Fearing the worst.

[boro drift]

Ok, so tonight I pulled my upper plenum to replace my knock sensors, and what I discovered was small amounts of oil pooled in a couple runners of the lower intake manifold.

So, I came home from my shop and hit the search button, and came up with leaky turbo, or bad piston rings. As much as I hate to think it, I think it's the rings. Shitty thing is, I have maybe 7,000 miles on it since my build.

I also found, in my searching, to stay away from Total Seal rings, which I have.

My intercooler pipes have the normal thin film of oil, the accordian hose is dry, as is the inlet of the turbo.

Consumption is about 1 quart every 1000 miles.

I guess I'm just looking for someone to confirm my diognosis and point me in the direction of a GOOD set of rings. .040 top, .048 2nd, .111 oil.

Supramania old schoolers, I need your advise! Thanks, A.J.

 

[jdub]

Do a compression check.

What kind of pistons?

If you replace the rings, the cylinder bores will need to be lightly honed (assuming no damage). I would check piston to wall clearance as well.

 

[boro drift]

Do a compression check.

What kind of pistons?

If you replace the rings, the cylinder bores will need to be lightly honed (assuming no damage). I would check piston to wall clearance as well.

I'll do a compression check when I get it back together. I did do a leakdown after the first 300 miles and it was 3% across the board, but things could have deteriorated since then.

The pistons are JE. Piston to wall clearance was .004 when I assembled the engine.

 

[jdub]

Is your PCV stock? Any smoke out the exhaust?

If it is the rings, you should be good with a light hone then...check piston to wall one more time just to be safe.
JE rings would be a excellent choice

 

[JDMMA70]

I noticed something similar on my car also a light film of oil in the accordian hose, as well as IC pipes. My PCV system is stock and theres is absoultely no smoke out my exhaust. Havent done a compression test yet at all. Car has ran great though havent noticed any loss of oil. Should i be worried?

 

[boro drift]

Is your PCV stock? Any smoke out the exhaust?

If it is the rings, you should be good with a light hone then...check piston to wall one more time just to be safe.
JE rings would be a excellent choice

I have the valve covers bypassed and the pipe runs from the intake to the throttle body, no oil in the breathers on valve covers, no smoke out the exhaust, but you can smell the oil.

 

[jdub]

You have the valve cover ports capped off? Ever noticed your oil dipstick popped out?

JDM - it's the oil consumption that's the give away here...it's excessive. A compression test on a new engine is always a good idea after 2-3K miles.

 

[boro drift]

You have the valve cover ports capped off? Ever noticed your oil dipstick popped out?

I have the little K&N breathers on the valve covers, sometimes the dipstick does pop out.

 

[jdub]

Oh man...I don't know who told you that was a good idea, but it's not. Put your PCV system back to stock. I don't know if that will help, but you do not want to run it that way...the PCV needs to be under vacuum.

Your dipstick popping out indicates the crankcase is under excessive pressure. That could be from blowby on the rings or your PCV breathers are clogged.

Do the compression test...a leak down test too and post the results. If these come back good, you need to look elsewhere.

 

[boro drift]

Oh man...I don't know who told you that was a good idea, but it's not. Put your PCV system back to stock. I don't know if that will help, but you do not want to run it that way...the PCV needs to be under vacuum.

Your dipstick popping out indicates the crankcase is under excessive pressure. That could be from blowby on the rings or your PCV breathers are clogged.

Do the compression test...a leak down test too and post the results. If these come back good, you need to look elsewhere.

I'll check all that stuff.

Thanks for the advice jdub, I truely appreciate it! When I get the plenum back on, I'll do the compression and leak down tests and post the results.

 

[boro drift]

Well the results are in. I did a leak-down test tonight and my engine passed with flying colors!

My Total Seal's must have seated because I have hardly any leakage. The guage on the Snap On leak-down tester read into the -'s and there was barly any audible leakage into the crank case and none out of the ex,int, or radiator. I had to really listen to the oil cap hole to make out any noise.

So, I'm thinking the oil in my intake manifold must be turbo related.

What are your thoughts, jdub?

 

[jdub]

Compression test?

Did you put the PCV back to stock?

 

[boro drift]

Compression test?

Did you put the PCV back to stock?

No compression test yet. Do you think a comp test could come out bad with the good leak-down #'s?

I haven't put the pcv to stock yet because I cut the the nipples off the pipe that go into the valve covers and welded the holes shut.

 

[jdub]

I would to a compression test to confirm the leak-down results.

With those holes welded shut, you are definitely pressuring the crankcase...that will push oil past the rings. You really, really need to fix that...do it right...the stock PCV is designed the way it is for a reason.

 

[boro drift]

With open breathers on the valvecovers, how is that pressurizing the crank case? Don't get me wrong, if my pcv pipe was still intact, I'd hook it back up like stock like you said. But with the ring seal I have, my crank case pressure is low anyway.

Please don't take this as an act of defiance, I truly appreceiate your help, but with open breathers on the valve covers, ther can't be any crank case pressure, right?

 

[jdub]

I misunderstood...I thought you sad you welded the holes on the valve covers shut. You said the pipe...my apologies.
If your dipstick is popping out, you have pressurization.

What type turbo and return line to the block?

 

[boro drift]

I misunderstood...I thought you sad you welded the holes on the valve covers shut. You said the pipe...my apologies.
If your dipstick is popping out, you have pressurization.

What type turbo and return line to the block?

Stock CT26 that I rebuilt, stock lines, and I cleaned them out well while the engine was out. I think my oil is going out the turbin housing, like before I rebuilt the turbo, and the spark plugs had no oil deposites and looked good.

I don't think it takes much to pop the dipstick out since the rubber seal is hard as plastic now.:biglaugh:

 

[jdub]

You rebuilt the turbo? Who balanced the wheels/shaft?
Might want to check for shaft play.

You don't have to believe me...the engine needs the PCV and it needs to be under vacuum supplied from both the accordion hose and, more importantly, the TB.

 

[boro drift]

You rebuilt the turbo? Who balanced the wheels/shaft?
Might want to check for shaft play.

You don't have to believe me...the engine needs the PCV and it needs to be under vacuum supplied from both the accordion hose and, more importantly, the TB.

I'm not too worried about the turbo, if it's bad, just a good excuse to get my boss 57 trim.:naughty:

I believe you on the pcv system, I will weld the nipples back on the pcv pipe and hook it up. I originaly bypassed the valve covers because Total Seal claimed that with the low crankcase pressure and high vacuum their rings produce, could pull oil out of the valve covers and into the intake. Maybe a puke tank is what I need?

 

[jdub]

Total Seal claimed that with the low crankcase pressure and high vacuum their rings produce, could pull oil out of the valve covers and into the intake.

That's not possible...think about it.