remember what it's called. The other thing; in order to get the driver side valve cover back on without twisting the gasket like a pretzel I actually had to remove the driver side engine hoist point to get enough room to work. Iffn' you don't HAVE to remove the valve cover DON'T.

We're doing head gaskets so it hasta be done. Son is a mechanic & he's helping to make sure Dad doesn't FUBAR the whole thing.:)

[tom4bren]

Just ordered a oil catch can off ebay for $16. Hope it wasn't a waste of money. I'll let y'all know how it works out on the Amigo. If it's worth it, I'll be adding to the VehiCri too.

& yes Sue, you can get it in PURPLE ... but not in pink ... I went conservative though & got black.

[tom4bren]

Catch can arrived over the weekend.

It's pretty good for what I paid for it ... but ... I can see now where the big price break comes in. This one has no baffle screens in it. They are supposed to keep the liguid oil from entering the combustion chamber. With the length of hoses I installed, the screens aren't necessary. I think most/all of the liquids will condense on the inside of the hoses and either drip back into the valve covers or into the catch can.

I bolted it to the side of the airbox so I had to use more tubing than what came with the kit but it's out of the way and convenient for emptying if/when needed.

BTW, I looked on the inside of the valve cover that we removed from Boy's Ebony. There is a plate that runs the entire length of the valve cover under the PCV port. That's a good thang/bad thang. The good thing is that there is no oil splashing up into the PCV from the lifters. The bad thing is that it is a huge flat, level surface area to accumulate gunk which could be picked up into the PCV. It's a poor design but not worth the trouble of modifying since the catch can is such an easy/cheap alternative.

[blacksambo]

Catch can arrived over the weekend.

It's pretty good for what I paid for it ... but ... I can see now where the big price break comes in. This one has no baffle screens in it. They are supposed to keep the liguid oil from entering the combustion chamber. With the length of hoses I installed, the screens aren't necessary. I think most/all of the liquids will condense on the inside of the hoses and either drip back into the valve covers or into the catch can.

I bolted it to the side of the airbox so I had to use more tubing than what came with the kit but it's out of the way and convenient for emptying if/when needed.

BTW, I looked on the inside of the valve cover that we removed from Boy's Ebony. There is a plate that runs the entire length of the valve cover under the PCV port. That's a good thang/bad thang. The good thing is that there is no oil splashing up into the PCV from the lifters. The bad thing is that it is a huge flat, level surface area to accumulate gunk which could be picked up into the PCV. It's a poor design but not worth the trouble of modifying since the catch can is such an easy/cheap alternative.

Let us know how it works.

[tom4bren]

Let us know how it works.

Day one = no oil consumption:)

I'll keep an eye on things this week & let you know if I need to add any oil. I was using about a quart a week (VERY irregular consumption though). Only time will tell. Happy to keep you posted though since ifn it works, it'll be replicated onto both VehiCri.

[tom4bren]

After a week, I'd say that my oil consumption is about 1/2 of what it was before. I'll keep checking it though & post longer term results.

[Mark B]

I had a 1999 isuzu amigo.
Still have a 2001 isuzu rodeo sport and 2000 vx
All vehicles have minimal oil use.
Change oil regulary with mobile 1 synthetic and change PCV too.

[tom4bren]

I had a 1999 isuzu amigo.
Still have a 2001 isuzu rodeo sport and 2000 vx
All vehicles have minimal oil use.
Change oil regulary with mobile 1 synthetic and change PCV too.

That's what I'm trying to achieve - minimal oil use.

Amigo has 130K on the clock so it's not surprising that there is some oil consumption ... but PO said that it didn't use any.

This modification gets rid of the PCV so with the problems we've been experiencing with them, this can only be a good thing ... even if it doesn't help with my oil consumption.

[evillecutter]

tom when you get a chance can you snap a picture of what and how you installed please

[tom4bren]

sure. I'll try to snap some pix tonight.

Here's the one I ordered (only in black).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/UNIVERSAL-HIGH-QUALITY-CAPACITY-BILLET-ALUMINUM-OIL-CATCH-RESERVOIR-TANK-CAN-RED-/170762746629?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item27c240bb05&vxp=mtr

BTW, I had to get a new PCV grommet for the install, mine was torn. The fitting that goes into the grommet was VERY tight but worked.

