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Bronco script valve cover oil consumption
- Thread starter Mikes79Bronco
- Start date
Sorry, I should have clarified with those photos. What DirtDonk said is correct. The second image I posted is the close-up of the PCV baffle.
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2001
- Messages
- 8,898
Easiest way to figure this out is to swap covers or even better yet, slap an old stamped steel set on there first. This would rule out several things at once. If they don't allow enough clearance for your rockers (I have no idea what brand, alum or steel, etc) then stack two cork gaskets and silicone them together - dry and on the bench they will seal perfectly-especially since this is just for a test. Engine doesn't care where the pcv is, the air flow directioin just needs to be correct. Slap a different pcv in there from another rig you have also just for fun-quick and easy
I would test compression again when hot and more important, do a leak down test. Those numbers aren't very consistent OR very high for a new engine. I have no idea if it's a smog motor built with OE parts or what but those #'s are low which could be contributing to your oil consumption issue.
2 qts burned should be a huge, dark CLOUD following you as you drive. I am old enough to remember seeing clouds of smoke behind several cars each day when driving around. That's definitely frowned upon now and you can get a ticket for it. Watched a guy get pulled over as he was sitting in the left turn lane and a cop drove by, hung a U turn and promptly hit the light bar.
Anyway, check those things out cause 2 qts in that much mileage means unless you can't see past your rear bumper in your mirror that oil is not all getting burned.
I would test compression again when hot and more important, do a leak down test. Those numbers aren't very consistent OR very high for a new engine. I have no idea if it's a smog motor built with OE parts or what but those #'s are low which could be contributing to your oil consumption issue.
2 qts burned should be a huge, dark CLOUD following you as you drive. I am old enough to remember seeing clouds of smoke behind several cars each day when driving around. That's definitely frowned upon now and you can get a ticket for it. Watched a guy get pulled over as he was sitting in the left turn lane and a cop drove by, hung a U turn and promptly hit the light bar.
Anyway, check those things out cause 2 qts in that much mileage means unless you can't see past your rear bumper in your mirror that oil is not all getting burned.
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Mikes79Bronco
Jr. Member
That's exactly how mine are setup.
It's certainly something I will try if this is actually my issue.
Yes oil can drain out of the baffle. I'm certainly loosing optimism that this is my problem.
Its an all stock reman engine ordered from summit. I don't have any clearance issues, I just liked the covers and wanted something a little nicer than the beat up stock ones.
I agree abut the smoke but I haven't noticed any which I know seems really unbelievable for that much oil consumption. Like I said I did find a small leak from one of the valve covers last night that is dripping onto the headers and burning off so its not leaving a puddle on the floor. But there is no way I lost 2qts through that leak that quickly and even if I did I would expect a cloud of smoke from that too.
I got a new PCV valve last night which I will give a try but I don't think its the issue. I have a catch can being delivered today, I'm planning to install that with everything setup exactly the same and go for a drive to see if it catches oil. If it catches a bunch of oil I'll swap in the new PCV and test again. Then move on to swapping covers. If its not catching oil I'll obviously have to move on to deeper diagnostics. I'm also hoping to have time to do a hot compression test along with a leak down test tonight.
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Mikes79Bronco
Jr. Member
The cobra covers that I have, have a larger baffle and a different PCV setup. The PCV goes into a breather cap with mesh inside of it that locks onto the cover. I'm not sure if these are an old Scott Drake cover design, someone else or OEM?
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Mikes79Bronco
Jr. Member
Some photos of what I currently have.
This just gets a grommet and the PCV unlike the cobra covers there is no T slot to use that other breather cap with.
Some of the discoloration is just missing paint, but it looks like oil is dripping out of the header flange. I haven't found any oil above that flange that is headed that way. No other flange has oil on it like that, header seemed tight last night but I'll check it again tonight when its cold.
This just gets a grommet and the PCV unlike the cobra covers there is no T slot to use that other breather cap with.
Some of the discoloration is just missing paint, but it looks like oil is dripping out of the header flange. I haven't found any oil above that flange that is headed that way. No other flange has oil on it like that, header seemed tight last night but I'll check it again tonight when its cold.
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Easiest way to track is to swap on the ugly stamped steel covers. Heck, don't even hook them up if it means you need to buy more hose & stuff.
Also, put your hand over the vent hole to feel how much air is blowing by. But putting the old covers on before you do the catch can will let you know what the problem is before you cover it up & never narrow it down and know the cause???
Also, put your hand over the vent hole to feel how much air is blowing by. But putting the old covers on before you do the catch can will let you know what the problem is before you cover it up & never narrow it down and know the cause???
