Like all of you, before going on a trip I check all fluid levels. My oil dip stick indicated "full". After 527 miles I checked the oil level again while fueling up. Oil was down 1-1/2 quarts. Strange, since this engine has never need any oil before 1200 miles. Went another 400 miles, down another 1-1/2 quarts. Brought the oil level up to full again and drove another 225 miles. Down more than a quart.It's now clear there's a major problem. What I have is a Chrysler 360, with 4bbl carb. Rebuilt by a local engine shop (bottom end, I did the top end)about 10k miles ago. It runs smooth, quiet and strong. Pulled all the plugs expecting to find at least one of them badly fouled with oil. All the plugs are fine. There are no oil spots on the ground after the rig sits for an extended period of time. No oil on the back of the rig, which might indicate the rear main seal is bad. In fact, the entire under carriage is rather clean. The rig has dual exhaust. The left side has no soot to speak of. Now, the right side is a different story. I can rub off soot with my finger. This might indicate an oil leak in the right bank. Yet, I see no smoke while driving down the road and the plugs are good.So, where's all the oil going? Any thoughts on this?P.S. Can't take it back to the rebuilder. He retired and closed the shop.

Inspect your PCV valve!360s also had issues with the cross over exhaust in the intake manifold.

Old Dodge gas V-8's were always famous as oil eaters but not at 400 miles, does sound like PVC, replace it and see what happens, most Dodges do eat about a quart every 900 to 1500 miles depending on age and such.

What an absurd statement !I would suspect the valve seals were not installed correctly, or not at all.

I'm not familiar with this particular engine, but I agree that there's a problem. With no big clouds of blue smoke, and especially with what amounts to a recently rebuilt engine, I wonder if there's a pressurized oil line going to an oil cooler that's leaking or perhaps your oil pressure sending switch has developed a leak. Those would spew while the engine is running, but not when stopped.I'd think that oil escaping the PCV would foul the plugs, not just soot up the tailpipe. If you had a turbocharger, I'd suspect the bearing seal on the exhaust side, but isn't this engine normally aspirated?Good luck tracking it down, and soon. A leak that big, especially one that just popped up, suggests whatever it is, it's leaking badly.

An intake manifold to valley gasket leak can do that too. Vacuum pulls oil right into the intake and burns it. This was a notorious problem on mid to late 90's 318/360 engines. Doesn't necessarily mean your carb'd engine suffered the same.Check for this by plugging the air breather hose on one valve cover and checking for vacuum at the other cover. There shouldn't really be any.My Dakota 318 had this happen along with several other friends with these (never version) engines. It used oil really fast and never smoked.

So, Where's All the Oil Going? | Good Sam Community

enblethen
Nomad
Mar 27, 2017
Inspect your PCV valve!
360s also had issues with the cross over exhaust in the intake manifold.
timmac
Explorer
Mar 27, 2017
Old Dodge gas V-8's were always famous as oil eaters but not at 400 miles, does sound like PVC, replace it and see what happens, most Dodges do eat about a quart every 900 to 1500 miles depending on age and such.
RJsfishin
Explorer
Mar 27, 2017
What an absurd statement !

I would suspect the valve seals were not installed correctly, or not at all.
naturist
Nomad
Mar 27, 2017
I'm not familiar with this particular engine, but I agree that there's a problem. With no big clouds of blue smoke, and especially with what amounts to a recently rebuilt engine, I wonder if there's a pressurized oil line going to an oil cooler that's leaking or perhaps your oil pressure sending switch has developed a leak. Those would spew while the engine is running, but not when stopped.

I'd think that oil escaping the PCV would foul the plugs, not just soot up the tailpipe. If you had a turbocharger, I'd suspect the bearing seal on the exhaust side, but isn't this engine normally aspirated?

Good luck tracking it down, and soon. A leak that big, especially one that just popped up, suggests whatever it is, it's leaking badly.
wnjj
Explorer II
Mar 27, 2017
An intake manifold to valley gasket leak can do that too. Vacuum pulls oil right into the intake and burns it. This was a notorious problem on mid to late 90's 318/360 engines. Doesn't necessarily mean your carb'd engine suffered the same.

Check for this by plugging the air breather hose on one valve cover and checking for vacuum at the other cover. There shouldn't really be any.

My Dakota 318 had this happen along with several other friends with these (never version) engines. It used oil really fast and never smoked.
DReisinger
Explorer
Mar 27, 2017
Is there any oil showing up in your cooling system?
enblethen
Nomad
Mar 27, 2017
Does your right bank has a heat riser? could be stuck causing sooty exhaust on that side.
Amount oil sucked in through the PCV would not be noticable on plugs or exhaust.
Hideout17
Explorer
Mar 27, 2017
Are you using synthetic oil? I did my 360 years ago and ran synthetic right off the bat. It used oil for 6k miles till rings seated then it was fine. Took longer for rings to seat with synthetic oil.
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Mar 27, 2017
My case was worse.. 37,000 miles, and I sometimes added a quart between oil changes, or more if I climbed mountains, but I don't normally do worse than foothills.

Suddenly in the last 300 miles it sucked up (or rather pumped out) six quarts of oil, the piston sized, the cap came off the rod and BOOM, I'm dead on the side of the road waiting on a tow truck.. That was July 2014

Today is March 2017,, I'm 3 feet up in the air, the engine is sitting on the ground in the mechanic's tractor port (Replacement arrives tomorrow, so does insurance adjuster)

Here is what happened:.... I hit a pot hole, Now this was the granddaddy of pot holes.. Low speed (I was turning left into a restaurant) the hole was filled with rain so I thought a slight dip but no,, This puppy was deep enough that it rattled my teeth,, It also lifted the oil cooler out of it's tray when I fell in, and when I hit the far end it jumped forward and fell down on the frame rail.

The oil lines (aluminum) run UNDER the oil cooler, the steel frame sliced through 'em like a knife through butter and six quarts of oil hit the ground

So. why am I typing all this..... Well. it's one thing to add to your suspect list.
time2roll
Nomad
Mar 28, 2017
Always run hard or grocery service before the tow?
I would top it off right to the mark and run it again to verify.

Also verify the dipstick is correct as it should register right at full after oil change and fill.

Otherwise the oil is burning nicely and going out the tail pipe.