Lots of oil in my catch can...

Post by **float_6969** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:25 am

Ok, so here is the deal. I have 2 problems that are bothering me a little. The first is that for some reason (I'm assuming high crankcase pressure) my oil dipstick keeps blowing out at sustained high revs, just enough to spray oil over that side of the engine bay. I thought it was a bad PCV valve, but I've replaced it. Although the problem is much less than it was, it's still present.

The second is that when I do a high speed, high rev, sustained run in my car, I get A LOT (at least to me it's a lot) of oil in my catch can. Like for instance, last night, my oil catch can was about 1/4 of the way full. I got on the highway late last night and drove about 120-130 for a good 5 miles. (2-3 minutes). At that speed my motor was sitting just over 6K. After the run, I checked the oil catch can (cuz my dipstick blew out again) and it was now almost 3/4 of the way full! Also, the oil doesnt' look black in the can, it looks milky colored. I may have water in the can though, so I'm not real worried about that. Lemme know what you all think

Post by **Xero** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:25 am

my friends high boost Eclipse GSX was blowing his dip stick too. (that sounds SOoOOoOoO bad

) He just crimped it a little tighter and it wouldn't come out anymore, but checking your oil could be a *****,

Post by **float_6969** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:25 am

Thanks Xero, I'll try that. Still don't know about the amount of oil in the catch can. I was wrong about the color. I think it looked white cuz it was real areated (air bubbles) when I checked it. When I looked at it a little while ago it was nice and black, so nix that part of it.

Post by **boost_boy** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:25 am

Well, you want the good news or the bad news first? You know I'm your boy and I'm not going to sugar coat it, but your rings are done and done as in worn. This is one of the ways the CA18 tells you when it's time for servicing and usually at sustained high speeds you are authorized a little oil, but not more than about 5 ounces. I too have put some oil in my catch can, but that's after sustaining speeds of over 150mph and while smoking an S2000, an AudiTT and a turbocharged IS300 on the highway and on the top end with a gutless T25 (Hybrid) and open boost (I mean, pull the hose off the wastegate type). I'm going to assume you run between 10-15psi of boost? If you got the time and some extra change, do a simple refreshening of the rod bearings, rings and a new headgasket.

Dee

Post by **float_6969** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:25 am

I was pretty sure that was the deal, but I was hoping that maybe I wasn't at smart as I thought I was. I assume I'm only running stock boost, but I don't have a gauge yet, so I don't know for sure though. Luckily I do have the money right now, but I'll have to borrow a car in the meantime. Maybe I'll have the rods shot peened and cryo treated while I have them out. Hmmmm.

Post by **float_6969** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:25 am

So Dee, any reccomendations on rings, bearings, and head gasket? I'd actually like to bump the compression a little bit to help my driveability. I'll probabally go with a stock unit and have the head resurfaced.

Post by **pulsar gtr** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:25 am

Exactly what boost boy said, I have similar problem but it only happens when the car is cold or I start it up and drive, but If I run it for about 10 mins before driving, it is fine, I am assuming, by that time the rings expand and prevent the pressure to go into the oil pan area. So I am hoping to do a rebuilt some time early in the summer.

Any one knows if the rings from a ca18de are the same/ have same part # as the CA18DET.

Thanks,

PULSAR GTR

Post by **float_6969** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:25 am

Hey guys, I just found this site, and I'm impressed. They even have HIGH FLOW OIL PUMPS!!! Check it out;http://www.importperformanceparts.net/

Post by **slw240sx** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:25 am

same sypmtoms my ca gave me shooting dipstick spewing oil from the breathers , your rings are gone

Post by **float_6969** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:25 am

yea, I'm going to have to replace them. I'll probally get the motor pulled in the next couple of weeks and then see if I need oversized rings or bearings. At least it's a realativly cheap fix.

