Procharger PCV - properly setup??
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 156
Likes: 28
From: Calgary Alberta
Procharger PCV - properly setup??
I have a couple questions regarding the procharger setup and the PCV system.
Iron block 398 w/ d1sc
so far there is about 5k on the mods and I doubt theres a problem with the engine, i pray anyways
I bought the car already built so I dont know if this is setup right but currently it has the lines going:
Ls6 system with the vent on the valley
1. PCV valley vent to a plastic three way tee
2. Line from the Pass side valve cover to the tee
3. Connection from the tee to the air filter
Theres no sources of vaccuum on this setup?!
I was playin around and poped the oil cap while it was running at idle and there is white smoke coming out, wafting pretty much. I dont know how much blowby is normal but it if rev it it goes away..
Should I be going with a catch can setup ala
Iron block 398 w/ d1sc
so far there is about 5k on the mods and I doubt theres a problem with the engine, i pray anyways
I bought the car already built so I dont know if this is setup right but currently it has the lines going:
Ls6 system with the vent on the valley
1. PCV valley vent to a plastic three way tee
2. Line from the Pass side valve cover to the tee
3. Connection from the tee to the air filter
Theres no sources of vaccuum on this setup?!
I was playin around and poped the oil cap while it was running at idle and there is white smoke coming out, wafting pretty much. I dont know how much blowby is normal but it if rev it it goes away..
Should I be going with a catch can setup ala
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 3,210
Likes: 1
on the line coming from the intake manifold, is that brass fitting at the top a check valve?
does your oil seperator/catch can thing have a one way valve in it? if not I'm afraid you're pressurizing your crank case when you go into boost.
whats happening on the driverside valve cover? there is an opening in the back you can include in the system. also, in that pic I don't see anything coming from the air filter like you said.
if that is a check valve in the line coming from the IM, and its installed the right way, you should be pulling good vac when not in boost and getting a good seal when you are. I'd just add the driverside valve cover vent into the system and keep an eye on the oil in that seperator.
does your oil seperator/catch can thing have a one way valve in it? if not I'm afraid you're pressurizing your crank case when you go into boost.
whats happening on the driverside valve cover? there is an opening in the back you can include in the system. also, in that pic I don't see anything coming from the air filter like you said.
if that is a check valve in the line coming from the IM, and its installed the right way, you should be pulling good vac when not in boost and getting a good seal when you are. I'd just add the driverside valve cover vent into the system and keep an eye on the oil in that seperator.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 2,152
Likes: 1
From: Parkland Florida
St. Jude Donor '09-'10
Any dipstick popping out going on? Pics of the Drivers side valve cover and a few different angles of the passenger side setup would be helpful...lots of smart dudes here when it comes to this. Just need the right pics. I've never (personally) seen a setup quite like that one.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 156
Likes: 28
From: Calgary Alberta
I apprecaite the help!
Thats not my setup. That was from another car I took that I thought was correct. That is a check valve in there and I thought it was the proper way to hookup a catch can to the pcv system :0 It also has a breather on the driver side.
Here's mine from the iphone, bad quality.
The previous owner did say something about the dipstick poppin out on occassion, but the o-ring was loose, after crimpin the tube I havent had a problem. The driver side just has a cap in the valve cover. In the pic above I just put the breather on to see how it would work, previously it was the normal oil filler cap and I didnt notice any fumes. If I hook the pcv and valve cover line to the vaccuum source where my boost sensor is I get no smoke from the breather so vacccum does help
If i pull the line off from the air filter it pumps quite a bit of air out, I dont know if thats normal.. I am going to hunt down a compression tester and make sure its solid as I am paranoid about this car
Thats not my setup. That was from another car I took that I thought was correct. That is a check valve in there and I thought it was the proper way to hookup a catch can to the pcv system :0 It also has a breather on the driver side.
Here's mine from the iphone, bad quality.
