imluvinit

iTrader: (1)

Ok so that's not 100% true, it is only puking out of the oil filler neck. The car had been running fine up until today. Keep in mind that it does get started almost everyday to be pulled out of the shop but it has not been driven-driven in about two years.

Here is the story of today. The car is finally put back together after a two year repainting fiasco. Since that project started I have since moved to a new state, in this state there is emissions testing. So now that the body is back together and the interior is done I decided to put the high flow cat back to attempt to get it through inspection. I know it should be unrelated but feel since it is the only change made between this morning when it was fine and now, that it may be relative (unlikely but who knows the way the week has been). After I reinstalled the cat I started the car let it idle to warm up (this is nothing new as I do it everyday) next thing I know car just shut off. I figured this was odd so I started to walk over and notice a huge puddle under the car. After realizing it was oil I popped the hood and looked around to find that it had all puked out the bottom nipple of the filler neck. The only thing I can think is maybe a side or corner seal is sticking but as I chose to actually pay someone to work on this motor (6 years ago so no complaints) I am not super familiar with the nuances of the seals and their individual purposes. Any thoughts this is driving me crazy.

tt7hvn

iTrader: (5)

Your positive crankcase pressure got too high. Check the pcv valve to make sure it's connected the right way, it's a 1 way check valve.

If it's not that then somehow exhaust games are getting into your crankcase. That's usually indicative of a worn side seal.

Also, cap that bottom nipple and use just the pcv check valve. It's more than enough to cover positive crankcase pressure

imluvinit

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the reply. I was thinking side seal from what I have read. Just seems odd to fail at idle like that though.

I know the pcv valve is right hasn't moved in 6 years...lol, however is it possible that a pcv valve failure could cause that? I will have to wait until tomorrow to check it.

Was just random I have never run into this before.

DaleClark

iTrader: (55)

It might be possible that the cat is SUPER clogged up and that backpressure is backing up into the PCV system.

Unbolt the cat input flange and fire up the car, see if the leak disappears. Then get the tennis ball that your dog left in the cat out .

Dale

imluvinit

iTrader: (1)

I guess that is possible. I did blow it out before putting it in but who knows. I will check that too, thanks for the input. I'm really not ready to rebuild it yet. Its hardly been driven in forever...lol

imluvinit

iTrader: (1)

I was informed that I did not give enough information in the beginning so I will fill in some blanks.

The car has a large street port, gt 35r single set up running all the normal goodies (pfc twin spark, injectors, rails etc.). It was tuned and the motor was built by Ray at PFS about 6 years ago. It ran great for four years then it went on the shelf for awhile. I decided to get the car re-sprayed which turned into a nightmare that lasted two years. The car was not started for about a year during the process. While it was apart I had a lot of pieces powder coated, the only one of which that has much bearing on the running of the car was the throttle body which had the TPS removed for this process. About a year ago I got the engine put back together and fired it up. Started no problem and ran with no problem. I let it get up to temperature at least one day a week since until all the paint issues and such where taken care of.

As of last night I reinstalled the catalytic converter in order to attempt to pass emission (I know... haha) thinking I might actually be ready to enjoy it ( I know another haha moment). That is when the oil puking started.

So as of today I reluctantly when to the shop to tinker and stare. I realized the oil was ridiculously thin. So I drained the oil and did an oil change. Like magic the car started up and ran great with not puking....for about 15 minutes. Then the cloud of white smoke started pouring out the exhaust. The mix of smells in the exhaust made it difficult to tell if it was coolant or oil. I shut it down started to check a few things yada yada. Good news still no puking, bad news when I tried to fired it up again. nothing. Crank, crank, crank sputter and died. Poked around for a bit decided to pull the plugs and de-flood it. took 15 min or so. Then the process started all over, car started and ran, 15 min later smoke sputter and run light crap. Everytime the car gets warm its a no start condition and a de-flood from cranking the crap out of it.

