zep Posted December 15, 2010 Share Posted December 15, 2010 Can anyone help me here? I am seeing excess oil vapour pissing out of my rocker cover catch can and am worried that my engine (only like 10-15000 kms old) is already fucked. Anyone got the skills to do this? Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KKtrips Posted December 15, 2010 Share Posted December 15, 2010 I could if you were LNI.. However what do you call excessive - are you burning oil? It may not be all doom and gloom.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowzer Posted December 15, 2010 Share Posted December 15, 2010 I have a compression tester, but that's in the H. Grab one from supercheap? Don't think they cost too much for a cheapy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corbie Posted December 15, 2010 Share Posted December 15, 2010 $50-75 i think.. buy one then lend it to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zep Posted December 15, 2010 Author Share Posted December 15, 2010 I could if you were LNI.. However what do you call excessive - are you burning oil? It may not be all doom and gloom.. I don't think I'm burning oil. It's not smelly and I don't often find I need to top up (even with a leak or two). Next time it's going hard I'll try take a video of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KKtrips Posted December 15, 2010 Share Posted December 15, 2010 TBH - a compression test doesn't tell you anything about the condition of the motor.. Unless you have one crook cylinder or you are SUPER worn on all cylinders.. A compression test will tell you that you the difference between cylinders - if it shows 120psi or 200psi across all cylinders that doesn't tell you that its fucked.. I'm pretty sure I wrote a guide on compression testing and what to expect from it at some point in the past.. I'll try find it.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KKtrips Posted December 15, 2010 Share Posted December 15, 2010 Hmmm I thought it was more comprehensive/oh well viewtopic.php?f=2&t=21721&p=500011&hilit=+compression+test#p500011 Anyway as I said you may not get an answer you expect from a compression test. A compression test will tell you which cylinder/s are fucked if it is a blown head gasket/ burnt valve/hole in piston etc by the variations you record between cylinders and it will tell you if you have all over super low compressions causing lack of power/running problems but you should know something is up by the lack of power before you even open the bonnet. What it won't tell you is if you have somewhat worn rings etc. Just because the levels are 120psi or 190psi across all 4 - doesn't mean anything. They are both are within the realms of possibility in an engine that is not fucked. Factors that affect readings are like different testing techniques, sluggish starter/battery, different oil in the engine, heat of the engine etc etc. However if you have an initial reference point to work from - ie you did a full compression test and recorded them along with the conditions the engine was in then it may help you with what you are looking for (but the likelihood of that is slim I'm guessing..) A cylinder leakage test will be better for what you need to find fucked rings but generally they have to be pretty poked to prove it.. If it was me I wouldn't worry about blowby TBH - I would just drive it and enjoy it and when I noticed a drop in power I would do something about it then.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zep Posted December 15, 2010 Author Share Posted December 15, 2010 Thanks KK. What about hot oil? Does hotter oil emit more vapour? I'm currently waiting on getting an oil cooler in place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thousand Dollar Supercar Posted December 15, 2010 Share Posted December 15, 2010 I have a Supercheap special compression tester which you're welcome to use. I used it on my Rover. It told me this: http://www.axys.co.nz/ben/rover/compressions.jpg Guess which cylinders the gasket was leaking on? 1 and 6, the ones with the highest compression readings. =\ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zep Posted December 15, 2010 Author Share Posted December 15, 2010 I am pretty sure the gasket is not leaking. I've had the head off at the beginning of the year because I thought it was leaking, but it wasn't. At times I can actually see the heat mirage coming out of the scuttle pan under the windscreen. Need to cool the engine bay down as well but that's another issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteretep Posted December 15, 2010 Share Posted December 15, 2010 I also have a tester if needed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KKtrips Posted December 15, 2010 Share Posted December 15, 2010 What about hot oil? Does hotter oil emit more vapour? I'm currently waiting on getting an oil cooler in place. Old and hot oil does create more vapour but generally that is burning off contaminants out of the oil like water and petrol. (you will get some of these through normal engine cycling) Make sure if you have a mechanical fuel pump that it is not leaking into the engine and filling the sump with excessive fuel and that is what is vaporizing and burning off. Or your Injectors are not overfueling/have a bad spray pattern that is not properly atomising But I am starting to over complicate the issue.. I would really need to see the vaporizing and see how bad it actually is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zep Posted December 15, 2010 Author Share Posted December 15, 2010 No worries KK, thanks for the concern! I'm going to do an oil change ASAP and see how that goes. The engine itself has never actually let me down since it was built (professionally I might add), I just worry! Will try get video asap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaMpylobacter Posted December 15, 2010 Share Posted December 15, 2010 yuh if you don't use the car much it may jsut be condensation got my 405 hot the other day and pulled breather hose off. my god it was like a kettle boiling, the amount of steam.... well not quite but still. made the oil filler seem like mega bhg spec. all from condensation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zep Posted December 17, 2010 Author Share Posted December 17, 2010 CaM, I think you might be right. Drove it around again today and it didn't seem like there was any (or there was little) vapours. I'll put it down to condensation for now, as it was about 3 months between drives that I got freaked out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoozin Posted December 17, 2010 Share Posted December 17, 2010 Even the Honda does it when I have been doing 'cold' runs in it to work and back which isn't that often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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