Inside of intake coated with oil
Inside of intake coated with oil As the title says the inside of the intake is coated with oil. I am pulling the engine apart due to my bad luck with life in general (Possible head gasket failure) and I noticed that it is coated. Did not have coolant in the oil did not have oil in the coolant. Coolant looked as good as the day it went in. I have not gotten the heads off yet but hope to open it up saturday. When it was running it never smoked, not at start up hot or cold, not even at high rpms. plugs where not bad at all but seem to be a tad darker in color from back of the engine to the front. Kind of odd but 2 sets have looked like that now. I just thought it was due to my fauls lean condition I had for a while there. Any thoughts? Normal? Not really normal? Head gasket? Thats what I get for letting my father help me? or shut up and pull the heads already? lol 
My car had worn rings and a coated intake, but it would not smoke;I was going through quite a bit of oil and could even see it build up on the rear bumper. You could just throw a catch can on the breather from the passenger side valve cover to the throttle body, but I would go ahead and do a leak down and compression test just to be safe.
Thanks to the pcv system oil will be pulled from the valve cover to the intake. Only thing you could do is delete it or add a catch can. Has the engine ever overheated? You could also do a leakdown test. When you installed the heads did you torque them down correctly and did you use thread sealer?
Just my $0.02 worth....
As "riceburner" mentioned, the PCV will pull oil vapors into the intake, as that's what it's supposed to do. However, if the coating is really thick, that means either you're throwing up a lot of oil around the PCV itself, or for some reason you're getting a lot more oil vapor in the cylinder head.
Aftermarket valve covers without the baffle around the PCV opening? That could suck oil right into the intake. Worn valve guides, allowing oil to be blown back up the valve stems, into the valve cover, then sucked up by the PCV?
(just noticed your location...Holiday, FL. By any chance do you live near a street called Dixie Garden Loop?)
As "riceburner" mentioned, the PCV will pull oil vapors into the intake, as that's what it's supposed to do. However, if the coating is really thick, that means either you're throwing up a lot of oil around the PCV itself, or for some reason you're getting a lot more oil vapor in the cylinder head.
Aftermarket valve covers without the baffle around the PCV opening? That could suck oil right into the intake. Worn valve guides, allowing oil to be blown back up the valve stems, into the valve cover, then sucked up by the PCV?
(just noticed your location...Holiday, FL. By any chance do you live near a street called Dixie Garden Loop?)
Last year, I noticed the entire inside of the intake manifold was drenched in oil also. I removed the intake, cleaned it , reinstalled it and saw the problem return rather quickly. I also from time to time, got a quick whiff of burning oil. Never a constant smell, just occasionally.
Not a blowby issue. Cylinders were 5-5-5-5-4-5-6-5 percentages in loss on the leak down test.
Not coming through the fresh air line from the right side valve cover. I have a filter on it at the valve cover and the hose and the top of the intake and TB were clean.
Not a leaking intake gasket either.
This only leaves the PCV valve and the metal line leading to the front of the intake. Upon inspection, I saw oil in this line. Smoking gun found.
I bought this Aluminum oil catch can:
http://www.ws6project.com/user_stor/...0a77b693dfc3dc
This is now installed on the front of the left side head and it is working as intended. It catches small amounts of oil that would normally go down the motors pie hole. I speculate the can might fill up every two oil changes. Also the intake is obviously much much cleaner.
The can certainly catches oil and moisture and appears to require emptying about every other oil change. BTW, intake is still spotless clean with no oil contamination and no occasional whiffs of burning oil.
Not a blowby issue. Cylinders were 5-5-5-5-4-5-6-5 percentages in loss on the leak down test.
Not coming through the fresh air line from the right side valve cover. I have a filter on it at the valve cover and the hose and the top of the intake and TB were clean.
Not a leaking intake gasket either.
This only leaves the PCV valve and the metal line leading to the front of the intake. Upon inspection, I saw oil in this line. Smoking gun found.
I bought this Aluminum oil catch can:
http://www.ws6project.com/user_stor/...0a77b693dfc3dc
This is now installed on the front of the left side head and it is working as intended. It catches small amounts of oil that would normally go down the motors pie hole. I speculate the can might fill up every two oil changes. Also the intake is obviously much much cleaner.
The can certainly catches oil and moisture and appears to require emptying about every other oil change. BTW, intake is still spotless clean with no oil contamination and no occasional whiffs of burning oil.
Last year, I noticed the entire inside of the intake manifold was drenched in oil also. I removed the intake, cleaned it , reinstalled it and saw the problem return rather quickly. I also from time to time, got a quick whiff of burning oil. Never a constant smell, just occasionally.
Not a blowby issue. Cylinders were 5-5-5-5-4-5-6-5 percentages in loss on the leak down test.
Not coming through the fresh air line from the right side valve cover. I have a filter on it at the valve cover and the hose and the top of the intake and TB were clean.
Not a leaking intake gasket either.
This only leaves the PCV valve and the metal line leading to the front of the intake. Upon inspection, I saw oil in this line. Smoking gun found.
I bought this Aluminum oil catch can:
http://www.ws6project.com/user_stor/...0a77b693dfc3dc
This is now installed on the front of the left side head and it is working as intended. It catches small amounts of oil that would normally go down the motors pie hole. I speculate the can might fill up every two oil changes. Also the intake is obviously much much cleaner.
The can certainly catches oil and moisture and appears to require emptying about every other oil change. BTW, intake is still spotless clean with no oil contamination and no occasional whiffs of burning oil.
Not a blowby issue. Cylinders were 5-5-5-5-4-5-6-5 percentages in loss on the leak down test.
Not coming through the fresh air line from the right side valve cover. I have a filter on it at the valve cover and the hose and the top of the intake and TB were clean.
Not a leaking intake gasket either.
This only leaves the PCV valve and the metal line leading to the front of the intake. Upon inspection, I saw oil in this line. Smoking gun found.
I bought this Aluminum oil catch can:
http://www.ws6project.com/user_stor/...0a77b693dfc3dc
This is now installed on the front of the left side head and it is working as intended. It catches small amounts of oil that would normally go down the motors pie hole. I speculate the can might fill up every two oil changes. Also the intake is obviously much much cleaner.
The can certainly catches oil and moisture and appears to require emptying about every other oil change. BTW, intake is still spotless clean with no oil contamination and no occasional whiffs of burning oil.
You have your catch can routed wrong. It should flow down from the top and out the side.
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