Any thoughts....If there were any one close I'd probably just drop it off for them to check it out but Ray is a good 3 hrs from me and I haven't heard back from him...it is the weekend after all. Given my luck over the past month with cars (my srt8 Cherokee got side swiped by a contractors trailer in a parking lot, and my wife curbed the crap out of the wheels I just put on her car) I have no doubt it will be a side seal or something but before I assume the worst case scenario and tear it down I want to cover my bases.

Thanks in advance guys.

DaleClark

iTrader: (55)

First off, if it's been sitting for a long time, how old is the gas in the tank? If it's REAL old, may be worth topping up with nice fresh gas or draining the tank and refilling.

If it's smoking when it's warmed up there's a possibility it could be a coolant seal, but considering you're losing oil I'm not sure. To rule out crankcase over-pressure take the oil cap off and run it with no oil cap. That makes for a nice big vent for the PCV system.

May be worth doing a compression test, if you have a stuck or bad side seal it will show up. Normally you will have a rough or funny idle with a side seal issue, I helped a guy out with a totally stuck side seal that had been pulling his hair out thinking it was fuel or spark. A simple compression test showed it. You can do this with a parts store compression tester, a blown apex seal shows as two low bounces and one high, a stuck or bad side seal shows as two high bounces and one low.

Dale

imluvinit

iTrader: (1)

Thanks Dale. I was the only one at the shop today so it would have been a pain to do a compression test alone but I will do it tomorrow night.

The gas is fresh I just put five gallons in it yesterday because it was really low and I am not sure how accurate the gauge is. I've actually done this a few times because I only put 5 gallons in at a time when it sits.

After I changed the oil this morning it stopped puking it out the filler neck. I thought I was in the clear until I let it warm up. I did notice the coolant was a little low yesterday but I didn't really put much thought in to it until now. wasn't much maybe a cup.

I am actually wondering if the side seal only starts to stick once the engine is warm. It only puked and smoked yesterday after it ran for about 15 minutes, today was the same except with out the puking.


I did the oil cap test today as well. My biggest fear is that it is a collapsed water jacket. I had that happen on my last motor because of the port size but this isn't giving the same symptoms as that. Last time it sounded like a boat and puked water out the tailpipe...lol. It was funny until I had to pay the bill.

oyvindjs

iTrader: (4)

You say it really started when you fitted the cat? Tried unbolting the exhaust after turbo and see if the problem goes away? I know its a "simple" fix, but i could not see that this particular path had been backtracked?

IRPerformance

iTrader: (41)

Does the motor run rough when the oil comes up? If not I highly doubt you have a stuck seal. Did you remove the PCV valve yet? Run the car with the oil neck vented and see if it makes a difference.

imluvinit

iTrader: (1)

Thank guys I have done both, removed the cat and opened the oil cap....The oil puking has actually subsided...I have no idea why but it has.

This morning I pulled the car out and decided to let it run for a while... again. This time it ran fine for about a half an hour and it even hot started. Neither of these things happened yesterday afternoon.

So this evening before pulling it into the shop I let it run again for about a half an hour and the same thing...nothing happened.... a little smoke but nothing new for a 7. I began thinking I'm loosing my mind but to be safe I did a compression test. I got three even bounces which was nice but only at about 60 psi on both front and rear rotor. Now I know that seems low but if I remember correctly that gauge has always been off. I haven't used it in years and I vaguely remember it reading about 60 psi on what was later determined to be the good rotor in my old motor and really low on the toasted one.

Before I left I decided for, s and giggles, to check the coolant...it was pretty low...and really dirty...it only been in there for about a month with no real mileage, so it shouldn't be that dirty. I hate to say almost oily....not milky though....

and the chase continues....

imluvinit

iTrader: (1)

I did forget to get an overall test...and its quite possible the guy helping didn't hold the throttle open during the bounce tests.....I'll re test it tomorrow but the even bounces should stay true

imluvinit

iTrader: (1)

Cold Compression numbers

3-- even bounces at 65 on both rotors

compression hold numbers are at 95 on both rotors

These are both cold tests. I didn't have time to let it warm up and then test it this morning.