Burning oil. PCV setup the problem?
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On The Tree
Joined: Jul 2005
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From: North Dakota
Burning oil. PCV setup the problem? Hello everyone!
I finished a LS 5.3/4l80E swap into a 1997 Camaro SS a few months ago, and I've been blowing a little bit of bluish/white smoke during hard accelerations. I did a leak down test to see if the junk yard 5.3 was bad, but everything was great and none of the cylinders lost more then 4%.
I pulled the air intake to see if there was any oil in the intake and there was quite a bit. I'm sure I hooked up the PCV system incorrectly. I plugged the driver side rear valve cover, put a breather where the oil cap would be, and connected what I think is the clean air from the throttle body to the passenger valve cover.
I should have just went with a catch can from the start, but i thought this would get me by until i went turbo in the future. I'm going to be driving the car N/A for awhile, so I would like to fix this problem. Any input is helpful! Thank you!
I finished a LS 5.3/4l80E swap into a 1997 Camaro SS a few months ago, and I've been blowing a little bit of bluish/white smoke during hard accelerations. I did a leak down test to see if the junk yard 5.3 was bad, but everything was great and none of the cylinders lost more then 4%.
I pulled the air intake to see if there was any oil in the intake and there was quite a bit. I'm sure I hooked up the PCV system incorrectly. I plugged the driver side rear valve cover, put a breather where the oil cap would be, and connected what I think is the clean air from the throttle body to the passenger valve cover.
I should have just went with a catch can from the start, but i thought this would get me by until i went turbo in the future. I'm going to be driving the car N/A for awhile, so I would like to fix this problem. Any input is helpful! Thank you!
Last edited by johnminer; Jul 4, 2014 at 02:06 PM. Reason: Added another photo
If you want to set it up correctly...
Get rid of breather in oil fill cap. Put PCV valve in rear of driver side valve cover (get a grommet that fits the hole in the cover & has a hole to put the PCV valve (grommet that looks like a doughnut). Then run a hose from PCV to the vacuum port on front of intake berhind throttle body on driver side. Put an air filter in this new hose you just ran. The PCV is now properly set up & the in-line air filter will help to catch oil headed toward the intake. The line from TB to passenger side valve cover should come from the TB, not the intake. The upper passenger side port on TB is the filtered & measured fresh air port.
Get rid of breather in oil fill cap. Put PCV valve in rear of driver side valve cover (get a grommet that fits the hole in the cover & has a hole to put the PCV valve (grommet that looks like a doughnut). Then run a hose from PCV to the vacuum port on front of intake berhind throttle body on driver side. Put an air filter in this new hose you just ran. The PCV is now properly set up & the in-line air filter will help to catch oil headed toward the intake. The line from TB to passenger side valve cover should come from the TB, not the intake. The upper passenger side port on TB is the filtered & measured fresh air port.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Jul 2005
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From: North Dakota
LS1-450 thanks for the reply. I will pickup a catch can and route it appropriately, to bad I wasted money on that oil cap air filter. HAHAHAHA.
Any suggestions on getting a catch can that will work while i'm still N/A and with boost in the future? Thanks!
Any suggestions on getting a catch can that will work while i'm still N/A and with boost in the future? Thanks!
IMO, any catch can is fine. BTW, in my initial replay, stated in-line air filter; meant to say in-line fuel filter. You should include an in-line fuel filter between the catch can & the vacuum port on the intake, as well. It will catch the oil in the mist that leaves the catch can.
IMO, any catch can is fine. BTW, in my initial replay, stated in-line air filter; meant to say in-line fuel filter. You should include an in-line fuel filter between the catch can & the vacuum port on the intake, as well. It will catch the oil in the mist that leaves the catch can.
That's a good alternative & holds more oil. Although, the in-line fuel filter operates the same way. Oil drops to the bottom (bottom being the side because the filter is mounted horizontally) as air continues on to the intake.
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Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 125
Likes: 0
From: North Dakota
Thanks for all the replies. The fuel filter in the return line from the catch can seems like a great idea. I like that homemade setup too!
The last two weekends I went to the drag strip I lost about a 1/2 quart of oil after only 5-6 runs. Hopefully this solves the oil consumption issue, or at least slows it down. I'll report back after I get something installed.
The last two weekends I went to the drag strip I lost about a 1/2 quart of oil after only 5-6 runs. Hopefully this solves the oil consumption issue, or at least slows it down. I'll report back after I get something installed.
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Thanks for all the replies. The fuel filter in the return line from the catch can seems like a great idea. I like that homemade setup too!
The last two weekends I went to the drag strip I lost about a 1/2 quart of oil after only 5-6 runs. Hopefully this solves the oil consumption issue, or at least slows it down. I'll report back after I get something installed.
The last two weekends I went to the drag strip I lost about a 1/2 quart of oil after only 5-6 runs. Hopefully this solves the oil consumption issue, or at least slows it down. I'll report back after I get something installed.
