84 2.3 oil leak PCV issue??

[ozziemo27]

Hey guys, I have been having some major oil leak issues with my 84 carbed 2.3 ranger leakin about a quart every 30 or so highway miles. part of the problem was a valve cover gasket, replaced that, no longer leaks from there. After that, it still leaks from somewhere else. This engine has 278,000 on her so shes gettin up there. I bought a UV detection kit and me and my buddy were running it and looking for the leak in question and i ran it pretty high rpms, like say highway driving, and then oil started to slowly spew out the oil filler cap tube thing. I did my research and its called blowback right? when i opened the filler cap fumes came out also. i checked my PCV valve and it rattles when i shake it so what else could be buggered up in my PCV system that could cause this? I am trying to make this my daily driver but the oil leak is rediculous. Any suggestions?

 

[SMTGREG]

Does the PCV have vacuum when running.... If not trace hose back to intake to find blockage....If it does then there is excessive blow-by causing pressure in the engine and it will blow out gaskets and seals.

 

[ozziemo27]

err, blow-by, if i take the pcv valve off, should those hoses have suction on em? i have never dealt with anything PCV related so this is all new to me. if you could be specific on what to check, it'd help me out alot, lol.

 

[Mark_88]

err, blow-by, if i take the pcv valve off, should those hoses have suction on em? i have never dealt with anything PCV related so this is all new to me. if you could be specific on what to check, it'd help me out alot, lol.

The suction actually comes from the base of the carb...so if you pull the one from the carb off while it is attached to the base of the carb you should feel some suction...but rev the engine up...put your thumb over the open end of the hose and you will feel it...that's how the little valve works...suction draws up the part that blocks the hose...and it is plugged without suction so that your idle doesn't go wonky...

 

[ozziemo27]

i replaced the pcv valve, and i tested the suction at those hoses and i am getting suction at the hose connected to the pcv valve

 

[Mark_88]

that's good...but you may want to clean out the small canister at the base of those hoses...it attaches to the block under the intake manifold and can get really gunked up...gas or other cleaners will help dissolve the gunk and then you will know that section is working as good as it can...

 

[ozziemo27]

just follow the hoses from the pcv valve? isnt that called the pcv filter? just take it off and clean it?

 

[Mark_88]

Yes...cleaning it may help reduce the pressure in your engine if that is what is causing your oil consumption...it helped on my first engine...but it had more serious issues like a cracked pistion and wonky rings...

The oil coming out of the top (or out of the dipstick, as mine did) may be corrected if something is blocking internal pressure flow and you clean it up...the top oil flow usually ends up in the breather, making quite a mess...I corrected this somewhat by putting a piece of longer hose with an air filter on it and not running it into the breather...

I also changed out the valve cover for one with a sealed cap and a breather tube (from the fuel injected engine) and then capped the breather tube with an air filter (small one, on the end of a three inch hose sticking straight up)...but that tended to get in the way of the hood...

What it boils down to, though, is if cleaning the cannister and otherwise venting the upper end more effectively doesn't work, you may end up eventually doing an engine swap...

My original 2.0 lasted about two years like that and I went through quite a bit of oil...but the engine was very tough and only died one cold winter night when I somehow ran completely out of oil and drove it a bit too long like that...keep plenty on hand if you find your consumption level increases...or consider swapping in a rebuilt or simply a different engine...

 

[ozziemo27]

its a pita to get to isn't it....

 

[Mark_88]

Only if you have big hands...going up from under is sometimes easier than trying to feel around from topside...

 

[ozziemo27]

k, i'll go give it a shot

 

[ozziemo27]

i found it, i see it, i can barely get to it but i dont see any bolts or anything, how is it attached??

edit: i see one bolt, it appears to be a bracket of some sorts, i'll see if i cant undo it and maybe the cannister thing will drop down and out

 

[ozziemo27]

i got it!! lol, it was a pain, had to squeeze my arm down under the intake manifold, and wiggle and pry it out, i couldnt get to it from the bottom cuz i couldnt see it, was blocked by the motor mounts... heres pics of er, it still has decent airflow tho even tho it looks sad, i'm soaking it in gas to attempt to clean it out, im still not sure whether this is the problem but i hope it is...

 

[ozziemo27]

I soaked the pcv filter in gas, cleaned it out real good, reinstalled them with a brand new pcv filter, and its still spewing it at high rpms, not as badly i dont think but still too much, i'd be soaking the air filter with the little tube running from the oil cap to the air filter if i were to hook it back up. im soaking the oil cap in gas to clean that out too, cuz im sure its gunked up.....any other ideas?

 

[Mark_88]

You can try what I did...swap out the valve cover for one from the EFI engine...it is a bit taller, and with that you get the filler cap in the front (if yours is at the back) and you can use a closed filler cap and then vent it through the vent hole that is there...this usually vents into the trottle body, but I just capped it with a small air filter...and then kept the rubber hose on the vent hole with a hose clamp...

I have posted pics of mine without the filter recently, but I don't have access to them right now...maybe if you posted a pic of your system...or someone else can post up a pic of the EFI valve cover...you could understand this a bit better...

I will check my older posts for pics...