[tom4bren]

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMG_2067.JPG

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMG_2068.JPG

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMG_2069.JPG

[blacksambo]

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMG_2067.JPG

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMG_2068.JPG

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMG_2069.JPG

I like the way it looks. How do you empty the oil back into the engine and how often? Thx

[tom4bren]

I prolly won't try to re-use any of the oil caught by the canister. It'll contain a lot of gunk that tends to accumulate on top of the baffle inside the valve cover.

So far there's been no appreciable accumulation (just enough to 'wet' the plug on the bottom of the canister).

I'm thinking about modifying mine slightly: Add a drop tube to the inlet so that those gasses come into the canister about 1/2 way down. Add steel wool or sump'n to act as a baffle to condensate more of the liquids before going into the combustion chamber. Haven't quite convinced meself that it's needed yet. Since I've gotten so little accumulation, I think it's worth a shot.

BTW, with mine bolted to the airbox, there's little access to the drain port on the bottom of the canister. If I were accumulating enough that it needed to be emptied very often, I'd prolly relocate it so that the drain was more accessable.

[evillecutter]

any wiring on it or is it just the tubes and canister? and wouldnt we lost the same amount of oil if the canister is just accumulating and saving what would have been burnt off?i was under the assumption that it would reuse the oil so we dont lose it...

[tom4bren]

any wiring on it or is it just the tubes and canister? and wouldnt we lost the same amount of oil if the canister is just accumulating and saving what would have been burnt off?i was under the assumption that it would reuse the oil so we dont lose it...

Nope, nope, & nope. Strike 3

No wiring, the canister just replaces the PCV.

The thought was that since our PCV tends to get all wonky, the canister would serve the same purpose as the PCV without clogging. Positive pressure in the valve covers would cause all kinds of leaks (more consumption) whenever the PCV is clogged. The canister should just collect the liquid oil & still allow the gasses to get to the combustion chamber.

There's no automatic return from the canister to the valve cover. If'n you want to pour it back in yerself, I won't tell nobody.

Mebbe Ldub can splain it better'n me since he's been running his for a year or 2 now.

[evillecutter]

i thought we wanted to get rid of the gasses and keep the oil? is the oil that is accumulating in the canister oil that was in vapor form but then condensed? is that what would be going out the exhaust if it was not for the canister? if a train leaves the station at 7:45 going 90 mph headed east into a 7mph headwind and....:slap:...sorry

[tom4bren]

Yah, gasses from the valve covers need to be evacuated so that there is no positive pressure built up. There will be some oil suspended in those gasses. Before the 1960's the gasses could just be vented to the atmosphere & you can still get little filters to allow that to happen. Car manufacturers are however required by law to supply the vehicle with a means of combusting those gasses rather than venting them. Drip canisters are legal and do work but the manufacturers choose not to use them for cost & maintenance reasons.

[evillecutter]

Yah, gasses from the valve covers need to be evacuated so that there is no positive pressure built up. There will be some oil suspended in those gasses. Before the 1960's the gasses could just be vented to the atmosphere & you can still get little filters to allow that to happen. Car manufacturers are however required by law to supply the vehicle with a means of combusting those gasses rather than venting them. Drip canisters are legal and do work but the manufacturers choose not to use them for cost & maintenance reasons.

so a breather where the pvc is would in theory work better or the same as a canister system right, except its illegal?

[tom4bren]

yah, something like this should work:

http://www.pepboys.com/product/details/9291218/00031/

I wasn't sure if it would be messy though (dripping oil once the filter is saturated).

It's only illegal for the manufacturer to install. You can do it on your own vehicle.

[evillecutter]

I wasn't sure if it would be messy though (dripping oil once the filter is saturated).



was wondering the same thing - thanks again tom

[tom4bren]

After another week, I'm gonna say that my oil consumption is basically 1/2 of what it was before the mod. I'm putting in a quart every 2 weeks instead of every week (or more). That's with 500+ miles per week mostly in HEAVY traffic on the interstate - so lotsa 'rowing' thru traffic.

[blacksambo]

Good report. Keep'em coming.

[tom4bren]

Interesting read:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Is_it_true_that_Isuzu_Troopers_are_known_for_needi ng_cylinder_heads_and_head_gaskets_replaced_freque ntly

[VXorado]

Nice idea Tom, glad to hear about some improvement so far...

