Welp! My car was PUKING oil last night. My fault for running that damn Dyno map....oh well lesson learned. Engine runs fine just a LOT of oil coming off the passenger head and dripping on the up pipe resulting in stinky smell and smoke. When I looked in the dark I could see a lot of oil at the black ventilation thingy on top of the passenger head. Wonder what caused this? That seal gone bad or a plugged PCV?
I have toasted a couple of engines and seen plenty of others that are fubar'd and haven't heard anything like you are describing. I'd check the turbo oil feed line where it connects to the head.
I will when I get home. Looking around the turbo I see no leaks. Lets say I am standing beside my passenger fender beside the wheel and I look over the fender and straight down at the head. On top of the head there is a black thingy that the crankcase ventilation hose runs into. There is a LOT of oil on that and directly under it. All that oil has traveled down the head and covered the plastic shielding and the up pipe. That make sense? Seems like that ventilation cap on top of the head may possible have a bad seal or something. It isn't just blow by. It's always been a 'little' damp there but now it's covered.
It could also be that the oil caked and the heat of it sitting there from lack of flow at the blockage burnt a small hole in the hose. I had this happen on several cars....try just replacing the lines. You may not even be able to see the hole until you remove it. This happened on the pcv line on my wife's old 2000 trans am. You could not even tell there was a hole because of the grease until you bent the tube.
The "black vent thingy " being oily is like that on EVERY WRX I 've seen w/ more than 60k or so. The valve cover gasket on that side tends to go first for obvious reasons and that would drip directly on the pipe. Also check the timing cover, you may have a failed cam(s) seal on that side, pretty common also. I would suggest degreasing the engine, drying it, then run it and watch carefully to locate the source. Oil leaks can be tricky sometimes! Please post your findings, I have 102k and am very interested in the problems that may come as the miles stack up.
Wiped the car down and clean up the area last night and let it idle. Nothing.....took it for a drive for 2 miles and let it hit boost twice. OIL EVERYWHERE. It's definately coming out of that black ventilation thingy. Most of it is pouring out of that seal between it and the valve cover. I'm hoping that the seal just went out and needs replacing. There isn't any oil at the PCV itself so I don't think it's blowby and the such. We'll know more tonight.
are you talking about the "D" shapped or half moon shaped seal on the back of the head under the turbo?
No. It's the ventilation case on the top of the valve cover. By the top I mean the top from an installed motor perspective but if you want to be theoretical its the side. It has a nipple on it that a breather hose attaches to it and the PCV valve. That case has a gasket between it and the valve cover. Oil is all over it and a little on the hose but the little on the hose can be from air pushing the oil up.
If there is alot of oil coming from there, its most likely from excessive crank case pressure. I would do a compression test.
That is tonight's plan. What cause excessive crank case pressure? Plugged PCV perhaps? What can I look for as the culprit? I really don't want to go 2.5L right now.
Ehhhhh that is reassuring. Lets say the compression test passes. What else should I check? My plan is that if the compression test passes then I am gonna fix that seal. But what else can I check to make sure that seal isn't compromised again? Thanks for you replies.
Honestly if there is alot of oil coming from the top of the valve cover, its beeing spit out by crank case pressure. The PCV doesn't hook up to a charge pipe on the subaru, its hooked up the inlet side of the turbo, so even if it was not working properly you wouldn't see any extra crank case pressure from it. Most likely even though it sucks its going to be a ringland. Edit: also if it was just a seal, you would see an oil leak driving the car around or at idle. Instead you posted that oil was everywhere after you got into boost. I may be wrong, it may not be a ringland, but every thing is pointing torwards that.
Gotcha. Let me reiterate what I said. I let it idle for like 3 minutes. Not enough time, I know. Then I drove it right down the road and when the temps were up I boosted it twice. Maybe I should have just drove it easy and came back and checked. Either way tonight I have a better idea. Thanks for the suggestions Doug.
I severly doubt you are going to pass the compression test. To get that much pressure in the crankcase the ringlands have to be really toasted . All 3 times I lost a ring land the compression ring was still in decent shape and and even though my compression was way down it was not puking oil like yours. Looks like its time for a 2.5 and a new tranny.
