excessive oil consumption

I have two JD mowers. The LX172 (kawasaki) is 20 years old and still is cutting grass. The other is a Z225 (Briggs & Stratton) zero turn that's 10 years old and runs perfect, fun to use too.

Bob

The first JD I bough was the home use version T150 and the tractor it self (while I hate the tranny) is pretty good and still starts every time (briggs powered)

The real problem is my yard grows rocks and tree roots, many times un seen until too late

I have completely wiped out the light weight mower deck a few times and it is a weird amalgam of welding and "beat back flat" metal with new mandrels and belts

This X230 I have has a much thicker materiel deck and giant mandrels and very thick blades and nothing I do bothers it at all
best thing I like is the light turning effort and the hydro tranny ...not true zero turn but dang near

I'm glad that I inspired some conversation about engine reliability.. and since this is my thread.. I'll throw a diesel-curve into the mix with a pole..

Who do you like between Cat., Cummins and International for a 3/4 to 1 ton pick-up truck? (did I leave any out?)

First On Race Day; F O R D ! ! ! ! And Chevrolet's Duramax

There is no manufacturer using a Cat or Navastar diesel in a pickup truck, several years ago the Ford was a joint venture with Navastar

Mark Boesen wrote:First On Race Day; F O R D ! ! ! !  And Chevrolet's Duramax

There is no manufacturer using a Cat or Navastar diesel in a pickup truck, several years ago the Ford was a joint venture with Navastar

Found On Road Dead......................

I am Ford brand loyal guy as my first car was a Falcon Ranchero with a high power 289 V8, Borg warner T10 4 speed, and 4.11:1 rear end

Over the years have owned many different brands as a frugal purchase (always angling for most bang for the buck)

I owned a F350 with the early Power Stroke 7.3L diesel and it was a maintenance pig cost wise but true stump pulling power

I dislike the Chrysler/Dodge brand but have to admit the Cummings diesel is a excellent power plane with a very good reliability record

Ford's 6 liter diesels were very problematic so my F250s and F350s got the V10 6.8L modular engine for a mere $510 up charge instead of the $5200 diesel option and I just recently traded the 2005 F350 4x4 King Ranch in on a 2016 MKC, my first ever Lincoln semi luxury SUV

My son has had a few of the Chevy trucks with their The Duramax, a General Motors diesel engine family for light to medium duty trucks, designed by GM and Isuzu. The 6.6-liter Duramax is produced by DMAX, a joint venture between GM and Isuzu in Moraine, Ohio

He loves them and has had very good luck in-spite of ignoring my counsel and adding in some chip changing the engine management. I have no idea how much HP and torque the engine now produces but I laugh at him each time he tells me the truck is in the shop for drive train or tyranny problems

If you have to have a diesel engine I personally think Dodge is hard to beat now that they seem to have fixed their crappy transmission]
The Chevy / GMC with Duramax and allison is also a good combination

Hate to say it but I doubt Ford will ever have a good Diesle

Here's 2010 test by Popular Mechanics:

Let me drop some Eastern European flavor to this topic...Toyotas,world famous for their longevity and reliability in at least Europe, are known to be notorious oil devourers..just as I write this I remember having seen a 2015 Toyota emitting thick fumes out of its exhaust pipe..the oil rings on the pistons are said to be blamed.

I drove simple 1,6 litre VW cars some time back in the early 80's (a big-face thing here those days) with literally zero oil consumption between service intervals of 10k miles..then came the 90s with VW-s of oil consumption numbers comparable to those of Opels (European GM-s if you like)...a litre of oil in 1000km burnt in a new engine..

Ever since I drive higher  brass German diesel cars (you guys please do not take offense over the big pond) oil consumption is just an issue forgotten...20kmiles/30k km-s passed without any notable oil consumption between service intervals...

I think it all boils down to oil ring fitting tolerance, as well as methods of recirculating crank gasses to engine air intake....I do not see major differences in piston/cylinder fitting accuracy even if we talk cheap Far-Eastern scrap cars  and the like...sorry for the politically incorrect but technically thought-over statements...

balogh

zero apology needed for your observation

I spent 15 total years in Germany over 5  3 year tours and usually imported a car or truck  but on three of the tours got to own quite a few good and real bad euro market vehicles

Good used high mileage Mercedes and BMWs had no noticeable oil consumption issues and made me impressed with the fit and build of those brands

My 69 BMW Alpina 2002 Tii was a road warrior

On the other had I a new VW Golf GTI Tii that ate oil from day one, similar to all the used Folks Wagons I had previously bought even thought the VW beetles were air cooled and the GTI was water cooled

Still kicking myself for not importing a 1951 split window VW bug to the States...bought it for $100

My 1973 Ford Taunus with a V4 was probably the very best bang for the buck car I ever bought used and even with a screaming-engine at Autobahn speeds it ate no oil...I was 15th owner

I drove a number of used French cars and they all equally sucked...oil... LOTs OF OIL .... and in every other way imaginable....There, how is that for politically incorrect

By the time Mercedes Benz SMART cars came to the USA (I bought two in 2008) they got rid of the terrible MB engine and used a Mitsubishi 3 Cyl engine that was much more reliable, used no oil, and could last way beyond the MB rebuild at 80K typical.... i recently sold both with 100K+ on the odo and they were mechanically perfect

Just so some here may drool, I briefly owned a Ford Merkur-xr4ti that would hunt down and pass ANYTHING on the AutoBahn and traded it for a Nissan 300ZX twin Turbo euro spec that was much more sedate but still got me in gobs of Polizi trouble

Well, we are stepping all over robbies thread, but like me on mine he doesn't seem to mind.  I just wish I had some imput on your diesels robbie but I have never owned one.

