Smoke coming from oil dipstick?
09-12-2009, 11:48 PM
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Smoke coming from oil dipstick? What's up guys i have a 95 impala ss and noticed a little smoke coming fromt he oil dipstick, i have a LT1 engine 110,000 miles. Dye was added recently to find an intake leak that i had but other than that, what would be the problem? Thanks
09-13-2009, 01:15 AM
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I've been doing some research on other forums and they say that it is caused by excessive blow by, and that my rings may be bad. Any truth to this. They say that maybe a thicker oil would be a temperary fix but only temperary. Could someone help.
09-13-2009, 02:08 AM
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Thanks alot man that's what someone just told me. Hopefully that's it. But it's funny because the PCV valve has just been replace like two days ago by the dealership, i'm going to check the hoses next
09-13-2009, 12:49 PM
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damn so what are you suggestion would it be time for a new bottom end? Top end is brand new, all lloyd elliot stuff, plus hardened pushrods ect. It is a cam and head car with 110,000 miles
09-13-2009, 12:56 PM
#7
A shop here charges $900 IIRC to tear it down, check everything, rehone the cylinders and reassemble it. Plus the cost of head gaskets, new rings and bearings.
With your mileage, which isn't really that bad, it certainly could be bad rings or maybe just one of them lost a big chunk.
Compression test will tell you whats up?
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09-13-2009, 01:11 PM
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ya i understand but i only want to do it once, and i really don't want to spend the money for a rebuil at all. But i want it to be reliabe without any problem. oil pressure is fine and no loss in power what so ever. Is it safe to drive or should this something to really worry about. Some say no some say yes
09-13-2009, 01:52 PM
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The PCV valve -limits- the draw from crankcase to
intake. A new one only works that way. The PCV
flow would ideally exceed the blowby, at least at
idle & cruise. But at some point as the engine wears
it no longer will.
"Smoke" from the PCV may also be outgassing of the
prior blowby gasses that got absorbed in the oil. If
the smoke is greatest during warmup and not bad
when full hot, plus time-at-temp, then maybe it just
wants more frequent changes. Be sure to check the
next changed-out oil, for signs of anything that does
not belong (esp. water).
But sooner or later everything needs rebuilt. Might do
a leakdown compression test to see if anything is
spectacularly wrong, or just evenly worn.
intake. A new one only works that way. The PCV
flow would ideally exceed the blowby, at least at
idle & cruise. But at some point as the engine wears
it no longer will.
"Smoke" from the PCV may also be outgassing of the
prior blowby gasses that got absorbed in the oil. If
the smoke is greatest during warmup and not bad
when full hot, plus time-at-temp, then maybe it just
wants more frequent changes. Be sure to check the
next changed-out oil, for signs of anything that does
not belong (esp. water).
But sooner or later everything needs rebuilt. Might do
a leakdown compression test to see if anything is
spectacularly wrong, or just evenly worn.
09-13-2009, 01:53 PM
#10
ya i understand but i only want to do it once, and i really don't want to spend the money for a rebuil at all. But i want it to be reliabe without any problem. oil pressure is fine and no loss in power what so ever. Is it safe to drive or should this something to really worry about. Some say no some say yes
Detonation is NOT always audible...so it can be happening slightly all the time and you won't know it.
Oil pressure has nothing to do with bad or worn rings. If this is something that just started out of nowhere you could have a broken ring on just one piston.
Do a compression test and try to find the cylinder with the bad ring?
I asked about the smoketrail when you hit the gas pedal because if you DO have that......you could have a bad valve seal and oil has been leaking into a cylinder for a long time, causing a build-up of burnt oil on the top of the piston. This will cause detonation in just that one piston AFTER the engine is HOT. The build-up gets hot spots and the fuel/air mixture ignites before the spark plug hits....thats detonation!!! (pre-ignition)
Your sound might not even be detonation, it could be something else. Almost always when the detonation sound starts while going WOT, you will lose power, very noticable loss of power. You have to start narrowing it down by doing tests.
If it is detonation, in some cases an engine stays fine for a long time with it.....sometimes they completely come apart like a hand-grenade.
.
09-13-2009, 02:05 PM
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thanks i'll be looking into a leak down test ASAP then, damn i hate something is wrong again, it's always something fareel. Anyway I have a local performace shop near by here in maryland that i may have do the work. A shop called DBD automotive. I'll see what they say and how much they may charge to do the leak down test or rebuild or just piston rings. Thanks oh and would it be better just to forge the block if i decide to do a rebuild?
09-13-2009, 02:08 PM
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I just want to pull the engine apart once, i just want to do it right the first time, should i just replace the rings if it's just that or rebuild the whole bottom end and if so should i just forge it? thanks
09-13-2009, 02:13 PM
#13
Or...stroke it, bore it, forge it...and make 600 RWHP...
What engine block do you have right now....? Is it a stock block?
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09-13-2009, 02:27 PM
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I honestly just want the best bang for the buck and want the car to be reliable. It is my daily driver. Money is an issue like it always is but i'm willing to do what i have to do for a good reliable car. Have you heard of DBD automotive perforce here in Maryland i think i am going to give them a call and see what they can do for me
09-13-2009, 02:47 PM
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check the pcv and all related hoses. My brother just bought 98 LS1 camaro with 128K for $2000. the guy thought it had blow by, so my brother bought it with the intention of rebuilding the motor. There was smoke coming from the oil cap. When he took it home & started to check it out, he noticed the rubber hoses which are routed on the the rear of the intake manifold were ripped. He called me over, we removed the hoses and replaced them all including the pcv valve. We used Kragen hoses with a T fitting as this kit from the dealer is expensive. After we were done, the smoke stopped. He took it to the smog station to get smogged and passed. So, check those hoses, it's worth a shot.
09-13-2009, 02:51 PM
#16
I honestly just want the best bang for the buck and want the car to be reliable. It is my daily driver. Money is an issue like it always is but i'm willing to do what i have to do for a good reliable car. Have you heard of DBD automotive perforce here in Maryland i think i am going to give them a call and see what they can do for me
Be careful...over all, most builders of LSx engines...suck.
#1) What is the bottom line on how much you want to spend?
2) What kind of engine do you have right now? stock or resleeved?
You can have a very nice short block built that will last well over 100,000 miles. Not that much money, maybe around $4,000.
.
Last edited by LS6427; 09-13-2009 at 03:00 PM.
09-13-2009, 03:24 PM
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i have a stock bottom end LT1 in a 95 impala ss, and my top end is brand new maybe 6000 miles all done by lloyed elliot, stage 2 ported heads new rockers, valve springs, ported intake all corresponding mods ect. It has a stock bore of 350ci, everything is new except the bottom end
09-13-2009, 03:27 PM
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well i am really hoping that it is PVC related and not the rings. Can you point me in the right direction as to what hoses to check and just like i said the PVC is brand new it's self it was just installed like a couple of days ago
