Dry starts

[bbrewer2005]

OK so my 89 2.6 recently developed a dry starting issue (sounds like no oil). It sounds like the valvetrain is dry and rattles like a diesel for about 2 seconds after startup, then instantly goes away. It started this literally the first cold start after changing the oil. It has never done it before then, even after sitting for 2 months, it didnt dry start. The truck runs smooth and only has 119k original miles and has been maintained like it should for the most part (My grandpa bought it new.) I just did a full "100k mile tune up" and slapped a weber 32/36 on it this winter and it runs great and runs quiet.

The oil I put in it was full synthetic mobil 1 10w30. I replaced the filter with an stp filter, which is the same part number as the one that came off of it before (thats all they had at the time, I know. lol) The oil that was in it was valvoline 10w30 dino oil. Why all of the sudden the continuous dry starts immediately after an oil change? Now that there is 600-700 miles on the oil, It does it less, but still 75-80% of cold starts. It never does it on a hot start.

[t97]

I may be wrong but i think i read somewhere that the 2.6 takes 10w40 but im not sure i havent changed the oil in mine yet. Im not saying that would cause your dry starts though.

[jamesw]

when i changed my oil here just a few weeks ago here is the advise i got and it worked out great;

10w30 - high mileage. You can also use 1 quart of Rislone in place of one quart of oil to gently clean out the motor and help make the oil work better.

[geezer101]

Did you change the brand of oil filter you were using? Maybe it's back draining :shrug:

[bbrewer2005]

Same exact part number geezer. I thought the same until I looked at the old one. The only changed variable is the brand, and went from conventional, to synthetic oil. Same weight. It is doing it less and less the dirtier it gets. Kind of strange. I just read about your diesel engine flush method. I think im going to try that and see if it has any effect. This thing has NEVER been run hard its entire life. It probably has a ton of built up carbon from never being opened up for 100k miles. My grandpa bought it new and he had a foot full of helium.

[geezer101]

Not every oil filter is constructed the same. There are some really shiteful filters on the market and guys who know their stuff will steer clear away from the lemons.

[bbrewer2005]

Yeah, it's an stp as that is all they had. Next time I'll have to order a wix or mobil 1. I cringed at using an stp.

[geezer101]

Looked at a teardown of filters on youtube. Wix seems pretty good. And Fram is in the 'other' category...STP has better construction but a lot of people aren't happy with them either. If you really get into where the filters come from and who owns what license to make them, it gets interesting.

[bbrewer2005]

Yeah I've watched a lot of them too. Fram has an excellent marketing department, and your average joe doesnt know any better. If everyone was educated on filters, Fram would go out of business. I didnt want the stp, but It needed an oil change, and I figured a couple thousand miles wont hurt. They do have anti drainback valves, however I guess it is possible that the one in my filter is faulty. Today it didnt give me a dry start.

[geezer101]

...I didnt want the stp, but It needed an oil change, and I figured a couple thousand miles wont hurt. They do have anti drainback valves, however I guess it is possible that the one in my filter is faulty. Today it didnt give me a dry start.

Well that is promising. Hopefully it's not something more sinister going on with oil supply and recirculation. A guy can can become obsessive about this stuff very quickly and the online 'experts' all have conflicting points of view.
*OOC, next time you wander into a auto shop, take a couple of filters that have the same/similar diameter box and check which ones have an M20x1.5 thread and a seal about 66-68mm across. There might be a larger capacity filter available for the same price or maybe cheaper. I found a good upgrade for my J2 Hyundai 2.0 doing this. :)

[Giovanni89]

Well that is promising. Hopefully it's not something more sinister going on with oil supply and recirculation. A guy can can become obsessive about this stuff very quickly and the online 'experts' all have conflicting points of view.
*OOC, next time you wander into a auto shop, take a couple of filters that have the same/similar diameter box and check which ones have an M20x1.5 thread and a seal about 66-68mm across. There might be a larger capacity filter available for the same price or maybe cheaper. I found a good upgrade for my J2 Hyundai 2.0 doing this. :)
I just posted a thread on oversize oil filter for these engines. My last post is still waiting for moderator approval, but a filter for an 84 ram50 turbodiesel is the same gasket and threads, but over an inch longer.

[geezer101]

I just posted a thread on oversize oil filter for these engines. My last post is still waiting for moderator approval, but a filter for an 84 ram50 turbodiesel is the same gasket and threads, but over an inch longer.

A good find - more oil capacity, bigger filter area...win!

[pennyman1]

there are several different filters that fit the 2.6, with different size cases. I will post the different numbers once I get home and look them up.

[bbrewer2005]

Little update on the truck. I did another oil change. The oil had roughly 1000 miles on it and was already getting pretty dirty. I took this opportunity to do the diesel engine flush on it. I used a bosch oil filter on it this time. The dry starts are less frequent, and less noisy. It didnt quiet the engine down much but the throttle response has a very noticeable improvement. The oil has about 300 miles on it and is still as clean as new.

[bbrewer2005]

I forgot to add, The mpg seems to have went up a little as well.

[Giovanni89]

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin/showthread.php/6984-G54B-oversized-oil-filter

[yamahlr]

This is a great thread and thanks for all the comparison work that has been done. FYI, WIX is headquartered in the town I live and they have been purchased by the foreign company Mann. They still have the WIX name on the plants + HQ. I know some folks that have worked there. WIX has done private label for a number of other companies. They seem like a quality filter.