Car smokes at idle after shop "fixes" catch can routing.
07-30-2013, 11:23 PM
#1
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Car smokes at idle after shop "fixes" catch can routing. Hey guys, Had a LSx shop swap a trans/converter for me and while they were at it I asked them to check my catch can routing (Previous owner install) since I didn't think it was correct.
Well, they changed it and now the car smokes at idle and light acceleration. It's heaviest at idle though. Seems to be a very light greyish smoke.
They swapped my Trans/Converter and rear shocks/springs. They did have to unbolt some of my hot side to remove the transmission. I'm thinking the only thing that could possibly make the car start smoking is the catch can/PCV system.
Here is a picture of how it is now
Here is how it was when I took it to them. It did not smoke. Just noticed that it had to be set up improperly.
I also noticed that you smell oil extremely bad now, which I assume is venting out of the catch can.
Car is loading up on a trailer and I'm moving 1,000 miles a way tomorrow. No time to deal with the shop. When I left I mentioned the smoke and they kept telling me the car is pig rich. Had my tuner come over with HP tuners and his wideband and we logged the car. It's 11.8 WOT and like 15.7 idling....
Well, they changed it and now the car smokes at idle and light acceleration. It's heaviest at idle though. Seems to be a very light greyish smoke.
They swapped my Trans/Converter and rear shocks/springs. They did have to unbolt some of my hot side to remove the transmission. I'm thinking the only thing that could possibly make the car start smoking is the catch can/PCV system.
Here is a picture of how it is now
Here is how it was when I took it to them. It did not smoke. Just noticed that it had to be set up improperly.
I also noticed that you smell oil extremely bad now, which I assume is venting out of the catch can.
Car is loading up on a trailer and I'm moving 1,000 miles a way tomorrow. No time to deal with the shop. When I left I mentioned the smoke and they kept telling me the car is pig rich. Had my tuner come over with HP tuners and his wideband and we logged the car. It's 11.8 WOT and like 15.7 idling....
08-08-2013, 06:29 PM
#4
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Judging by your signature, you have a 2006 LS2 engine. The diagram you provided for the "after" conversion by the shop is strictly for a "puke" can as all three lines merely dump excessive oil into the catch can. There is no air flow there that's why you smell the oil vapors venting from the can. The "before" diagram is a Rube Goldberg nightmare with the throttle body fitting ingesting a mixture of "dirty" crankcase vapors and fresh air.
If this car is driven on the street, go back to the factory original routing, i.e, valley cover to throttle body for crankcase vapors and air filter housing to to passenger side valve cover for clean, filtered air. Be sure to cap the driver's side valve cover nipple with a rubber cap. You don't need it.
Since you're smoking at idle and light throttle, I'm guessing that you're loading up the crankcase with oil vapor. Usually this can be traced back to worn rings; however, because of the shop's setup with no vacuum draw for the crankcase, that may be the source of the problem.
If you decided to use a catch can, route the hose from the valley to the lower part of the can and another from the top part of the can to the throttle body. Make sure that the can isn't vented to the atmosphere so you're drawing crankcase vapor and not clean air into the throttle body. The excessive oil in the vapor should settle out in the bottom of the can wear you can drain it every so often.
This is what I would do. Like the previous posters stated, you can do a search here on LS1Tech or even on-line to find plenty of other solutions.
Hope this helps. Good luck!
If this car is driven on the street, go back to the factory original routing, i.e, valley cover to throttle body for crankcase vapors and air filter housing to to passenger side valve cover for clean, filtered air. Be sure to cap the driver's side valve cover nipple with a rubber cap. You don't need it.
Since you're smoking at idle and light throttle, I'm guessing that you're loading up the crankcase with oil vapor. Usually this can be traced back to worn rings; however, because of the shop's setup with no vacuum draw for the crankcase, that may be the source of the problem.
If you decided to use a catch can, route the hose from the valley to the lower part of the can and another from the top part of the can to the throttle body. Make sure that the can isn't vented to the atmosphere so you're drawing crankcase vapor and not clean air into the throttle body. The excessive oil in the vapor should settle out in the bottom of the can wear you can drain it every so often.
This is what I would do. Like the previous posters stated, you can do a search here on LS1Tech or even on-line to find plenty of other solutions.
Hope this helps. Good luck!
08-11-2013, 01:42 AM
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hey guys. I just moved and still don't have internet installed yet but I solved most of my issues. I ditched the catch can and their routing. waiting to buy a can from mighty mouse but I need to change my address on PayPal first.
ditching the can removed all smoking at idle I just vented the hoses temporarily to atmosphere. but the car was heavily smoking while driving and I noticed my turbo was puking oil out of the exhaust. well checked my oil and what was golden 30 miles prior was dark black.
I traced my drain line and found they routed it uphill for about a 3 inch stretch. So I pulled the drain line and cleaned it out along with as much piping as I could. changed my oil and plugs since they had a nice oil coating on them.
all is well now as far as that goes. took it on a 10 miles test, no oil puking, no smoking, but when I got home my radiator is leaking where the plastic tank meets the aluminum....
oh well. it never ends.
I apologize for lack of grammar and punctuation. posting from my phone blows.
ditching the can removed all smoking at idle I just vented the hoses temporarily to atmosphere. but the car was heavily smoking while driving and I noticed my turbo was puking oil out of the exhaust. well checked my oil and what was golden 30 miles prior was dark black.
I traced my drain line and found they routed it uphill for about a 3 inch stretch. So I pulled the drain line and cleaned it out along with as much piping as I could. changed my oil and plugs since they had a nice oil coating on them.
all is well now as far as that goes. took it on a 10 miles test, no oil puking, no smoking, but when I got home my radiator is leaking where the plastic tank meets the aluminum....
oh well. it never ends.
I apologize for lack of grammar and punctuation. posting from my phone blows.
