Do I need overhaul? Detroit 60 series 12.7

Without papers to prove a rebuild, I'd be very leery of the engine ever having been rebuilt. Especially with what you're describing. For all you know, they could've simply changed the oil, and painted the engine. That is, unless you know the previous owner and know for a fact it was rebuilt.

2 gallons in 8000 miles seems excessive to me, however I'm not familiar with Detroit's.

Have you taken this to an actual Detroit shop?

At the very least, sample and change the oil like yesterday, and run it another oil change cycle, sample and see where you are at that point.

 

Great run your oil for 100000 miles. I don't care what anybody does to equipment.

 

I'm not familiar with the oil consumption on a series 60.

I agree with the others, run it. Do the oil change and Sample but run it.

When a diesel engine gets to the point that it begins to use some oil, which we're not sure if your engine is there or not, as long as the engine runs well and pulls well, and you don't have any mixing of coolant and oil, your engine is fine.

Even if you are burning some oil, you keep running it and save your money and just add oil until the oil consumption becomes so great that it's time to do the in frame.

I don't know what the range is for normal oil pressure on a series 60. @Goodysnap or @spsauerland may know. I would just make sure that your gauge is accurate and keep an eye on it. If you are close to what is not acceptable, you may have to have a set of bearings put in.

The other thing I'd be concerned about if the mileage is really unknown as far as what was done to the engine, is the bull gear. I think they generally need to be serviced by about 800,000 miles.

One of the guys that is more familiar with those engines can explain to you if there's a way to check the bull gear and what is involved with that.

 

Put a mechanical test gauge on the engine if you want to know the true oil pressure. That dash gauge is more of a guide. Its not 100% accurate.

 

I will preface that I run bypass filtration and sample my oil every 20k-ish...

 

You are worrying about something that will never happen drive that truck till it breaks what if the clutch fail what it the rear end need replaced do it quit the "what if" Have owned three detroit S60 all used oil 1 to 2 gallons of oil in 10K and down a gallon at 15K at oil change (2 where new 1 had 325K) there nothing wrong these engines they are tough and have blow by. The last one I just sold 987K had real bad blow by would cover the truck in smoke would run great like new used 2 gallon of oil and got 5.8 mpg. It had 44 lbs hot and 15 lbs oil pressure. The man from Clarke gave you good advice now go drive it there nothing to worry about when it breaks you fix it. There is nothing to fix if it not broke.

 

Good luck.

Its hard to kill Detroit. (Pun intended.) I have been in the mountains with them for years and once in a while asked a little more than allowed range. And it would give it.

I am not this engine or that engine or some other engines. I just miss my kitty. The little one believe it or not. That engine should have burned up but it did not.

I only had two oil incidents in my life time. One was due to a loose filler cap. Hit the Fishertown 56 mountain ridge pull and the cap went off into the chain and lost three gallons. Truck started doing the really serious process of killing engine to save itself. That one is on me.

The other was we took our ford to a mechanic at a chain shop and they clean forgot to put any oil into it. She cranked and ran dry for oh 2 minutes while we sat there going EH? WTF is that All sorts of bells etc going on in there... good thing she was COLD.)

But detriots I put a dallop in there when fueling. I don't even worry about it.

Cummins on the other hand... the older ones. GlUGHGLUGHGLUGH and check dipstick. Wheres the beef here?

Get another jug glughglughlugh...

Hey you dumb*&^ driver get that oil under there.

!

Mechanic forgot the pan bolt at the bottom. So stupid. Ive just shoot them myself.

Stories and memories on my end. But Kitty Cats mark everything you check that oil three times daily.

 

You may want to check serial # on engine. I think the P and B serial #s have wrist pin cooling nozzles. E and M serial #s don’t. They’re vulnerable to wrist pin failures. Knocking a hole in block. Depending on stroke, when they fail. Idle pressure a little low,Ive noticed the same on mine within last year or so. Call it snake oil, but I use a gallon of Lucas, Added at every other oil change, And added at 1st gallon burned every other oil change. My thinking is to keep it from gunning up. Doing it that way. Don’t really know, but at 1.2 m no sludge in top end, and oil dip stick still looks clean. That’s @ 20 k oil changes. But also with at least 3 gallons ( new oil )added. I’ll go back to 15 k, when it’s overhauled. Delvac oil. Old thin oil, less pressure. A little Lucas will help that, and give the bull gear good lube.