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Mikes79Bronco
Jr. Member
I'll check to see how much is coming out without the PCV hooked up but with it it does have vacuum while idling. If the catch can ends up catching a lot of oil I will still pursue fixing the issue and not using a band aid like that. I was just planning to use it to confirm that is where the oil is going first. If oil is going there I'll swap the covers and check with the catch can again.
It certainly looks like you're getting some weeping from an oil leak:
Have you checked your coolant for oil? How about dumping the oil to check for milkiness?
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Mikes79Bronco
Jr. Member
Yeah there is a small oil leak at the back of that valve cover, but the oil doesn't seem to be taking a path that leads to the header. It all seems to be heading away from the header and down. I picked up oil & filter last night to do another oil change, so I'll report back when that's done. I haven't dumped the coolant but I did look in the top of the rad & overflow didn't see any oil and the level hasn't increased.
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Mikes79Bronco
Jr. Member
My catch can is not running late and not expected to be delivered until Friday now. So that testing will have to wait. When I washed everything real good and went for a 15min drive.
No oil from the valve cover yet, so this oil is from the exhaust port.
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...and we finally have hot compression and leak down results. All of the air seemed to be going down into the oil pan and out the driver side valve cover oil fill tube. 5 Is obviously the biggest outlier, is it possible rings will still seat (I'm at ~500 miles) or am I in trouble at this point?
*Cylinder 8 may not be 100% correct on the leak down, I dropped the tester right before 8 and it doesn't read correctly anymore but I did my best to guess at the needle offset. I wasn't overly concerned about 8 in the first place though based off compressions tests. Although 8 is the one that has oil leaking out of the exhaust port.
No oil from the valve cover yet, so this oil is from the exhaust port.
...and we finally have hot compression and leak down results. All of the air seemed to be going down into the oil pan and out the driver side valve cover oil fill tube. 5 Is obviously the biggest outlier, is it possible rings will still seat (I'm at ~500 miles) or am I in trouble at this point?
*Cylinder 8 may not be 100% correct on the leak down, I dropped the tester right before 8 and it doesn't read correctly anymore but I did my best to guess at the needle offset. I wasn't overly concerned about 8 in the first place though based off compressions tests. Although 8 is the one that has oil leaking out of the exhaust port.
Just for information's sake: what kind of break-in oil are you using?
How do the plugs look on #5 and 8? That oil after the 15 minute drive COULD be from the gasket and places you couldn't get clean. I would suspect the plugs to be NASTY in #8 if that much oil is going through.
Cast iron rings take a long time to seat.....long time meaning close to 1000 miles or so......
#5 looks like a problem to me.......
Tim
Cast iron rings take a long time to seat.....long time meaning close to 1000 miles or so......
#5 looks like a problem to me.......
Tim
Maybe longer if running synthetic oil?
When you did the cylinder leakage test did you check to see where the air was leaking??
If so what are the results?
If so what are the results?
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Mikes79Bronco
Jr. Member
All of the plugs are covered in oil not just those 2. I'm a little concerned about 5 but I'm going to just keep putting miles on it and see what happens good to know about the seating time for the rings.
I finally got the catch can on, I've only got 1 20 minute drive on it but in that time it collected ~1/2 cup of oil. So I do in fact have a ton of oil going through the PCV. I put a new PCV valve in last night, I'm going to try and put some miles on it tonight and see what happens.
Running conventional right now, I might switch after break in.
Every cylinder was into the crankcase, so it's rings. Hopefully just need more time to fully seat.
I would just focus on that PCV/oil issue for now and see what happens after break in. Your compression after break-in is what's important and you're gonna have trouble if you keep allowing that oil in there. The numbers just don't matter right now.
Go get some factory cover from the scrap yard......put them on and see if the issue goes away.........
I would consider running the system open with the catch can in place to clean out all that oil in the cylinders so the rings can have a chance at seating.....
Tim
I would consider running the system open with the catch can in place to clean out all that oil in the cylinders so the rings can have a chance at seating.....
Tim
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Mikes79Bronco
Jr. Member
That's the plan now that I know where the bulk of the oil is going.
I have a factory set on another engine sitting in the corner that I'll take them from for testing. Probably wont get them swapped until sometime next week though.
What do you mean by running the system open?
Meaning let it be open to the air. Disconnect the PCV from the carb. Plug the carb....Just let the air from the blow by exit into the air........I ran my Samurai 1.3L that way for a couple years. I just capped off the intake port and put a filter on the PCV side and let it vent into the air. Yes I got some oil smell but that engine had major blow by.
The suggestion is just a temp solution to keep oil out of the cylinders so the rings can clean up. The catch can will catch any oil spray. Then put the factory covers on and hook the PCV system back up with clean catch can and see how it does, That's what I would do........
Tim
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