C4 Tech/Performance L98 Corvette and LT1 Corvette Technical Info, Internal Engine, External Engine

5.7 TPI situation...

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Old Jun 28, 2010 | 07:04 AM
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Default 5.7 TPI situation...

Okay so I just bought this 1986 vette.... the PO had in his ad that there is an oil leak... he thought it was the front seal. I'm not sure I agree...

The passenger side rear manifold is where the leak appears to be coming from. Smokes soon after starting.

Looking around the front seal area there is some oil but not that much. I've got a LT1 in my 94 Firebird that I am replacing the front seal on today and it is the front seal. It leaks about a quart every tank of gas.

The vette has a set of after market valve covers are on it. It has cast iron heads. When I got it the oil filler on the passenger side valve cover kept blowing off... so I added another PCV valve to the passenger side to stop this... also removed the valve cover and checked the torque on the head bolts and replaced that gasket.

It still leaks there but now the PVC valve on the drivers side valve cover blows off.

Neither of these blow off when sitting still and reving the engine, they come off while driving.

The oil leak appears more to be coming from the head than from the valve cover...

Any thought on this? Why are the valve covers blowing stuff off them? what could be causing this pressure in the engine? Could the head gasket be bad and causing the oil leak? I've never seen one leak oil.

thanks in advance,

Robert
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Old Jun 28, 2010 | 08:19 AM
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Originally Posted by rrwebster
what could be causing this pressure in the engine?
Sounds like you have a lot of blow by( worn rings) pressurizing the crankcase and forcing oil out anywhere it can.
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Old Jun 28, 2010 | 09:09 AM
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Originally Posted by rodj
Sounds like you have a lot of blow by( worn rings) pressurizing the crankcase and forcing oil out anywhere it can.
Sounds like its time for a rebuild..WW
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Old Jun 28, 2010 | 09:30 AM
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Do a compression test on each cylinder and see which cylinder may be causing a problem.
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Old Jun 28, 2010 | 09:33 AM
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Originally Posted by rrwebster



so I added another PCV valve to the passenger side to stop this...
Please explain what you did, did you replace the original fitting with a PCV valve ?

From the factory, the driver side PCV valve gets vacuum from the intake base. Is there vacuum on that line from base to valve ?

On the passenger side, fresh clean metered air, is drawn from throttle body into the fitting in the passenger side cover. If you were to have replaced that fitting with a PCV valve, no fresh air would be able to replace those crappy crank case gases.

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Old Jun 28, 2010 | 01:02 PM
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Intake gasket may be leaking.
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Old Jun 28, 2010 | 08:48 PM
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Originally Posted by AGENT 86
Please explain what you did, did you replace the original fitting with a PCV valve ?

From the factory, the driver side PCV valve gets vacuum from the intake base. Is there vacuum on that line from base to valve ?

On the passenger side, fresh clean metered air, is drawn from throttle body into the fitting in the passenger side cover. If you were to have replaced that fitting with a PCV valve, no fresh air would be able to replace those crappy crank case gases.



I used a PCV valve because it fit.... but it is coming off the TPI unit. I basically copied how my 305 tpi is except I used the PCV valc=ve at the valve cover.
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Old Jun 28, 2010 | 09:37 PM
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Originally Posted by rrwebster
I used a PCV valve because it fit.... but it is coming off the TPI unit. I basically copied how my 305 tpi is except I used the PCV valc=ve at the valve cover.
If you put a PCV valve in the passenger side cover and it's plumbed to TB, no fresh air can enter crankcase.
It would be a good idea to remove it.
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