Oil dipstick doing weird things


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Old 09-28-09, 11:45 AM
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Oil dipstick doing weird things

I have a 92' Ford Ranger with remanufactured 2.9 V6. I recently had a reconditioned lower intake manifold installed. They don't make this part new anymore. So I got one at a junkyard and had the imperfections cleaned, welded, beaded and milled. The valves were adjusted at the same time too.

Now the oil dipstick reads higher. I have checked a few times for signs of coolant or gas seeping into the oil. But I see no evidence of this. Oil pressure is normal. What else might be causing this?

I put the reconditioned lower intake manifold on because the old one had a pitted spot touched up with JB Weld which I wasn't comfortable with.
 
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Old 09-28-09, 12:05 PM
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Possibly you have gasoline leaking into the oil even if you can't find it. If no foamy grey stuff (which would indicate water leakage) thats what I would be thinking...

Is it constantly increasing...or was it possibly just overfilled initially? Does this have individual fuel injectors..or a central spray into the manifold?

No Ford tech..just tryin ta help.
 
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Old 09-28-09, 12:42 PM
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It doesn't increase. In the first few days of the high reading, the dipstick steadily dropped down closer to normal. I changed oil this weekend. The mechanic said he didn't add any oil when the work was done. It has individual fuel injectors. Where would gasoline leak into oil?
 
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Old 09-28-09, 12:56 PM
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A leaky fuel injector can drip into the cylinder and go past the rings into the crankcase. Kinda like small engines that have bad carbs..they leak into the cylinder and there ya go.

I'd say just let it alone and keep an eye on it. The mech may have said he didn't add oil...but he may not have drained the system before the manifold change.

If it stays where it is or drops slightly over time..you should be just fine.
 
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Old 09-28-09, 05:13 PM
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'if 'you have a leaking injector, you should notice a real bad/rough idle on a cold start up-because of all the raw fuel dumped in to a cylinder.(if-that is the case-be-careful-you can actually bend a connecting rod,if it goes into a hydrolock condition)
other wise-as sugested above- no evedince of coolant (milky oil)??
a small injector leak-can you smell fuel if you wipe the dip stick on your finger??
 
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Old 09-28-09, 05:59 PM
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It runs well. I have been sniffing the oil dipstick for days. But I don't really know what hot motor oil should smell like. I sniffed the gas tank filler opening, and the dipstick does not smell like that. I mean it smells like it might have a slight gasoline smell. But this might just be a heated up petroleum smell.

The injectors are the original runs from 1992

There is no evidence of coolant in oil.
 
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Old 09-28-09, 06:15 PM
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Bluesbreaker, are you checking the oil while the motor is still hot, I mean right after you shut it down? Also, do you know what the exact level of the oil was on the dipstick prior to the change in the manifold, maybe it was a bit high already. I can't see how your oil level could increase from what you had done with the motor. I also don't want you to think I am calling you dumb, sometimes it is the dumb things we miss that make us feel dumb, that's all.
 
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Old 09-28-09, 07:08 PM
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That's ok Ofairlane. Thanks for asking. My mechanic said the most accurate method to check oil on my make/model is immediately after hot engine is switched off. That is what I have been doing.

As a matter of fact. My dipstick reads a little higher with the re-manufactured engine. I was told this might be because the new engine has a slightly different casting.

Immediately after the valve adjustment and lower intake manifold installation last week, it was way over normal. I changed the oil Saturday and it is significantly lower But still higher than before the new manifold was put in. That's for sure.

I can have my mechanic sniff the oil just to make sure.
 
 

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