Burning Oil...

**Wulfe13** · 09-18-2006, 06:31 PM

I'm burning a little oil and I "think" its only when the car has been sitting for at least an hour or so and I notice it when I'm getting back on the highway and jump on it. I look in the rearview mirror and see a little smoke. I only have 62,000 on it and I use full synth every 3,000.

Is this a common problem? Do you think it's the valve guides? It's not real bad but I don't like the idea of anything at all wrong with my engine.

Any ideas or suggestions?

**Wesman** · 09-18-2006, 06:50 PM

Chances are the issue is your PCV system. They are notorious for sucking up oil and burning it off.

The system is poorly designed, because there is waaay too much vacuum on the intake manifold port where the PCV hose connects behind the TB. So when you are under engine braking, for instance, it sucks oil right out of the crankcase and into the intake manifold.

Then when you jump on the throttle, all that built up oil in the manifold gets sucked into the engine and burned up, resulting in the puff of blue smoke out the exhaust.

First thing to check is to see if the manifold is in fact coated in oil. Pull off the TB, and look into the front of the intake manifold. If its covered in oil, you've found the problem. Clean (DOUSE it) it with TB Cleaner (Valvoline Synpower is Excellent) and reattach everything. Then pull the PVC hose off the manifold, and either rig up a breather filter system or place a catch can in between the hose/manifold. I opted to jsut stick a breather on the end of the PCV hose and put a vacuum cap on the Intake Manifold port.

If the oil consumption issue goes away, you've found the issue. If not, then its probably your rings, but with that low mileage its unlikely.

Hope that helps.

**GatorSS** · 09-18-2006, 08:50 PM

Originally Posted by Wulfe13

I'm burning a little oil and I "think" its only when the car has been sitting for at least an hour or so and I notice it when I'm getting back on the highway and jump on it. I look in the rearview mirror and see a little smoke. I only have 62,000 on it and I use full synth every 3,000.

Is this a common problem? Do you think it's the valve guides? It's not real bad but I don't like the idea of anything at all wrong with my engine.

Any ideas or suggestions?

How much oil do you lose over that 3k mile oil change interval?

**zero_proto** · 09-19-2006, 09:01 AM

I am sort of on the same boat as you this weekend my car started smoking, but i think my situation is a little bit worse. My car sits so low that i always scrape on the speed bumps where i live. I went through the back entrance of my place and this one particular speed bump was high and got me pretty good. Well later on the day i am driving and i stop at a stop light and all of a sudden white smoke starts coming from the engine.

I stop to take a look and i see the smoke coming from under the driver side manifold. I am thinking it is the head gasket. I plan on looking today once i get off of work. Could it possibly be anything else? I just hope it is that, the head gasket.

**Sarge** · 09-19-2006, 09:49 AM

Yeah the design of the PCV system will allow a small amount of oil back into the intake....but a small amount.....this is proven by the catch can....maybe a teaspoon after 15-20 WOT runs.....
I would AutoRX these cars every 25,000 miles. This keeps the valves/seals/ring packs in top notch condition. Pour a bottle of AutoRX in a full fill of dino oil....do not clean nor rinse with synthetic....then you can go back to synthetic after the AutoRX treatment. This stuff works very very well.....we use it religiously with great results.
http://www.auto-rx.com/pages/enginebuilder.htm

**GatorSS** · 09-20-2006, 09:28 PM

Sarge, what oil soup recipe are you using now?

**Wulfe13** · 09-22-2006, 09:10 AM

Thanks for all the help guys. I'd never heard of that happening before. When I remove the throttle body, I assume I'll need a new gasket? Not sure I understand how the catch can system works... I'll probably just rig up a breather.

**Sarge** · 09-22-2006, 10:59 AM

Originally Posted by GatorSS

Sarge, what oil soup recipe are you using now?

Royal Purple Racing 41 with 6oz's of Lube Control...twin AC Delco filters...Big ass oil cooler...and a 7 1/2 qt sump...all being pumped by Lingenfelter....70lbs of pressure at idle

**GatorSS** · 09-22-2006, 10:29 PM

What kind of oil deal is Royal Purple giving you?

**Sarge** · 09-23-2006, 01:23 AM

NAPA gives it to me for free. But I would use it even if I paid for it.

**GatorSS** · 09-23-2006, 08:49 PM

Feel free to send some over to me in Florida...along with some good headache medicine.

**Wulfe13** · 09-29-2006, 07:52 PM

So will I need a gasket for the TB?

**The Scientist** · 10-02-2006, 12:22 PM

No you won't need a new gasket.

**Wesman** · 10-02-2006, 08:41 PM

Originally Posted by Wulfe13

So will I need a gasket for the TB?

Nope, its got a permanent rubber gasket built into the intake manifold. It fints right into a groove so it lines up perfectly with the TB. Unless the gasket is ripped or damaged (unlikely), then just take the TB off, clean, and put it right back on

nc98z · 10-10-2006, 07:01 AM

Go buy you a catch can and put it inline on the PVC hose before it enters the bottom on the intake. Problem solved.For some good catch can pictures go to LS1tech/external engine and do a search on catch cans.

**Wesman** · 10-10-2006, 04:23 PM

Originally Posted by nc98z

Go buy you a catch can and put it inline on the PVC hose before it enters the bottom on the intake. Problem solved.For some good catch can pictures go to LS1tech/external engine and do a search on catch cans.

The vacuum coming off the intake manifold is still going to suck oil out of the motor and into the catch can though. On some engines, that means the catch can could actually fill up with oil between one oil change and the next.

I prefer to have it as an open breather, without vacuum on the line, so that only vapors come through the PCV system and no oil gets pulled out of the motor.

**DaddySS** · 10-12-2006, 12:47 AM

Originally Posted by Wulfe13

Thanks for all the help guys. I'd never heard of that happening before. When I remove the throttle body, I assume I'll need a new gasket? Not sure I understand how the catch can system works... I'll probably just rig up a breather.

The TB is a rubber seal, no new gasket necessary.

Do a search on catch cans, easy install and very effective. There is also a PCV for the truck engines that has just a small hole at the tip of the pcv - again - do a search.

I would also check valve seals, are the heads stock?

Also a leak down teat is a good check of ring etc. condition.