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Engine sucking air from oil cap...why?

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Old Aug 14, 2014 | 06:19 AM
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Default Engine sucking air from oil cap...why?

I noticed that there is a considerably strong vacuum/suction when I remove the oil filler cap while the engine is on. The engine while then very slightly start to idle rough just like when you disconnect a vacuum hose. The same thing when I remove the dip stick.
Is this normal?

Maybe this is not related but its worth mentioning just in case...I'm getting the oil light anytime the engine is warm and idleing. Gotta keep the the rpm at or above 1k for the light to disappear. Also a hit a huge rock a while back punctured my oil pan. Thank God I didn't loose any oil while engine was running as I pulled over soon as I hit the rock. JB welded it and its beautifully held up, so not getting any leaks from there.

So yeah, about the suction...any ideas?
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Old Aug 14, 2014 | 08:06 AM
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Pcv valve bad?
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Old Aug 14, 2014 | 08:55 AM
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PCV plumbed wrong........
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Old Aug 14, 2014 | 09:11 AM
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Sorry forgot to mention its a GTO. So no PCV valve
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Old Aug 14, 2014 | 09:13 AM
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Try disconnecting all vacuum hoses from valve cover to intake and plug them see if vacuum still there.
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Old Aug 14, 2014 | 09:27 AM
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Originally Posted by CAMSTER
Try disconnecting all vacuum hoses from valve cover to intake and plug them see if vacuum still there.
Plug which side? The valve cover or the hose?

Last edited by Freefallin; Aug 14, 2014 at 09:33 AM.
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Old Aug 14, 2014 | 09:39 AM
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If it's a LS1 GTO the air for the crankcase ventilation comes from a hose connecting the passenger valve cover to the TB. Have you replaced the TB or installed some sort of "catch can"?
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Old Aug 14, 2014 | 09:52 AM
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Originally Posted by svede1212
If it's a LS1 GTO the air for the crankcase ventilation comes from a hose connecting the passenger valve cover to the TB. Have you replaced the TB or installed some sort of "catch can"?
Nope, didn't change the TB and no catch can.

Its a fly by TB thou, stock. Aussie so a little different. Here is a pic...

Last edited by Freefallin; Aug 14, 2014 at 10:17 AM.
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Old Aug 14, 2014 | 02:04 PM
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Here is a video guys....
And plz no comments on how dirty the engine is


Last edited by Freefallin; Aug 14, 2014 at 02:42 PM.
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Old Aug 14, 2014 | 02:34 PM
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The vacuum comes from the intake manifold and it's supposed to do that so it clears blow-by out of the block. Try putting everything back on and just disconnect that hose where you have the arrow. You should feel vacuum on the end of the hose and if the part it goes into is clear you should be good to go and how it should work.
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Old Aug 14, 2014 | 04:44 PM
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Originally Posted by svede1212
The vacuum comes from the intake manifold and it's supposed to do that so it clears blow-by out of the block. Try putting everything back on and just disconnect that hose where you have the arrow. You should feel vacuum on the end of the hose and if the part it goes into is clear you should be good to go and how it should work.
Makes sense but how come my other engine doesn't do this. I've just checked 2 other cars as well. Non of them had suction,
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Old Aug 14, 2014 | 06:07 PM
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Engine do require it. I can't speak to why you didn't notice it on others but all engines have piston blow-by. Besides being bad for the oil and thus the engine, that blow-by pollutes. Old cars used to have a "draft tube" that just discharged it to the atmosphere. Modern cars take air from after the MAF (and thus is accounted for by the computer), pull it through the crankcase taking the blow-by with it and then dumping it into the intake manifold behind the TB blade where there's vacuum when the blade is closed/partially closed and the hydrocarbons get burned in the engine.
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Old Aug 15, 2014 | 02:09 AM
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Good vid, the source of your high vacuum is your connection to TB I wonder how much oil is socking in to the motor.

You can reduce the volume of vacuum by reducing the inside diameter of the hose, these can be accomplished by pushing another piece of hose into existing one, please note vacuum is not a bad thing, it is when too much oil is absorbed by it and introduced into the combustion chamber.

You can else connect your vacuum source from the intake manifold rather than the TB or the intake track as is on the LS2, in which these condition was corrected when using the Fast intake manifold.
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Old Aug 15, 2014 | 07:13 AM
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The best way to remove oil from the intake is not to restrict it but to use a coalescing filter in the path between the valley cover and manifold. There are many "catch cans" commercially available but IMHO all of the ones I've seen are too small and don't contain material to condense oil vapor efficiently. They also cost a lot for what they are. Most seem to get picked by how "pretty" they are. I made a large one for my GTO out of PVC filled with stainless Chore Boys and tucked it out of sight in front of the driver's side wheel so the bay isn't cluttered up with more crap. It's so efficient that it condenses water vapor out too.
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Old Aug 15, 2014 | 05:45 PM
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You have a problem, that's not normal. Check the inlet hose at the frt of the valve cover above the oil cap. Pull it off and see if it stops this. If it does the hose is blocked or the ylave cover inlet where hose goes on is blocked. That engine is badly sludged up, most likely the inlet where the hose goes in is blocked.
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Old Aug 16, 2014 | 02:15 AM
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^^^ I've got to agree with RockinWs6 ! ^^^
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