We have adopted a 1986 F250 Diesel that was a fire truck for its first 30 years. I have been advised that an oil additive like lucas oil stabilizer can reduce its blue grey smokiness. Any experience with this?
We have adopted a 1986 F250 Diesel that was a fire truck for its first 30 years. I have been advised that an oil additive like lucas oil stabilizer can reduce its blue grey smokiness. Any experience with this?
Does it smoke all the time, just under load, or only when cold?
How is the blow by? Are the crankcase vents clear? Is the air/oil separator saturated?
I would check the crankcase ventilation system and make sure a clogged vent isn't pressurizing the crankcase and causing oil to get into the combustion chamber.
Any other symptoms: loud injectors, hard starting, oily air filter, etc?
If you don't find anything else to suspect as the source of the smokiness, I'd run a diesel oil with high detergent to try and see if that helps before going with an additive.
Identifying smoke color is tough, but its possibly injectors. Diesel clouds are usually white but can have a blue tint to them with the green dyes they put in on-road diesel.
Odor is usually the biggest indicator for me.
But you can band-aid it with additives. This sounds like a test thread for one of those additives that supposedly fills the scratches in cylinders, like Prolong or something.
Other than black, if a diesel smokes it is on it's down side. Like any engine that smokes.
Does it have a hard time starting ?
Do like Curtis73 said and let us know if they work.
How many miles? Is it using oil? Have you tried some injector cleaner and/or an Italian tuneup? Fire equipment is usually maintained pretty well and not used much, could just be sticky rings, gummed up injectors, or simply the nature of the indirect injected beast.
Avoid lucas, it's pretty much just thick oil that dilutes the additive package in the actual oil. Those thick oil additives are only really useful for situations like "I spun a bearing 100 miles from home and need to limp it back" or "even with 20w50 my lawn mower is a rattling mosquito fogger" and I recommend STP for that (it's thicker and at least contains some zddp, not much but some), most of the thin ones are snake juice too.
Thank you for the insights! It smokes most of the time. Start up and under accel mostly. Starts very easy and has very little blowby. Injectors are quiet. Air filter was bone dry but really full of dirt. Replaced it. I suspect the CDR and have ordered a replacement. It is wet outside. Will run some injector cleaner in the next tank. Maybe Standyne brand and will change the oil with high detergent without any magic goo.WAm hopeful and will update. Again, Thank you!
That is a 6.9 na idi. They just smoke. Hotter thermostat may help a bit but it will always smoke.
It has 88K miles. Could be original. I do expect an 86 IDI to smoke some. I think they did when they were new. Just want to reduce it as much as possible. May try a hotter thermostat. What temp?
How bad is the smoke? On an old diesel like that if it isn't smoking, it isn't running. This site can be helpful. http://www.oilburners.net/ BTW, I have a 1991 F250.
Try a new quality OE temp thermostat, probably was around 190 degrees. Running it more should help, 88K miles on an 86 is not a lot, any idea on how many hours are on it?
Injectors are fairly reliable on IDIs, they are just poppet valves. The injector pump can be another problem, the low sulfur Diesel fuel is hard on the pump (not enough lubrication). The 91 7.3 IDI I had a newer pump on it when I got it and then the next owner had to change it again. Pump issues can lead to smoking as well, but like others said, they did smoke, especially compared to newer Diesels.
Its not too bad until WOT. I will get it as good as I can. Love the truck but don't love the cloud. Will check out the site now.
Adding a turbo might help.
If it starts good, runs good, doesnt have a lot of blowby, its probably good for a long time. They just smoke a bit.
You'll need to log in to post.
