Forcing oil out of my valve cover breather

**fast4ord** · 05-18-2007, 10:59 PM

Getting alot of oil out of this. I have a new pcv, did a compression test and its 130-140 all 4 cylinders. I have a remote breather with a k&n open element breather on it. Any of you guys, bob or mike , have any ideas on this. Thanks

**loutheplumbr** · 05-19-2007, 01:23 AM

is it a motorcraft pcv if not thats probally the problem

**George C** · 05-19-2007, 01:33 AM

even tho you did a compression check. that doesnt mean the rings or pistons arent bad. i did numerous compression checks on a motor and it read great every single time. but it puked oil out the breather. found out piston was bad

**fast4ord** · 05-19-2007, 10:17 AM

Yes its a motorcraft pcv, How could a piston be bad unless its the rings or a crack/hole in piston which would not build compression. I don't know, it doesn't burn oil, wierd.

**George C** · 05-19-2007, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by fast4ord

Yes its a motorcraft pcv, How could a piston be bad unless its the rings or a crack/hole in piston which would not build compression. I don't know, it doesn't burn oil, wierd.

you can still build compression with a bad piston. if a corner of the piston is slightly messed up and the rings are still good itwill still seal some but with the motor moving up and down in the cylinder that is when oil will be pushed by the piston and then can lead to being blowby

or itcould be a simple poor crankcase ventaliation, but to much of this will cause a motor to end its life earlier

**fast4ord** · 05-19-2007, 12:49 PM

I think i fingered her out. I put the stock oil seperator type breather in the valve cover, then i ran my remote k&n remote off of that, and put it vertical. Before i had it horizontal. I took it for a ride and put boost to it and it is not blowing oil out now. Going to clean the breathers really good, but i think its fixed for now. Thanks

**lib88stang** · 05-19-2007, 02:29 PM

Its definitally not a cracked ring or bad piston.

**Domination** · 05-19-2007, 07:31 PM

Originally Posted by Quik

you can still build compression with a bad piston. if a corner of the piston is slightly messed up and the rings are still good itwill still seal some but with the motor moving up and down in the cylinder that is when oil will be pushed by the piston and then can lead to being blowby

or itcould be a simple poor crankcase ventaliation, but to much of this will cause a motor to end its life earlier

If a piston has enough damage to it to cause blow-by and pressurize the crankcase, you would see a drop on a compression test in that cylinder.

**Martin0660** · 05-20-2007, 12:12 AM

Sorry I missed this, sounds like you got it.These suckers are sensitive to how the breather system is set-up, and the sperators is pretty important. I always keep the system plumbed ot the turbo inlet on my stuff to keep the system sealed.

Bob Myers

**fast4ord** · 05-20-2007, 11:26 AM

Well i thought i had it, but its still doing it a little bit. Guess i should run the line frome the breather to the inlet on the turbo like stock is, and see what happens. Wouldn't that cause it to draw more oil out?

**Martin0660** · 05-20-2007, 12:04 PM

The breather system on these is double edged and designed to be closed.

First the PVC side - The intake pulls vacuum on the crank side via the PVC system. This assumes the PCV valvle is working. A good step for you might be a check valve in that line in front of the PCV.

Second the turbo pulls vacuum on the top side via the breather.

Now if one of those is open, you broke the closed system. The intake side is STILL pulling a vacuum, but its letting air in via the breather system when under vacuum. Under boost, the PCV side is closed (if it works right) and all of the blowby, windage, and plain pressure from the pistons going up and down is going out the valve cover, its the only path available at that time.

Keep in mind we dump a ton of windage into our systems with the turbo oil return, that oil comes back like whipped cream. A bad turbo sel will make that even worse.

The Ford seperator was designed to knock the oil out, but its sure not going t oget it all, thats why they put it into the turbo inlet, and we all clean that stuff out occasionally ;) I;m not saying that this is your problem, just how the system works. As I've said, I go to extremes to keep that stock set-up as I've seen this story a lot of times before.

Bob Myers

**fast4ord** · 05-20-2007, 12:24 PM

What about getting oil in the intake and intercooler, or are you saying that it gets cleaned out.

**Martin0660** · 05-20-2007, 12:35 PM

It does get in there, no doubt.

What I meant by cleaning, is tear the intercooler and intake stuff appart and wash it out with solvent, and part of it does get pulled through and burnt.

Set aside blowby and leakage in your mind for a minute. The intake side of the system is closed by the PVC under boost right? So while under boost, there is no vacuum on the engine. The pistons going up and down makes pressure, the windage from the oil return makes foam, etc, its got to go somewhere right? Now, on the other hand, if there is a vacuum on the entire engine, the oil "pushed" will be less. My point is that with a vacuum on the seperator, the oil coming out will go down.

Heck, with the valve cover open, and the car idling, you have a vacuum leak right now. The intake side of the PVC is pulling vaccum, but the other side is open via the valve cover.

Like I said, this might not be your solution becuase you CANT set blow by and leak down aside, my point is that Ford had a good plan when they designed this system, and I've seen lots of guys have problems by changing it. My only experience is with the stock stuff, so take it for what its worth.

Bob Myers