I think you should couple this idea with an oil change. Jerry Lemond on the Planet (Isuzu Tech), recommends Rotella 5-40 which is an diesel oil with more cleaning additives. I read another post where he recommended a couple very quick oil changes followed by a permanent switch to Rotella. The idea being, to clean the engine build up as much as possible for quicker results. My VX seems to be burning more and more oil so I plan to make the switch soon.

Here's a quote from him...

BC IS RIGHT , RIGHT ABOUT THE RINGS AND THE OIL DRAIN BACK HOLES IN THE PISTONS, STARTING IN98 ON THE 3.2 AND THE 3.5 ENG ISUZU WAS TRYING TO GE TTHE SLIDIGN RESISTENCE ON THE PISTON DOWN ON THE NEWER ENGS LESS RESISTENCE ,MEANS MORE POWER AND BETTER MILEAGE SO THEY MADE THE PISTONS WITH THE RINGS SPECIFICALLY THE OIL CONTROL RINGS SMALLER IN THICKNESS AND ON THE PISTONS RING LAND THEY ONLY DRILLED TWO DRAIN BACK HOLES IN EACH SIDE OF THE PISTON, IN THE LAND ITSELF, FOR THE GUYS WHO MAY NOT COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND WHY WE EVEN NEED HOLES IN THE LANDS AT ALL, PIX THIS EVERYTIME THE PISTON IS AT TDC IT IS EITHER BEING PUSHED DOWN BY THE FIRING OF THE CYL ON IT S POWER STROKE OR IT IS BEING PULLED DOWN BY THE CRANKSHAFT ON THE INTAKE STROKE , SO WHERE DOES THE OIL COME FROM ON THE CRANKSHAFT ROD JOURNAL THERE IS A HOLE DRILLED TO ALINE WITH A HOLE THAT IS DRILLED ON AN ANGLE IN THE CONNECTING ROD ITSELF THAT GOES ALLTHE WAY THRU AND EXITS RIGHT ABOUT ONE OF THE ROD BOLTS, , NOW THIS HOLE IS DRILLED AND ALINGHED IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT CAN ONLY SQUIRT OIL ON THE CYL WALLS AS THE PISTON IS COMING DOWN FROM TDC AND ONLY ON THE MAJOR THRUST SIDE OF THE PISTON, WHICH IS THE INTAKE SIDE OF THE PISTON THAT IS WHY YOU HAVE THE LISTONS WITH FRT MARKS ON THEM AMONG A COUPLE OF OTHER REASONS . NOW WITH ALL THIS OIL ON THE CYL WALLS AS THE PISTON DECENDS THE RINGS JOB IS THE SCRAPE THE OIL FROM THE CYL WALLS EXCEPT FOR A MINUT AMOUNT THAT IS USED TO LUBRICATE THE PISTON TO CYL SO THE PISTON DOESNT STICK TO THE WALL ALUMNIUM AND CAST IRON DO NOT GET ALONG VERY LONG SCRAPING AGAINST EACH OTHER , SO NOW GO PAST A COUPLE OF OIL CHANGE AT THE OIL CHANGE PLACE OR GET A LOW GRADE OF OIL THREE OR FOUR TIMES AND IN ABOUT 50 000 MILES THE CARBON AN D GUNK WILL START TO BUILD UP IN AND AROUND THE RINGS AND THE RINGS EITHER STICK OR COMPLETELY COLLASPE AND CAINT CONTROL THE OIL SO IT JUST SLIDES RIGHT PAST THE RINGS INTO THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER , ANY GOOD GRADE OF OIL CAN PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING, BUT ONCE THE CARBON HAS BUILT UP IT CONTINUALLY GETS HARDER AND HARDER UNTILL THE RINGS CAN NO LONGER WORK, ,WHAT IS THE CURE GO TO A HI DETERGENT OIL OR MAYBE AN ENG FLUSH WHICH USUALLY DOESNT WORK, AND KEEP DRIVING UNTILL THE CARBON STARTS TO BREAK DOWN, AND LET THE RINGS START DOING THEIR JOB AGAIN, THIS CANNOT AND WILL NOT HAPPEN OVERNITE OR IN ONE OR TWO OIL CHANGES IF TI DOES YOU DONT HAVE CARBON BUILD UP YOU HAVE A SLUDGED UP ENG, NOW THE ENG FLUSH WILL DISSOLVE THIS CRAP, BUT CARBON TAKES A WHILE . THE ROTELLA OIL CANNOT CREATE MIRACLES , BUT IT DOES CLEAN THE ENG, BUT IT COULD TAKE 8-10 OIL CHANGES , AND THAT IS QUITE A BIT OF DRIVING, NOW WHAT ISUZ DID ON THE LATER ENGS PRODUCED STARTING WITH THE 2002 ENGS WAS DRILL 4 HOL;ES FOR DRAIN BACK IN THE PISTONS , SO FAR THEY SEEM TO DOING THE JOB, THE PROBLEM ISUZU RAN INTO IN THE DESIGN OF THE NEW ENG WAS THEY WANTED TO KEEP THE PROFILE OF THE ENG SMALL YET MAKE IT LARGER INTERNAL, SET THE LATE 3.2 SIDE BY SID E WITH THE LATE 3.2 3.5 AND THERE IS A LOT OF DIFF IN THE HEIGTH OF THE ENGS, THEN WITH THE STROKER CRANK OF THE 3.5 THE PISTONS HAD TO BE MADE SHORT BY QUITE A BIT TO FIT IN THE SAME DECK HEIGHT THAT THE PISTON PIN HADE TO BE MOVED WAY UP IN THE PISTON AND THE SKIRT WAS SHORTENED BY ALLMOST A 1/2 INCH, TO KEEP FROM HITTING THE CRANKSHAFT , THE OLDER ENGS HAD 4 MM WIDE OIL CONTEL RINGS AND ALLSO HAD 4 VERY LARGE DRAIN BACK HOLES ON EITHER SIDE OF THE PISTON, THE LATE ENGS HAD A 3MM WIDE RING THATS NOT EVEN AN EIGHT OF AN INCH,

