Bardhal's no-smoke

[Eduardo]

Has someone used that stuff in a 6.5 engine? And if so, what were the results?

Thanx in advance.

[DmaxMaverick]

It may work on a gas engine that blows a lot of smoke, by increasing the oil viscosity and adhesive quality. This can reduce oil consumption by slowing piston ring and valve stem bypass. Soot in Diesel engine oil will already be trying to increase your viscosity, and using an additive that does this can spell disaster. Oil too thick will starve several vital engine components. Oil pressure will increase (gives most folks a warm and fuzzy feeling), and lifter noise you had may go away, but bearings (cam, rod and main), unless they are really worn out and sloppy already, will get less oil flow. Bardhal's will do absolutely nothing to reduce smoke specific to Diesel engines. If your Diesel engine is burning/consuming excesive engine oil, it will either be a simple fix, or past time for an overhaul.

[Eduardo]

Thank you for the reply. My truck is not blowing any smoke (at least, none I can see, but I am not asking people driving behind me), but I am towing a heavy boat (over 7000 lbs boat and trailer) through steep hills and if I don't watch it, the coolant goes over 100º Celsius (212º) and I see the oil pressure dropping down (but still close to 250 kPa). I was just thinking in adding a bit of extra viscosity to the oil and thought that maybe the Barthal stuff might help. My concern is more the turbo than the engine bearings.

Also, would it be convenient that I add a tranny oil cooler? I have a 1993 Chevy Cheyenne 1 Ton 4wd 6.5 TD, and I belileve the tranny is a 4L80-E.

Thanx in advance.

[DmaxMaverick]

The effect will be the same on the turbo bushing. But, what good is a turbo on an engine with spun bearings?

In almost all cases, increasing oil pressure is a superficial "feel good" fix. The oil pressure decreases under your conditions for several reasons. Oil viscosity decrease due to tempurature, and increased bearing clearance from thermal expansion. If your pressure isn't dropping below an acceptible level, let it drop. 100° C isn't hot. Warm, but not hot, as long as it can be controlled. If you want to keep your oil pressure up, change the oil brand/type. Good synthetic oil (they're not all created equal) will maintain higher pressures under these conditions, and will recover quicker after it does drop. Many dino oils don't recover to the higher pressures until after a cool down cycle.

Just getting the oil pressure gage to indicate higher is the wrong answer. You need to go the cause for a solution.

[Eduardo]

Well, since I am now using 15W-40 mineral oil, what would you recommend in synthetic (brand & grade)? Also, the odometer indicates almost 440,000 Km, but Ihave no idea whether the engine is or not original or if it has been rebuilt.

Thanx again for your patience.

[DmaxMaverick]

Well, since I am now using 15W-40 mineral oil, what would you recommend in synthetic (brand & grade)? Also, the odometer indicates almost 440,000 Km, but Ihave no idea whether the engine is or not original or if it has been rebuilt.

Thanx again for your patience.


Amsoil 15-40 "Heavy Duty Diesel & Marine"

Mobil 1 5-40 "Turbo Diesel Truck" (New stuff)

[Eduardo]

Thanx, I'll give one of those a try.

Any suggestions regarding a tranny cooler?

[DmaxMaverick]

Thanx, I'll give one of those a try.

Any suggestions regarding a tranny cooler?


If you don't have one, get one. Keep the radiator cooler in the loop or you'll have issues in the winter (too cold is as bad as too hot). I don't know if 1993 had one OEM. If it has one and the tranny runs hot, bigger is better. Synthetics work really well for the tranny, too.

[Eduardo]

Thanx again.

[daustin]

My '93 3500 didn't come with an aux tranny cooler. I added one, and plumbed it in with the existing cooler. Use the line out of the radiator, top one into the cooler and then out of the cooler back to the tranny.
Don

[Robyn]

My 95 3500 has the auxiliary coolers out front. The 94 Burb has the radiator alone.

If your engine oil is cooled with a radiator tank cooler I would get it routed to an outside air cooler instead.
These engines generate a lot of heat and the engine oil carries a lot of this heat away.

My 95 will run around 190-210 F and under a pull will see 220F before the fan comes on.
Many times these engines in stock trim will see 230F when pulling.
This is too far, 215F is a good top end temp.

As far as the oil goes I use Delo 400 15-40. I have used the Amzoil 15-40 that was mentioned.
My only issue with the Amzoil is the cost and the availability.
If you travel take a couple gallons with you.
I was coming back from Sacramento Cal on I-5 and none of the truck stops had any and it was late so no regular shops were open.
made it home ok but was a couple quarts low. :eek:

As your engine gets hot its normal for oil pressure to drop.
Normal hot oil pressure running at 1500 or so RPM should be 40 PSI
Idle speed pressure should be around 20 PSI

Slightly lower at idle is to be expected with a high mile engine.
Now GM factory gauges and senders can get a bit flakey and do vary a lot.
If you want the real deal install a T fitting and plumb in a direct reading gauge so you can see whats up.

Your turbo will be a happy camper as long as it has pressure and plenty of flow.
The turbo shaft sits in a Bronze bushing and screams along happily as long as there is oil flowing.
The kindest thing you can do for your little friend the turbo is to allow a 30-60 second (Minimum) cool down with the engine idleing before you shut the engine off.

The horific heat that the turbo runs under needs to disipate to prevent oil from "frying" in the bearing.
If oil is overheated it can turn to carbon and plug up the bearing feed holes.

The Bushing in my 94 is still the original after 260K miles.
I took the turbo all apart at 237K during the engine overhaul and cleaned and checked it over.

There was a fair amount of carbon buildup but no wear on any of the parts.

Good luck and let us know how it goes

Robyn

[Eduardo]

Robyn et al, thank you all for your advice. I have had a look at my shop and realized that I still have enough mineral 15W-40 oil left for about 5 oil changes in my truck, so I think I will use that oil first but doing the oil changes more often. Nevetheless, the summer is almost over, and in addition of cooler weather I won't be using the truck much until the next summer. It has almost 440000 klicks, and it smokes quite a bit at start-up (white smoke and hesitation) unless I keep the Kennedy spark plugs energized for 15-20 seconds, then it starts OK. I changed about two years ago injectors and spark plugs, and I think that digging any deeper into the ol' beast would be opening a can of worms.

[DmaxMaverick]

I didn't know JK sold spark plugs. I'll have to ask him. I may need some for something. Although I can't imagine for what.....What are they for, again?:)

If your starting is a little smokey, and can be reduced/eliminated by a longer glow plug cycle, the smoke you are seeing is unburnt fuel on a cold engine, and a non-issue. Just glow it longer and be done with it. If you have an automatic glow controller, extend the glow time of the controller. If a manual glow controller (push button), just glow long enough to minimize the smoke. If it's as easy as that, it indicates an otherwise healthy engine. A longer glow cycle is not an uncommon fix for a smokey start on these aminals.

[Eduardo]

My apologies, of course I meant to say glow plugs (blush). I have been working this afternoon in replacing my outboard spark plugs and somehow I must have had a Freudian mental slip.

[DmaxMaverick]

Sorry. Didn't mean to make you blush. Been a Diesel head for so long, it's real hard to let a thing like that slip by. I do use spark plugs, and that's only because I haven't converted all my motorcycles to Diesel....yet.