Hey guys,
Engine was completed about a year ago. I originally had a generic pcv valve hooked up, until I noticed the spark plugs getting oil fouled and saw puddle of oil on the back of the intake valves. Replaced intake gasket thinking it was getting sucked in from the lifter valley, but it didn't help. Pulled out the pcv hose and noticed oil dripping out. Been running dual breather setup since, no more fouled plugs. I wanted a functioning pcv system, so installed the m/e wagner pcv valve and a catch can. Test drove it last night and within a 1/2 mile, it started burning oil. The catch can was full of oil...

Specs
455 +.030
performer intake
procomp heads
ebay tall valve covers (baffled)
lunati hyd-roller
johnson hylift lifters
comp cams hi-tech 3/8 push rods
melling hv with purple spring
back grooved cam bearings
canton oil pan

6 quarts 20w-50 oil (0.0034" main bearing clearances)

no oil restrictors
no drain back mods

70+ psi cold
50+ cruising
22 psi idle Hot

~13 inHg at idle

I'll be pulling the engine in the near future to do a transmission swap, will a set of oil restricting pushrods make a difference? I will also consider using the original valve covers, as the baffles might be of a better design. Are there other solutions to look into?

 

Is there some type of baffle under the pcv valve ? If the catch can is full of oil that tells me that the oil is getting splashed right onto the pcv valve. If it ran fine without the pcv valve then you need to baffle it better. Unless the Wagner valve is adjusted to pull way too much air. I would try a stock pcv valve and see what happens.

 

Well, the original baffles were designed/engineered to reduce the clogging/sucking of oil up through the PCV orifice. I'd change back to the original valve covers (with the original style baffles) and change out to a new clean PCV valve first and then see where you are.

 

Yeah, the valve covers are baffled. The wagner pcv valve itself is not. I just read their article regarding the relation of pcv valve baffle vs oil consumption (http://mewagner.com/?p=1221) I can try spacing pcv valve away from the valve cover baffle as I think it is almost right up against it. However, for the catch can to fill up in short order, almost makes me believe the valve train is flooded with oil.

 

Having been through PCV oil sucking years ago, I just had a diagnostic thought.

How about taking the PCV hose with valve inserted into oil fill tube, tape it to retain and seal it, then test drive it with the dual breathers in valve covers and see what happens. You would be roughly duplicating a factory performance configuration that has valve on front of intake manifold, drawing from the valley with dual valve cover breathers, just not piped to air cleaner housing. As long as the fill tube baffle is in place there should be no liquid oil up there. FWIW that’s basically what I ended up doing on my car with a previous engine and carried it over on this one - drilled hole in back of filler tube, installed grommet, valve inserts there plus dual OE breathers pulling from air cleaner.

The results might help indicate whether it’s intake leak (not likely culprit) or too much oil topside/ineffective baffling. FWIW I think you have a baffle problem but restricted pushrods might be in order as well. The fact that you have baffles and it is still drawing that much oil is what throws me off a bit.

It’ll only take a foot of tape and a few minutes to configure.

​​​​​​…..

 

That's a really good idea, bccan! I will definitely try that out.

 

Not to be a Negative Nelly, but oil isn't getting in the combustion chamber and on the valves through the valve covers. There are bigger issues afoot. Leak down test to start, valve guides, intake Valley angle on the manifold, intake gaskets wicking oil (happened on my last one), etc. Good luck 👍

 

How are the drain back passages in the heads? Everyone who has ever gotten their hottanked heads back has been amazed at how much more junk they got out of the drainback passages w a brush.

 

Sure is if its getting sucked into the pcv valve like he says. That goes right into the intake manifold. He said he removed the pcv valve and it solved the problem.

 

Good point, but it sounds like an excessive amount of oil in the catch can. I'd certainly be eyeballing the baffles.
I don't believe the old "too much oil in the valve covers" myth or that the drains need be enlarged theories. It sounds a control problem not a pressure or return problem.

 

Had same problems. Welded a tube on oil fill and put pcv valve onto the tube. ran it to catch can then to carb. Run to breathers on each valve cover. No more issues.

 

Quick update:
Dug out and cleaned one of the old valve covers, took three felpro cork gaskets to clear the crower polylocks. It ain't pretty but so far no oil getting into the pcv system! I'm sure the original baffle design and grommet that keeps the pcv valve vertical plays a big part in preventing oil consumption.

 

Johnson lifters pump a lot of oil to the top of the engine...................this is one of the reasons we DO NOT use them.

 

What roller lifter do you like?

 

I wouldn't say theres any hyd roller lifter I particularly really like, but I do use the Morels on theses Olds builds because they do control the oil flow. Ron Iskenderian sent me a set of Johnsons to try when they had a fallout with Morel, well I tried them, and they never even made it to the dyno, I told Ron your kidding me right, do you guys ever think of testing this junk before you sell it. The new America LOL

For the record, I do have old school (1970s) new Johnson hyd flat tappet lifters for Oldsmobiles if any one needs them.

 

My last set of Erson/Morels were dragging the wheels over the noses. Mark told me he didn't sell them anymore, so I bought a set of Comps. When I called Travato to order a cam, he told me he doesn't use ANY hydraulics anymore. The new engine has BAM solids on a hydraulic Comp core.

 

Was that the good ones or the street ones ?

 

Curious as well, that is what is going in my motor. Mark gave me deal on them, Erson on them.

 

I build a lot of engines, no problem with wheels for me on the Morels. I see no problem running a solid roller lifter on your hyd core, just make sure the cam core came from camshaft machine company.

 

Ellifino.