HOPE THIS CLEARED IT UP A BIT, BUT DONT THINK THERE ARENT OTHER VEH OUT THERE THAT HAVE GONE THRU THIS, THERE IS ONE BRAND OUT THERE THAT BUILDS SO MUCH BETTER TRUCKS THAN THE RODEOS AND TROOPERS THAT THEY EVEN DESIGNED THE ENGINES AND THE TRUCKS BEFORE ISUZU EVEN SOLD THEM THEIRS , HMMM WONDER WHO THAT COULD BE TROOPERS 92 ACURAS SLX 95 RODEOS 93 PASSPORT 94-95 WONDER IF THEY WOULD REMEMBER ALL THE CIVICS IN THE EARLY TO LATE SEVENTYS WITH THE BROKEN EXHAUST MANI, BURNED VLV, BLOWN HEAD GASKETS, SEIZED CAMSHAFTS , LEAKING ENG CORE PLUGS , I BETTER NOT MENTION THE NAME OF THOSE THEY MIGHT GET MAD AT ME HEHE JERRY

[tom4bren]

Thanks for the tip rado

I was going to go with Mobile 1 blend for high mileage engines but may look into that instead. Is the Rotella synthetic or dead dinosaur?

Never mind - found it:

http://www.shell.com/rotella/products/t6.html

The write up sounds HOKEY!!!

"continuously adapts to your driving conditions" - Really??? How does oil adapt to your driving conditions?

"UNSURPASSED SHEAR STABILITY" - Based on what? How do you even measure that?

"selected low-viscosity synthetic base oils further energizes the oil's protective capability that promotes fuel-economy performance with no compromise in durability" - energized oil ... gotta get me some right away to put in my perpetual motion machine.

"34% better wear performance" & "70% better oxidation resistance" - 72.3% of all statistics are made up on the spot.

"special molecules that resist compression to keep moving parts separated" - & it's grape flavored too!!!




Sorry, I don't mean to Poo-Poo a good product just because of lame advertising ... just a touchy subject with me.

If Jerry has had good luck with it, then at least some of the claims must be true.

[VXorado]

:laughing:

Sounds too good to be true. They also add some snake oil into the "proprietary blend" for an extra 50 HP!!!

I use Mobile 1 Syn Extended Miles 5W-30 thinking the extra cleaning additives would help. My engine has only increased oil consumption in the last year --- since the switch from regular Mobile 1 syn 5W-30.