Post by **r34 gtr** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:25 am

im a little late, but i know ive got a bit of oil coming out the crankcase breather. i dont have a catch can so i dont know exactly how much is coming out, but it is enough to coat the i/c piping, intake piping and intake manifold with oil. it doesnt do the dipstick thingy though. judging by what ive done to the poor thing i would expect to have maybe damaged (to some unknown extent) the rings and most likely the head hasket (overheated like that im sure its showing signs of wear on the inside).

- tim

Post by **boost_boy** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:25 am

You have to remember that the thing wasn't new when you got it; and the possibility that some hardcore Japanese kid or adult drifted the heck of the car and had to keep the rpm up on a constant basis;) . A simple set of new rings and rod bearings will clear that oil thing up. Do not use a full synthetic oil in these engines or you'll pay for it later with your rings.

Post by **Nismo1182** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:25 am

I always use regular oil. Would a semi-syn be a problem? What weight oil do you guys use?

Dee, ill talk to my friend when he gets out of work. Do you still have his #?

Post by **boost_boy** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:25 am

Quote »Would a semi-syn be a problem? What weight oil do you guys use?[/quote] I use Castrol Syntec blen 20w50 along with Lucas oil stabiler. This seems to be the best combination after discount stop bringing in Greased lightning oil in which I thought was the best.

Quote »Dee, ill talk to my friend when he gets out of work. Do you still have his #?[/quote] Thanks Kev! That's just not cool of him to handle things that way with me of all people.

Post by **float_6969** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:25 am

I'm VERY sure this motor had a hard life. I know for a fact how the car was wrecked. It had the (wrong hand drive) drivers side wrapped around a pole of some sort. I could also tell it had a front STB for sure. It also had a pretty nice clutch on it and a NISMO pivot bolt.

Since I'm going to have it this far apart, do you think I should mess with main bearings and the oil pump? Toga makes a high volume pump for this car. I'm pretty sure it's got about 100,000km on it.

Oh, and now you tell me not to run synthetic! How is it that I've been on these forums for years and I've NEVER heard that said before? Learn something new every day. Well I'm running mobile1 tri-syn 5w-30. I've heard bad things about oil addatives too, so I'm not sure about the Lucas.

Post by **boost_boy** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:25 am

I'm no spokeman for lucas, but my engines will speak wonders about their product. If I were you, I would go for the full monty (ie rod bearings, mains, rings and your brain):D .

Post by **f s t caz** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:25 am

boost_boy wrote:Do not use a full synthetic oil in these engines or you'll pay for it later with your rings.

Whats the logic behind this? Just curious b/c I always ran either 10-w30 or 15-w50 in my Z, and probably would have poured the exact same in when the motorset arrives.

Post by **iliketocrash** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:25 am

i'm curious about this oil issue as well. i've always used full syth in my cars and they've run great and never had any problems. in fact i know the owner of my old '94 mitsu gsx and its got over 120k miles on it and it runs better than most the DSMs around here and its only stock. I'm not trying to say you're wrong but i figure i might as well defend my point of view. anyway, i'm curious as to what you know.

Post by **boost_boy** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:25 am

Older engines are prone to leaks, prone to wear and need thicker oil to compensate for wear and to assist with worn seals. Synthetic is just too thin to cope with the characteristics of this motor and it's a waste of money because when parts wear and you try and use synthetic to slow down the problem, you only make it worse and that is a proven fact not only in magazines, but on individual manufacturers tests. Don't ask me to go and scrounge up information on oils because my time is waaayy too valuable to worry about a specific type of oil that I don't use. DSM's don't rev like the CA18, so we really can't compare. And even in my current tuned by AMG N/A motor and also my Galant viento motor which both are in my elantras, I use the 20W50 with lucas oil stabilizer and they both run like death (Quiet, but swift). I mean run what you want, but one guy here with a CA18DET in his 240 with an SDS I installed for him ran mobile one and his bottom end sounded extremely horribly and he wasn't out of oil. He now uses what I use I his new motor and now he's happier than a fag in a carrot patch. Oh, he wrecked his car today so he needs a new shell:help .

