Oil in PCV System

[Rearanger]

I was inspecting my PCV and found it to be covered in oil as was the hose and plastic tube that runs down the inside top of the intake manifold. Is this normal? Is the manifold tube just an oil separator that redirects oil back into the valve cover through the PCV? I replaced the PCV and cleaned the intake, which needed a cleaning anyway. Can't be blowby on an engine with this few miles.

 

[TomB1269]

Yes it can be, and more than like is. When the PCV becomes oil soaked / clogged it is due to oil being atomized, and this primarialy happens when you have blow by. Has this truck set for sometime not being run? Rust can build in the cylinders and when started up for the 1st time the compression ring takes a beating, and you get blow by.

 

[Rearanger]

Has this truck set for sometime not being run?

No, truck is run just about every day. Oil changed regularily with synthetic. No blue smoke in exhaust. Not sure how the baffle is in the valve cover or if the way the PCV is plumbed to intake that this may just be normal. Anyone else out there checked theirs lately?

 

[Rearanger]

I checked my neighbor's Ranger, he has a later one. Ford changed the PCV hose and changed the engine coolant circulation around the PCV to what appears to be a sensor. They also added a clamp where the hose attaches to the intake. I couldn't take the PCV out as it is not just a push-in any more. This may not be a problem, but I would be interested if anyone with a same year just pulled their PCV hose off and found out if they have oil there as well.

 

[Big Jim M]

Some is normal

Since the Positive crankcase ventallation system has vacume on one end and possible pressure on the other...not to even bring into consideration the small droplets of oil spray in the engine.. It is entirely normal for SOME oil to make it's way into the pcv system. Keeping the system clean will keep excessive pressure from pushing oil out the seals such as the rear main seal.
Big Jim

 

[SixFoFalcon]

I've never seen a clean PCV tract except on a brand new engine, or one that has just been cleaned out.

Things aren't always all calm and cozy down in the crankcase. Some portion of the oil hangs around in the air as vapor, as does the normal permissable amount of gasoline that gets by the rings. The job of the PCV is to keep this vapor from building up so that the gas vapors don't dilute the oil over time. So the vapors are given a path to escape back into the intake tract via the PCV system. It is inevitable that even on an engine in perfect running order, oil and gas vapors will condense in the PCV lines, on the PCV valve, and in the intake manifold. So an accumulation of oily residue is no cause for alarm.

If you want to look on the bright side, it serves as a good upper cylinder and lower valve stem lubricant.

 

[Rearanger]

Thanks for the comments. I did remove the PCV hose to intake and ran the engine, no huffing of anything out the PCV. I have seen catch cans used on other vehicles, but am not sure how easy it would be to fabricate the hook-up. For now I'm going to consider this normal.