I've heard mixed reviews on the planet and I believe that's why Jerry made the post about it taking a while. Worth a shot... maybe a combo PCV fix + engine cleaning= :thumbup:

[tom4bren]

Oil consumption is still down & I'm still not accumulating any in the catch can. I assume that with the long hose runs with my set up (slightly uphill), the oil is condensing on the inside of the feed tube & dripping back into the valve cover. That tube is opaque so I can't tell.

I'm getting some discoloration in the indicator tube on the catch can & on the clear exit tube from the catch can (to the combustion chamber) so obviously there's gasses flowing.

The bottom line though is that my oil consumption is still low so I'm on the right track. Mebbe a switch to Rotella will bring it down more.

This mod will definitely be copied over to both VX's in the near future.

[evillecutter]

thanks for the updates tom

in all of the oil consumption issue info that i have read on this site and others the oil should be recirculated - if it is not put back into the system somehow then it doesnt really fix the problem and you would still lose oil

im seriously considering this canister option

notice any changes like the oil getting dirty faster or is it staying clean?

[tom4bren]

I've not yet changed the oil on the Amigo since I've owned it. That question will be answered sometime in the nebulous future.

BTW, the PCV set up doesn't recirculate the oil, it burns it. Basically the canister just replaces the PCV itself so the 'closed loop system' remains unchanged except for these 2 benefits:

1. PCV is subject to fouling fairly easily since the internal plumbing is pretty small & the canister doesn't.

2. less pressure is allowed to build up inside the valve cover since you don't need to overcome (open) the valve inside the PCV.

Mebbe the trick is the secret I accidentally found. Long tubes running to the canister on a slightly uphill slope. That way, the oil in the gasses can condense & run back into the valve cover.

[HeckaTrebeka]

Just to let you know:

I owned a 1993 amigo 4 cyl engine - used oil
I owned a 1997 rodeo 3.2L engine - used oil

The rodeo was in an accident before I bought it and had some front end damage, but I don't think that was the reason for the oil consumption.

I'm guessing that Isuzu motors are reliable IF you do ALL the required maintenance right on schedule. Otherwise, you'll be reaping the consequences of your or previous owners' negligence.

[JHarris1385]

I came across that wiki page you posted. Do our engines really mist the oil making it easier to burn off? If so the canister should work right!

In addition, my mechanic said I needed to run a detergent oil for a while and said the best and cheapest thing to do is run transmission oil in it to clean it out. Just a quart to start.

I'm burning extreme now, almost a quart every 500 miles.

[tom4bren]

I used about a quart of oil on my 700 mile round trip to Tennessee last week. I could wish for better but I rekin it's nothing to complain about.:)

[VX KAT]

Just ordered a oil catch can off ebay for $16. Hope it wasn't a waste of money. I'll let y'all know how it works out on the Amigo. If it's worth it, I'll be adding to the VehiCri too.

& yes Sue, you can get it in PURPLE ... but not in pink ... I went conservative though & got black.

haven't kept up on this thread, so missed your post brutter T….but, funny you should mention this as I've had it on my ebay "watch list" for about a year now, not quite knowing what to do with it, or exactly how it worked.

I recall Dub had a catch canister, but since my consumption is so minimal, and only on prolonged highway driving,
I thought it may be kind of useless….oh wait, I have MANY USELESS MODS, that shouldn't deter me!
And it will MATCH my brake calipers - how kool is that!! :thumbup: - - - :slap:

Maybe we can make it the 2014 Moab install project on me ride!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/221061709918?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649
http://i.ebayimg.com/t/UNIVERSAL-T6061-BILLET-ALUMINUM-750ML-OIL-CATCH-RESERVOIR-FILTER-TANK-CAN-PURPLE-/00/s/NzAwWDcwMA==/$(KGrHqV,!qUE+p6fK(8lBP75vLo1CQ~~60_58.JPGhttp://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSC_2553.JPGhttp://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSC_25381.JPG

[tom4bren]

Maybe we can make it the 2014 Moab install project on me ride!

Easy Peezy install. Took all of ... 15 minutes (not counting the trip to parts store for a replacement PCV grommet & extra hose. I think it took me more time to decide where to mount it than it did to install it.

I'd say that probably 90% of peeps that install them do it just for the bling in their engine compartment (as opposed to 'needing' it). Most of the advertisement hype is just that ... hype. If you need to get rid of the PCV though, it's a good option.