ls1 smoking
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 566
Likes: 34
From: ohio
ls1 smoking
2001 40k, ported heads, cam, valve springs, long tubes, hi-flow cats.
its a 2001 which i know is known for having bad oil rings. the car has always consumed some oil(cant tell you how much exactly, never really kept track) but recently it started randomly smoking during idle/driving and i will leave a cloud when i go WOT.
it started last month when i changed the oil and went autocrossing. first off i used the wrong oil(10w/30) and second i put in an extra quart, ever since its been doing this.
today i pulled the throttle body, the intake is coated in oil and maybe a teaspoon of oil sitting in the bottom. so i pulled the intake and currently have it standing up to drain any oil(what can i spray inside to clean it?). i put on new valve stem seals last winter when i did my valve springs.
would installing a catch can be a good start? im hoping this is just suddenly caused from me overfilling the oil and the shity pcv design.
i have not done a leakdown or compression test, i dont have that equipment.
its a 2001 which i know is known for having bad oil rings. the car has always consumed some oil(cant tell you how much exactly, never really kept track) but recently it started randomly smoking during idle/driving and i will leave a cloud when i go WOT.
it started last month when i changed the oil and went autocrossing. first off i used the wrong oil(10w/30) and second i put in an extra quart, ever since its been doing this.
today i pulled the throttle body, the intake is coated in oil and maybe a teaspoon of oil sitting in the bottom. so i pulled the intake and currently have it standing up to drain any oil(what can i spray inside to clean it?). i put on new valve stem seals last winter when i did my valve springs.
would installing a catch can be a good start? im hoping this is just suddenly caused from me overfilling the oil and the shity pcv design.
i have not done a leakdown or compression test, i dont have that equipment.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,902
Likes: 21
From: Oak Hill Virginia
Free bump... Someone who knows better than me will jump in here but I don't think a catch can is going to even come close to fixing your problem... I also think a compression test is in order, a lot of auto parts stores will rent stuff like that. 
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 983
Likes: 36
From: Middle Of Kali CA
Do a leak down test. It will be more accurate as to your crankcase pressure issue. If you have vented the engine without the pcv and you are not F/I, your rings are probably the issue.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!
Joe Kucinski
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,722
Likes: 138
From: Florida
St. Jude Donor '09
You can also use 10W-30 if the ambient temperature is high enough, read your owner's manual. Eliminating the PCV system was a mistake, I would re-install it if I were you. Filling the oil level past the full mark for autocross is unecessary.
I suggest you read GM's TSB on the ring flutter issue if you have not done so; it will help you understand what is actually going on rather than just assuming the rings are bad. There may be some driving related things you can do to significantly reduce and or eliminate the excess oil consumption, these are discussed in the TSB. In your case your results may be less than satisfactory since you appear to have done some modifications that are probably contributing to the problem.
I suggest you read GM's TSB on the ring flutter issue if you have not done so; it will help you understand what is actually going on rather than just assuming the rings are bad. There may be some driving related things you can do to significantly reduce and or eliminate the excess oil consumption, these are discussed in the TSB. In your case your results may be less than satisfactory since you appear to have done some modifications that are probably contributing to the problem.
