oil usage

[Roger G.]

How many miles did it take a 427 (after break in) to use a quart of oil back in the day?

[William B.]

Re: oil usage

My '66 427/425 with 4:11's would throw out a quart of oil after a couple nights of hard racing. My old 409's would throw a quart out in one night.

[Domenic T.]

Re: oil usage

Roger,
When I twisted a wrench at the dealer, the norm was 1 quart used every thousand miles. That was with the STD rear ratio. When the engines used a quart in 200 miles, you could start seeing the smoke. The oil back then was 30 wt at STD temps.

Dom

[Roger G.]

Re: oil usage

Roger,
When I twisted a wrench at the dealer, the norm was 1 quart used every thousand miles. That was with the STD rear ratio. When the engines used a quart in 200 miles, you could start seeing the smoke. The oil back then was 30 wt at STD temps.

Dom

Dom ...That's kind of what I had guessed. Interesting to know you can see the smoke at 200 miles per quart!

[Ronald F.]

Re: oil usage

Are we talking leaked, oil, burned oil, or both?

[Domenic T.]

Re: oil usage

Ron,
I was talking about a engine in good shape with no leaks to speak of. The interval for the oil change was 2K and some would make it only using a quart but most had to add a quart around a thousand.
Part of the usage was the old style valve seals that relied on the spring umbrella along with a O-ring seal to keep oil from being sucked or draining down the valve guide. The complaints of an oil puff during start and after high vacuum slow downs made them change to the full valve seal attached to the valve boss. That reduced tho oil usage but didn't help the valve stem & guide wear. They didn't get enough oil and still don't, but it shut the customer up. Another oil usage problem was the chrome rings they used. They were wonderful and would last forever BUT would not break in unless you really beat the engine.
On warranty complaints we would do a few practice 1/4 miles and that would seat the rings for grandma's 327. The factory stopped using the chrome ring and came up with what I think was the chrome Molly ring that looked like the chrome was sandwiched between cast iron. The cast iron was quick to seal and the chrome was in the middle and kept the cast from wearing. I saw it as a cast seal on both sides of the chrome. The combination of the new seal design and ring design solved the visual oil usage and the cars could reach their oil change without adding oil.
We put a sticker on the drivers door with the oil brand & weight so the same could be added. Don't see that any more with the later rings & valve seals. If I forgot to say it, the new rings instantly sealed.

DOM

[Jerry B.]

Re: oil usage

Hint, what did the stricker say /

[Domenic T.]

Re: oil usage

I remember the yellow stickers more and I think they were Penzoil. I forgot what the dealers bought in the 55 gallon drums, maybe Quaker State?

Dom