Nissan 300ZX twin Turbo euro spec that was much more sedate but still got me in gobs of Polizi trouble  Fred seems like you not only worked on the Wild Weasels you were one.  

Did you see American Pickers last night?  A barn find VW split went for $9K.  Original motor and all.  Took a fork lift to get it off the rafters.

rsv1cox wrote:

Mark Boesen wrote:First On Race Day; F O R D ! ! ! !  And Chevrolet's Duramax

There is no manufacturer using a Cat or Navastar diesel in a pickup truck, several years ago the Ford was a joint venture with Navastar

Found On Road Dead......................

Fix Or Repair Daily!

fredvon4 wrote:First On Race Day

Friggin Old rebuilt Dodge

Finest On Road Drive

Found On Road Dead.........

ha ha ha, just in case you forgot what a ford looks like....

This is great! We're all into our rides.. past, present.. and wish-list! I'll get back to that in a minute...

Fred, I married into a Ford/Lincoln/Mercury dealer family in 1985, just as the American version Merkur XR4Ti was making the scene. They had a few in stock.. as well as the ASC Mercury McLaren Capris. Ford had some very cool cars at that time. The SHO Taurus was one of my favorites. I never owned one.. but had a 94 Taurus LX that was loaded. It was the most comfortable car I've ever owned. It had a comfortable cruising speed (for me..) of 80mph.. which I frequently did on weekend-trips to see a girlfriend who lived in Northampton, MA. It was an 85mi. trip which usually took me 1.5 hrs. Mine had the 3.0L engine rather than the 3.8L but it was a more dependable engine. The stereo was a factory AM/FM with cassette player. I used a Sony Disc-Man with a cassette-adapter to play my favorite driving music. I had quite the eclectic mix in my CD wallet.. Eagles, Dream Theater, Billy Joel, Basia, Earth Wind and Fire.. just to name a few.

Back to the "wish-list" of rides.. What can I say? There are quite a few. Realistically.. the average enthusiast should be able to acquire at least one motor-vehicle in their lifetime.. that was purchased purely for the thrill.. or fun of driving it. Practicality is secondary.. or even thirdary

My buddy George (God rest his soul) had been a mechanic since back in high school. In 1978 he bought a 1965 Ford Mustang Coupe. It wasn't much to look at.. but on gas-monkey wages he managed to build a pretty fast car.. for the strip. He built a 302 (5.0L) small-block Ford V8 with a healthy camshaft.. 750cfm Holley carb, exhaust-headers, double-roller timing chain.. 4-speed manual transmission with 4:11 gears in the 9" posi-traction rear axle. The rear tires/wheels were BIG and WIDE.. and they stuck-out of the fender-wells. The tires would scape the body when George turned a hard corner! We used to party in George's Mustang..  One of us had to drive one night that George was a little "under the weather"..  The car would barely idle with that big cam.. and it had a H/D racing clutch.. Poor George had his head out the back window and between yaks.. coughed "slow-down!".. before we were out of 1st gear! Regardless of it being his daily driver.. it was quick and would squat off the line at the track.. giving George 1/4mi. times in the low 11-second range as I remember.

If I had one vehicle to have custom-built.. it would probably be an off-road one. Something capable of dealing with the inevitable apocalypse "Mad-Max" world that's probably closer than we think.. (this is my thread right?) Some people build bunkers.. some get ammo'd-up.. I'd want a vehicle to move me and my loved ones the hell out quick away from an event.. bushwhacking.. hill climbing.. high ground clearance machine with gear and supply storage. Your getting a glimpse deep into Roddie's mind..

I've never had a hot rod (my brother did, and loosing his license due to teenage hot rod stupidity turned me off on hot rods)  I have had some pretty good performing rides though, and did my fair bit of home grease monkeying.  

My favorite, and so far the only car I want back, was a 1986 Lebaron  hatchback, 5 speed manual, 2.5l inline 4, front wheel drive.  Light car, well balanced, drove "straight" even when skidding.  I have NEVER driven a better vehicle in the snow.  After putting a rebuilt, shaved head on due to a head gasket it was even nicer performing as long as I never fed it regular gas, had to be mid grade or premium.  (this drive line in an Omni whooped the Mustang of the same year range)

A related story that is now funny since it all worked out, and Dad is still healthy and with us.  The day I started taking the top of that engine apart was the day my Dad had his heart attack (about 1997).  What I didn't know was the hard headed creature, sometimes called Dad, started having his heart attack at 6am, and didn't go into the hospital till 11pm, after working a full day as a mechanic, and helping me take the top of my engine apart.  Well, while Dad was in the ICU I finished getting the head off and took the head gasket in, with its small but obvious tracing of a cylinder to water jacket leak.  Before long there are about 6 people, Doctors, nurses, radiologists, gathered around my head gasket which was slapped onto a light box for inspection!

Phil