The ol' Vortex is showing it's age

[Mikey P]

The guys checked the oil yesterday and it was 3 quarts low. (11 capacity)


(yes I know, should have been checked sooner, but shes never been a oil burner till now) My bad.


Due to my foot and training the new guy it has not seen much use since it's last oil change three months ago.


No leaks but we do get a black wad of soot blow out the exhaust HX on the first job every AM.

She's got a bit over 500k on her combined.


Jim Martin recommended trying a diesel Oil additive to help lube up the seal/rings around the pistons.


Any other thoughts other than trading her in a a new Dwell Pro?

 

[Zee]

Trading it in for a grumpy....? Perhaps...?

Lots of other guys do it....allegedly.

 

[Able 1]

Lucas would probably help..

 

[Desk Jockey]

how much is a new motor? 8-10k??? if you're keeping her that's not a bad investment for what it does and the length of time she has run.

 

[Dave Rampage]

check the end of the exhaust, rub your finger on the inside. If it's wet then your rings are letting oil by if it's not wet you don't have that problem. Puffs of black smoke may just mean it's running rich. Don't do this in the morning after you start it up. There will be condensation.

 

[Erik]

Have you ever adjusted the valves?

 

[Mikey P]

No.

 

[bob vawter]

will it detail a car?

 

[Erik]

I would read your owner manual, you are way overdue. Should be done every 40,000 miles.

 

[dgardner]

Due to my foot and training the new guy it has not seen much use since it's last oil change three months ago.

Was the oil level checked at any time after the oil change? Are you sure the garage refilled to the proper level? It happens.....

 

[Nate The Great]

What about the whole Cali diesel thing? I thought you needed to replace the older machine to become EPA compliant? Isn't that why most were selling there older Vortex?

 

[Mikey P]

Yeah in five years..

 

[AshleyMckendree]

Adjust valves + mew cylinder sleeves.

 

[handdi]

Time for a rebuild on the ol engine

 

[GeneMiller]

That engine should go much longer. Add the Lucas and get the valves adjusted. Dave is dead on, you can tell a lot by the inside of an exhaust.

Gene

 

[Doug Cox]

Valve seals? I was losing 1.25 quarts of oil per 100 hrs. Changed the seals and was back to about .3 quart oil loss.

 

[Mikey P]

No oil loss after a five days of heavy use.

Put the oil additive in and have an appointment to have the valves done.
No sign of oil in the turbo but will get it rebuilt too.

 

[BLewis]

Mikey, I finally got around to by passing my 24 pin connector yesterday. It quit mid job on my son the other day and all the wiggling in the world and I couldn't get her to power up. So I knew it was time for the surgery.

I think your V (like mind) suffers from not enough TLC. I had thought about selling her but where could you find a beast that can suck like her for $25k ?

 

[Mikey P]

I replaced that idiotic thing years ago.

By doing that and putting the exhuast diverter solenoid in a sealed box I got rid of a lot of headaches.

 

[adamh]

Maybe you will get lucky and it will catch on fire. Your insured right?
I tell my guy " if this thing catches on fire, don't put it out. Let it burn to the ground." '-)

 

[Lee Stockwell]

I didn't get the memo.
Have twice stopped it from burning to the pavement.

Maybe after the turns...

 

[Zee]

Am I the only one around here, who is scared poopless looking out the front door of a house we are working on and see smoke billowing? Knowing the fact that the freaking diesel burner flow switch of the El D, is constantly getting stuck on the on position...causing the flame to burn while water does NOT travel through the system.

I guess lighting up a POS Duaneomount twice, with the propane burner doesn't help this psyche...

 

[Mikey P]

Add me to the fule bomb terrified list.

Found my Multi Sprayer filled with Cobbs solvent sealer resting against the little giant once


David got an earful.

 

[SamIam]

So you send your techs to bomb school to???

 

[hogjowl]

I was on my way home from a job in Greenbow (about an hour south) on I-65 one day and smoke started coming from the engine compartment. I thought is was steam. I stop, open up the hood and it's not steam. Fire in there and it's growing fast. At first I panic ... and then I think ... insurance ... new van ... not so bad. By the time I get my wands and tools off loaded I can't see the van anymore. Smoke billowing everywhere. About this time I hear a loud hiss ... and I just about load my pants thinking it's the propane tank popping off. It's not, it's a highway department dude with a large fire extinguisher. At first I want to shout ... NO! LET IT BURN! I didn't. I politer in public than I am to you fools.

He was too late though. It was a total loss.

A week later and I was in a new van with another TCS in it.

And no, Satan, the fire was not propane related.

 

[Mikey P]

Me politer two.

 

[NobleCarpetCleaners]

never to late to run Marvel in your fuel. Best price is Walmart. Running a crankcase additive with that many hours on the engine is risky. Why, because there are deposits that if kicked loose could block small oil delivery orifaces. The safest/best time for the oil additive was way back on the odometer. I could go on and on about what a solvent based fuel additive will do for you, especially in a diesel. Marvel is the best kept secret.

 

[Mikey P]

Freshly rebuilt and looking better than new Turbo thanks to Lockhart..

 

[Mikey P]

Vavles adjusted
Fresh turbo..


Good for another 500k

 

[dgardner]

Did you replace the Vise-Grips too, or are they original?