2TR-FE buring oil

thanks guys

 

I am thinking that 2TR FE is screaming for very high quality oil, especially when we get beyond 100k miles, and desire great durability.

For example Amsoil SS 5W20 is slightly thicker with a very low NOACK.

Mobil 1 ESP 5W30 is thick, with a very low NOACK.

Pennzoil Platinum Euro L 5W30 is thick, meets certain Mercedes specs, strongly suggesting piston ring cleanliness, and is one third the cost of the first two oils.

I am being very specific about formulas here. A friend with a 2TR FE ran regular Mobil 1 for 500k miles, and he still had oil consumption ~150k miles.

Be ready for some sluggishness. "S" Mode or MT ftw.

 

Engine that I rebuilt for my turbo build, bought off Craigslist with blow gasket. Look familiar?


This engine could also benefit from a catch can, intake side of head thick with oil.

 

.5 qt per 1k miles is still In spec so Toyota says, if it just started it might not have been evident. Especially since it's intermittent to start. I thought for the longest time it was normal because it was so little between changes and then all at once it was gone lol

 

I gotta say I've got 240,000 on my 2.7 in and 09.i've used 5w and now 10w/30 Mobil 1 since the 2nd change.contrary to what the other guy said
it burns no oil still.gotta think these motors need synthetic oil to live.

 

I just bought some PUP 5w30 for dirt cheap (after rebate) due to its super duper cleaning abilities. I figure I was going to buy more synthetic 5w30 anyway and instead of the usual M1 $10 rebates I'll just grab this one, and hope it does some cleaning of my pistons to (perhaps) help fight the (potential) piston ring coking issue:

$28 Pennzoil Ultra Platinum Full Synthetic 5W-30 Motor Oil (5-Quart, Single Pack)

https://www.amazon.com/Pennzoil-550045201-Ultra-Platinum-Synthetic/dp/B01M266FWZ
Receipt must be dated between 10-1-2018 and 12-31-2018.

 

Well I tried the valvoline blue restore 10w-30 at my last oil change, which was mentioned by taco woodeye. It sounds like the blue restore is specifically designed to reduce oil consumption in cummins motors that are prone to oil control ring problems. I got it from ryder fleet services for like $75/gallon. 600 miles in I'm 1.25 quarts low - so far it hasn't reduced consumption. I'll add more until the remainder of my second gallon is gone and see if giving it more time to work helps reduce consumption.

Another wrinkle- this morning when I fired my truck up it was running super rough and idling high and the check engine light was flashing slowly. I turned it off, fired it back up and it was running fine but the CEL was on solid. I scanned it and it was cylinder #1 misfire. Does this reveal anything about my oil burning issue? Maybe that plug is fouled from the oil burning? But why would the misfire go away if that was the case... I have noticed over the last couple years that every once in a while it idles kind of high and rough when I start it, but the CEL has never came on in that situation. Any thoughts?

 

Intake valve seal on #1 maybe? No amount of snake oil will fix that if it is the case.

 

Agreed. Valvoline Restore instructions do say to leave it there for a full OCI, though. I would not categorize this particular product as "snake oil." It is worth a shot before going to valve or valve stem seal replacement.

 

A clogged PCV valve can cause extreme oil consumption, something to check. It also will cause the engine to be sluggish and run poorly.

 

this may be a dumb question but i am generally using about a quart every 1k miles. this past oil change seems to be a bit less. maybe .6 per 1k will different driving have any effect on how the engine uses its oil. IE - hwy driving/city driving?

 

In my experience with oil burning engines, aggressive driving and wide open throttle runs cause more oil burning, and moderate throttle inputs cause less oil burning.
Generally the city stop/go vs highway cruise driving should not make too much of a difference, so long as the throttle inputs are moderate.

 

I've had good results with ZMAX, it more of a cleaning agent than a lub. I bought a 1996 Tacoma with a 2.4, it had 186,000 miles on the clock and was using about a quart between oil changes. I add the ZMAX with the oil changes and it stopped burning any noticeable amount of oil between oil changes. It had 222,000 miles on it when it was totaled and still was not burning oil between changes. Make sure your spark plugs are good the PCV valve, ignition coils, oxygen sensors, could be a plugged up Cat. I also used a engine flush, which is good, but it will not do what the Zmax does.

