Hello All....

In our wagon (which was to have a rebuilt motor when we bought it) there was / is an engine oil burning / leaking issue or so I thought.

The very first symptom was what seemed to be an oil leak.

The next symptom was blue smoke.

Oil level would drop more than it should.

Suspension fluid level was dropping.

Waiting for both the money and the time to deal with it, I kept an eye on the fluids and looked / pondered the source of the issues.

I found that the suspension pump was leaking onto the block and was creating part of the oil leak problem.

I ran out of suspension fluid and let the sucker run down. I knew at the very least I was going to have to try and rebuild the pump or replace it so I rightly or wrongly just gave up on adding fluid. The only symptom is a bit of a bouncy ride, she is riding level.

My plan of attack was to tackle one item at a time and see the affect it had. (as follows)

1. Rebuild / replace the suspension pump.
2. Fix the oil leak.
3. Rebuild the turbo.
4. Replace the valve seals.
5. Cry and rebuild the engine when it got bad enough.

Without any effort on my part, the oil leak seems to have stopped and the amount of engine oil burning seems to have
dropped a great deal.

Leaving me with the following opinion, to which I invite input.

1. That the suspension pump seals are leaking both externally and internally.
2. That the suspension fluid that was forced into the engine under pressure, mixed with the engine oil.
3. That this mixture is the cause of the oil burning (thinner).

If that is the probably result, now the question is...

Might this have damaged the engine internals?

Thanks for any input

__________________
1980 300TD-T (82 Turbo and Trans) 159,000 Miles "Jackie-O"
1983 300SD 272,000 Miles "Aristotle"
1987 Jeep Wagoneer Limited - keeps the MB's off the ice and out of the snow
1994 BMW 530it

I had EXACTLY the same theory on Belinda awhile back, but it was never proven. We did some suspension work (replaced a leaking self levelling strut and the accumulators), and when I was adding the hydraulic fluid afterwards, no matter how much I added it wouldn't go above the minimum line. Then I checked the oil level in the crankcase, and it was OVER full (and to my active imagination looked thinner). Started smoking more, but it was a white/grey smoke. Oddly enough, all we did was change the oil and it seemed to end. The back end lifts as it should, and all is well. I don't think we did any damage.

Tried crying, but didn't help. Let me know if it works for you.

__________________
Natalie

Might try testing the oil (sending a sample to a lab), I don't know that it would tell you a whole lot since you don't have a baseline of tests, but it could tell you if there are bearings that a wearing badly... I think there are a few guys that test on a regular basis so they could tell you if things aren't normal when you got a report back. The lab will probably have seen a few samples from a 617 engine before too. At the very worst it'll cost you the $20 or so you spend doing it.

__________________
1985 300D Turbo ~225k
2000 F350 (Powerstroke) 4X4, SWB, CC, SRW, 6spd ~148k
1999 International 4900, DT466e (250hp/660 ft/lbs), Allison MD3060 ~73k