first, I have been having trouble with blowing oil out the dipstick. I wired the dipstick down to keep it in place, but oil will still come up around it and spill on the engine. I posted here, and the general concensus was that it is severe blowby presurizing the crankcase. I finally had some oportunity this weekend to clean up, and check things out. I Seafomed her first, and since then it seems like she's running on 7 cyl. There is a lot of popping when you just start to accelerate, and the power just isn't there, hard to even spin the tires. I havent pulled any plugs to see if anything is fouled, because honestly I was so angry when oil came out around the wired down dipstick I just shoved back in the garage and closed the door (I spent hours on Sat. morning cleaning up the mess from last time!) Here are my questions-
1. am I missing something, or are the head covers a real PITA to get off. A coworker suggested that the oil return channels in the heads might be clogged and I could tell by pulling off the covers. I couldn't get either of them off without some serious dismantling, so I didn't do it.
2. There is a tube right next to the cat under the car that runs along the exhaust and back up to the pass. side of the engine. The tube is open at the end under the car and looks like it might be part of the PCV system. Is there supposed to be something on the end of this tube? Is it an exhaust tube for the system, or an inlet tube? I put my finger over the open end, and it feels like neutral pressure (not sucking or blowing)
Any other clues would be great; not real comfortable driving the car right now as it is.

 

I don't think you need to remove the valve covers just pull one end of the hose that runs to the brake booster (booster side) and see if you have any vacuum. Do the same vacuum check for the PCV valve/TB hoses....they should all have vacuum between ~15- 20 Hg. If vacuum is good you should do or have a compression check done on the engine....as ring blow by may be an issue.

The tube next to the exaust sounds like the "air" line for the converter there should be air coming out of it if the smog system is all still intact.

 

good vacuum on the brake booster; that was the line I used to get the sea foam to the cylinders. The line under the car runs all the way up to the pass. side of the motor and then gets lost under the serpentine belts; but it goes from an about 1/4" metal tube to a large round coupler that turns it into about a 1" rubber hose before it goes under the serp. belt.

 

Yep "air/smog" pipe.

If you need to drive the car I'd switch over to a heavier (non synthetic) oil viscosity for the time being....or you'll have a huge oily mess in no time flat.

You should look into the compression checks/testing for sure if the vaccum pressure is good.

 

Start the engine and take the oil filler cap off. If air is puffing out from there you have a piston or ring problem and its time to rebuild or replace the engine.

 

sure do; and when I pull the dipstick and rev the engine, smoke comes out of there too. BTW, are the covers a real PITA to take off? And now the questions of rebuild VS. going crate. The 383 at Jegs for $2995 looks too good to pass up. What ya'll think?

 

The valve covers aren't that big a deal. What year is your car? $3K for the 383 short block sounds like a good deal. It depends on what all you get. You can get stroker kits for around $1100. Might be cheaper to build your old engine. If you have a budget I can give you suggestions. 383s are a great way to go, the torque is awesume

 

The drainback holes in the head arent goign to clog with anything.
Sounds like the motor has about had it if theres smoke coming out the valve covers and the d. tube.

 

I just got off the phone with a parts guy out in IN (looking for a used L98) He said that a 115K L98 engine should not need any rebuilding and that before I do anything to get the compression test done to make sure it's not a clogged PCV. I cant find any clogs, but that doesn't mean much; I am still very new to this whole thing. I have planned on getting the compression test done, just have gotten to it yet.

 

Don't get me started on parts guys or tow truck drivers. If your engine has that much blow by, there's a serious problem. Milage is illrelevant, if the car was neglected or abused.

 

Take out the PCV valve & shake it. It should rattle. If not replace it.

 

You drive an 86 coupe right? If so, the covers aren't so bad. The problem is the friggin EGR tube and its compression ring fit to the exhaust manifold. You need the right tool and it is still a PIA. That said, start with the compression test. If you don't have a compression tester, borrow or buy one and go through your cylinders. The car should not need to be rebuilt so soon but then who knows what treatment or maintenance it has received.

Do the compression test correctly. Pull all plugs, hold throttle open and spin it a few times. You might need to jump to a good battery to complete a solid test. It is better done if the head is warm. When you finish, get back to us with the numbers. A leakdown test is also good but requires more stuff. Who knows what you will find and that is the point.

 

Thanks for the words Chatman, there is a shop around the corner that will do the compression test for me, just have to get the car to him. You pique me curiosity about the EGR; because ever since I got the car home, when it's warmed up there is a 'slight' exhaust leak coming from the headers on that side, right near the EGR tube; AND after I Sea foamed her (you know how much it smokes right?) I could really see where the leaks were from all the white smoke, and there was smoke coming not just from the EGR tube but from the sensor as well. I have heard how much of PITA the EGR tube is; you think this could be causing some of the blowby?

 

The EGR won't cause a blow by problem, only pistons or rings. The EGR pipe doesn't need to be completely removed. Unbolt it from the manifold and see if it will twist around on the pipe clamp.
Don't worry about removing the valve covers until you have a compression or leak down test.

 

I see, I misunderstood chatman; he means the EGR is the problem for removing the covers. I didn't even try the one with the EGR pipe on it, I couldn't get the drivers side off either. At the front, the bolt for the AIR pump stick back just far enough to be in the way of the cover, and on the back side the vacuum tube from the master cylinder is in the way (that part of it is metal tubing). I tried coaxing it out for about 20 minutes before giving up and bolting everything back together.

 

You can remove the air pump pulley and remove the bolt or cut the end of the bolt off with a die grinder.