 

It’s piston ring coking causing this issue and its certainly not unique to the 2.7. It happens in all high milage engines under certain conditions. It’s caused from carbon buildup causing stuck oil control rings. Valvoline has a product designed specifically to fix this...and it works but the best fix is prevention.

Piston ring coking is caused by a breakdown of the lubricant at the piston interface which is the hottest part of the engine that the oil sees. As it breaks down rapidly it forms deposits...which cause the ring pack to stick. They are designed to move freely in their groove on the piston its self. Higher tier oils designed for more demanding conditions are designed to combat this as much as possible...but remember the actual specs on the back are more important than label on the front. A great example is Mobil 1. Mobil 1 5w30 and 0w40 are both sold as standard Mobil 1. The specs on the back of the 5w30 however show its a run of the mill SN+/GF5 motor oil designed to meet the same specs as Walmart's Supertech or housebrand oils like mileage master. The 0w40 on the other hand has the A3/B4 spec as well as several other certifications like the Mercedes Benz 229.5, demanding VW/Audi, and Porche specs as well. The Castrol in addition meets the BMW LL spec.

Its all about the specs on the back


Stick with a A3/B4 rated oil at 10,000 mile intervals and magically this won’t happen.

Most common available are Mobil 1 0w40 and Castrol edge 0w40. Both meet the MB 229.5 spec...the most stringent spec in the world imho. You can get either at Walmart for less than 25$ for a 5 qt jug. Both oils are in actuality thick 30wts but they are top notch...and I don't mean for the money. They are the flagship oils for both Exxon Mobil and BP.

Truth be told any modern SN+ rated marketed full synthetic motor oil would likely do fine. The A3/B4 oils are overkill...but in this situation they dont cost more so why not use the best.

 

@JoeyTaco

You are aware that none of the oils you mention are the weight specified by Toyota for the 2.7 (2TR-FE) engine? This could be a problem if your vehicle is still under warranty. I don't think any 5W-30 or lighter oils meet the European specs that you cited. I do agree that the problem is piston ring coking. However, I have not been able to find that this has been much of a problem on the 2.7. Some other Toyota engines, and various other manufacturer's engines, yes. I also wanted the best in lubes, and filters, that's why I use Redline oil, and Baldwin B2-HPG filters.

 

If you look into the actual specs Redline isn’t rated for anything. It has the same API specs as say...olive oil.

Again the specs on the back are more important than the label on the front. Specs mind you...not opinion or claims

My owners manual states that a heavier oil than 0w20 is beneficial under specific situations. It does not specify oil weights. How does a 0w40 top shelf oil negate this?

A3/B4 oils are API certified for use in American and Japanese vehicles.


Truth

 

I am running 0w30 in my 2.7L 2TR-FE. I tried using 5w30 and i was having delayed starts, swapped to 5w20 and that went away. Now im trying a lighter weight (0) for cold starts with a heavier weight (30) to provide a little more protection. I will update how much oil mine burns on this 5k OCI. With 5w20 it consistently burns about 1-1.5 qts between oil changes

 

Keep in mind bass...you won’t see a difference in cold viscosity until temp drops to at least -30f or so.

sounds crazy...but it can verified by joining BITOG. Tons to learn about lube out there...pretty complex stuff.

Fwiw the switch to 0w30 is a good call. Mobil 1 0w30 is damn good stuff imho

 

It is an issue, or an emerging issue, locally I know of 10 trucks that have had this piston ring issue including mine, babytaco had an issue as well although I believe his was more contributed to dust. I had dust issues as well but have since solved that problem as well as rebuilt the engine.

It's funny because both my engine builder and bitog members recommended staying with the Mobil 1 5w20 "its a quality product" as I was told.

 

Mobil 1 in any weight is a quality product. It’s the flagship brand of Exxon/Mobil who is the largest blender in the world

I would highly doubt that anyone running Mobil 1, or Castrol edge, or Penzoil Platinum or any other comparable lube would have ring coking issues. These group III/IV oils do a really good job at keeping pistons clean. Its their claim to fame really