The previous owner did say something about the dipstick poppin out on occassion, but the o-ring was loose, after crimpin the tube I havent had a problem. The driver side just has a cap in the valve cover. In the pic above I just put the breather on to see how it would work, previously it was the normal oil filler cap and I didnt notice any fumes. If I hook the pcv and valve cover line to the vaccuum source where my boost sensor is I get no smoke from the breather so vacccum does help
If i pull the line off from the air filter it pumps quite a bit of air out, I dont know if thats normal.. I am going to hunt down a compression tester and make sure its solid as I am paranoid about this car
Tech Contributor
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 10,924
Likes: 78
From: Forney Texas
Like slowhawk said earlier, you need to run a line to the air filter assembly to create a vacuum to the crankcase while under boost. Using the intake for vacuum is fine at idle as long as you do have the check valve in properly. I set mine up with both. I haven't had a chance to test it yet though. I have one line to the filter, one to the intake through a check valve, both teed together going to a catch can with a built in PCV valve and then from the catch can to the top of my oil filler cap. Being high up in the valve cover like that helps prevent the system from picking up oil. I have my breather mounted where the original PCV valve was on the drivers valve cover.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 156
Likes: 28
From: Calgary Alberta
So you must of had the ls1 setup then, thats a little different then my ls6 one, so would I just cap that portion off if I went that way.. I tried to draw it out below
I still am a little puzzled with the air filter connection as it wont draw vaccum unless its in the inlet tract or is that where you are saying it has to go, mine is just on the rubber backing part of the filter and it just puffs the air out into that region and gets sucked in from there
I still am a little puzzled with the air filter connection as it wont draw vaccum unless its in the inlet tract or is that where you are saying it has to go, mine is just on the rubber backing part of the filter and it just puffs the air out into that region and gets sucked in from there
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 156
Likes: 28
From: Calgary Alberta
I did a compression test when it was cold.. pulled all the plugs, spark and fuel..
150 psi dead even accross all cylinders so unless all of them are bad I guess that much blowby is normal so I will be lookin at doing something to pull the pressure from the crankcase like something above
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Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 156
Likes: 28
From: Calgary Alberta
i did some more hunting and I guess the only difference in the ls1 and the ls6 is that the ls1 pulls gases from the back two valve covers where the ls6 does so from the intake valley, the pcv valve is the same for both, I dont even have a pcv valve at the moment byt the looks of it 
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 7,088
Likes: 1,829
From: Metro Detroit Michigan
The schematic you've shown would work except:
You want to use the manifold as a vacuum source, not the throttle body port. The throttle body port is in front of the throttle blade, and sees almost constant boost. Cap that off.
Since you have the valley vent, you'd be using that to draw crankcase gases, not the valve cover.
You don't need the driver side breather.
With a breather, you don't really need the line going to the air filter. Yes, it could provide a light vacuum source under boost if the connecting lines were large enough, but what percentage of the time are you under boost?
I don't really like the idea of routing dirty crankcase gases through the intercooler. Let them go out the breather under boost. Would rather keep the inside of the intercooler clean for better heat transfer.
You want to use the manifold as a vacuum source, not the throttle body port. The throttle body port is in front of the throttle blade, and sees almost constant boost. Cap that off.
Since you have the valley vent, you'd be using that to draw crankcase gases, not the valve cover.
You don't need the driver side breather.
With a breather, you don't really need the line going to the air filter. Yes, it could provide a light vacuum source under boost if the connecting lines were large enough, but what percentage of the time are you under boost?
I don't really like the idea of routing dirty crankcase gases through the intercooler. Let them go out the breather under boost. Would rather keep the inside of the intercooler clean for better heat transfer.
Former Vendor
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 2,045
Likes: 3
From: Bridgewater Ma
On my cars--- take the line off the intake(vacuum cap intake),dump the check valve/PCV. Run that line to the air filter. I would also T in the pass. side valve cover with the LS6 valley cover line.
