What is your oil cap? A plastic cap vs. a metal cap has dramatically different behavior.

Quart per 1k miles? My cursed 603A "consumes" one quart per ~400 miles. Damn*d 617A leaks one quart ~600 miles. Both start on third compression cylinder, regardless of (ambient, un-block-heated) temperature, down to about 5 degrees Farenheit.

YMMV.

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James Marriott
2003 Buick Regal
1983 300D (228k, frau Auto)
1996 Suburban K2500 (192k, 6.5 turbo diesel/4WD towmaster 10,000)
www.engineeringworks.biz
1987 300SDL junker 170k
1982 300SD junker, 265k