Post by **PacManVR4** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:25 am

On DSms they shoot the dipstick becouse of PCV problems and the fact that they (dipstick) are old and the seal is dry. You should buy a new dipstick, And have you even compression checked the motor or are you just gona pull it apart on a whim? Please check it to be sure, I would feel better. BTW what is good compression for these motors?

Post by **float_6969** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:25 am

PacMan, I've corrected any possible problems with the PCV system so It's not that. I did do a compression test on it when I first got it and it wasn't real aweseom. It was in the OK range, but it was definatly on the low end. As I said before, I'm about 90% sure that this motor had a hard life. I've done what I can to correct the problem and to no avail. I had suspected the rings, but was unwilling to admit it. So I turned here for some conformation. I probabally should have done all of this while the motor was out, but I'm not exactly the most patient person in the world and I wanted the motor in. Oh well, what are you going to do, right? If anyone has any other suggestions, I'd gladly consider them, but the evidence seems to point to bad rings. I may get rambunctious and retest the compression and see how it comes out...

Post by **Nismo1182** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:25 am

What was your compression the first time?

Post by **boost_boy** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:25 am

Pour 2 teaspoons of fresh oil into each cylinder and then test the compression with the trottle plate wide open. It's the rings. I'm getting ready to build a De into DET with fresh everything, but I think i got one of our members very interested as I don't want to call out his name. I plan on selling him the complete deal, less the headaches of changing rings, bearings, pumps and headgaskets and bolts because it's all inclusive for the same price.

Post by **PacManVR4** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:25 am

I would still check the compression lol. Just becouse It has had a hard life dosent mean a whole lot, Have you been running it lean? Whats your timing like? Fuel mods? What was it before?

Post by **r34 gtr** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:25 am

luckily i know some japanese kid didnt rape the phizzuck outta my engine and transmission as it had absolutely no modifications done to it, no places where gauges were mounted, there was no wear on the suspension and the car was rear-ended. however, i wont say that some fag didnt rev the hell out of it because my friend took care of that. good to know it wont explode at 9k rpm i guess... anyway, ill check the compression when i get a chance. thanks dee.

- tim

Post by **float_6969** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:25 am

Compression last time I tested it was about 150 across the board. They were all within 3psi of eachother.

I know the oil trick and when I retest it, I'm going to do that.

I haven't done anything to modify the motor except the FMIC. Stock boost, timing, and craptastic T25. It does have a walbro, but it's on stock injectors. I think it just needs a little refreshing, thats all.

Post by **f s t caz** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:25 am

whats specs for compression on these motors?

Post by **float_6969** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:25 am

8.5:1. It's in the FAQ sticky at the top of this forum. Lots of good info in there, check it out!

Post by **f s t caz** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:25 am

float_6969 wrote:8.5:1. It's in the FAQ sticky at the top of this forum. Lots of good info in there, check it out!

I meant during a compression test

Post by **iliketocrash** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 11:25 am

boost_boy wrote:Older engines are prone to leaks, prone to wear and need thicker oil to compensate for wear and to assist with worn seals. Synthetic is just too thin to cope with the characteristics of this motor and it's a waste of money because when parts wear and you try and use synthetic to slow down the problem, you only make it worse and that is a proven fact not only in magazines, but on individual manufacturers tests. Don't ask me to go and scrounge up information on oils because my time is waaayy too valuable to worry about a specific type of oil that I don't use. DSM's don't rev like the CA18, so we really can't compare. And even in my current tuned by AMG N/A motor and also my Galant viento motor which both are in my elantras, I use the 20W50 with lucas oil stabilizer and they both run like death (Quiet, but swift). I mean run what you want, but one guy here with a CA18DET in his 240 with an SDS I installed for him ran mobile one and his bottom end sounded extremely horribly and he wasn't out of oil. He now uses what I use I his new motor and now he's happier than a fag in a carrot patch. Oh, he wrecked his car today so he needs a new shell:help .

its cool, no need to scrounge up info. I just wanted your input, which by the way was very informative. I know its no big deal but you've got me convinced. Thanks man.:ylsuper

Lots of oil in my catch can...

Lots of oil in my catch can...

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