Also I noticed everyone keeps saying the crankcase. Isn't the crankcase the block itself? The oil is coming off that vent on the valve cover.
Only money I don't have. Lets be practical here guys. If the ringland is cracked....would I be better off to get that piston fixed or just go 2.5L? If I go 2.5L and stay with the 18g and no meth and 'promise' to stay off the drag strip and be nice to the tranny will the stock tranny live.
My stock tranny lived with a 2.5l 20g and meth just fine but I only took it to the strip once with that setup. I got scared and got a 6 speed after that trip. I doubt that you will be able to just drop a piston in. My guess is that the compression ring itself has been destroyed and the cylinder walls are gouged. By the time you get it machined you might as well get the 2.5.
Hmm so if I give up the drag racing my tranny may just be fine eh? That's a big maybe I know but the way I see it, if I go 2.5L and give up the meth then my power levels will most likely be where they are now but kicking in much much sooner. Oh well I'm worried enough now as it is so I will patiently wait until the compression test tonight. Also the car sounds and runs just fine and I see no oil in the exhaust. But doesn't mean anything ultimately.
The 1/4 Mile Killer is half paid for right now. Plus I will never get what I want for the car. Too much sentimental value to me. Plus we are trying to get up on our feet to purchase a house in two years or so. So I want to just get this done and stop playing with the car like I have been. This has been one serious wakeup call for me.
I'm on the phone with Delette right now. (He doesn't have internet) The compression was almost exactly 152 across all 4 cylinders... The gasket under the breather is torn... SS
Not to be a downer, but you can have "in spec"compression and fail a cylinder leakage test. I hope they're right!
That gasket is torn a little on the edges but looking at it I can see where the oil has made it out. Also took the PCV off and it likes to stick a little and has gunk in it so I'm replacing that as well. The compression is rock solid. I am ordering a new PCV unit and that gasket. This weekend I am taking all the vaccuum hoses off and blowing them out to may sure I have no obstructions. Then I am draining the oil to inspect it and make sure all is okay. Also the compression was on an ice cold engine. 152 on a COLD engine is VERY good. Also there is not a trace of slick wet oil in the exhaust pipe.
But that is highly unlikely. Compression is what expands the rings and all. For all 4 cylinders to be dead on I doubt it.
Glad to hear its not as dire as I thought. You should take heed of this warning though. It could have easily been worse.
Oh yeah. You can ask SS what I told him last night. The dyno map has been deleted. It doesn't exist. The drag racing is done. I've set my mark and record and frankly I personally think it's gonna be very hard to beat. This was a serious wakeup call for me. Now I just want to drive the car and enjoy it. That doesn't mean I can't boost it and get into it but as far as racing it and beating the snot out of it....I'm done with that until I have the funds to upgrade.
Yep. Doug since you work on these so much wouldn't you say that if I had a blown ringland or rings that it would have shown up in the compression test?
I help clarify according the service manual I have, the leak is at the oil separator on the passenger head. It had always been a little damp but now it's pouring. Just got off the phone and ordered the parts from Lisa at SOG. It will be at my door Tuesday.
Good news bro! Glad to hear the comp test went your way. Like I said, you would be amazed how much oil can be belched forth from something stupid. I was with my wife's TA.
^^^Huh?????? Anyways I drained the oil yesterday and it was as clean as it could be. I'm 99% convinced the engine is okay. New PCV and gasket were ordered and should be here Tuesday/Wednesday at the latest.
Update....got the oil stuff fixed I think. The PVC that was originally on my car was most definately stuck. The new one flows tons better and doesn't stick at all. I fired up the car and found another leak. Makes since because the fluid wasn't brown looking when I wiped it off the head. Turns out that somehow at the same time the metal power steering line rubbed a pinhole in itself on the coolant tank. So today I am hoping the welding shop can braze it and fix that line and hopefully the Subie will be back on the road tonight. When bad luck hits me it hits me full blast