Valve cover breather boost leak

[iguanahotsauce]

So my talon has been down for a while becaus the computer had some major problems. I sent it into ECMTuning and it was repaired and is on it's way back. So for my problem: I did a boost leak test a while back because I am getting bad gas mileage and when I did the test all of the air would leak out of the valve cover breather. So I plugged it and then I would get air leaking out of my dipstick. So me being a newbie I didn't thnk much about it because I thought it was normal for air to leak out of the valve cover breather. But I have been reading through the forums and found out that I could possibly have a bad turbo seal? I am going to do a boost leak test again today and do it from the throttle body. My car was given to me by a family friend, he had the timing belt snap on him and so he had a bunch of engine work done and he said he had a new turbo put in so is there a reason why the seal would go bad so fast? Another problem I am having is my dipstick is blowing out under boost and spraying oil everywhere causing a far bit of smoke to come off my engine bay. I bought a new dipstick but from what I have been reading I'm guessing that the problem is not the dipstick? Any help will be greatly appreciated as I am still very new to working on cars and dont really know what I'm doing

 

[overkill]

Essentially you have blow by happening in the motor and that is why you have the air escaping past the rings. Since you are not performing the boost leak test on a warm motor I would suggest doing that once you get your ecu back. The engine has been sitting for a while it would appear and thus the rings are not sealed as good as they would be if it had been run recently.

How much PSI are you testing with?

 

[BabyShanks]

if you got blow by your rings are bad period no matter if it sat or not. mind as well rebuild or change

 

[iguanahotsauce]

I was testing with about 15 or 18 psi but I could never build any pressure. I want to do the boost leak test on a warm engine?

Can the rings go bad with only about 1000 miles on them? Because they were replaced when he had all of the engine work done and then he only drove about 1000 miles or so before the fuel pump died and he stopped driving it

 

[overkill]

As stated get your ecu back and get the car running again before worrying about your blowby and rings. Perform a compression test on the motor as well to see if its low. With only 1000 miles the rings may not even be broken in yet depending on how the car was driven and what oil was used.

Let us know what happens with the compression test and it too should be done with the motor warm if possible.

 

[iguanahotsauce]

Yeah I was planning on doing a compression test after I get the ecu back. It should be here tomorrow. Hopefully it will get here early but knowing ups it probably wont be until around six. I guess it could be nothing and I am just worrying too much. I tend to do that a lot I will let you guys know how the compression test goes after I do it tomorrow

 

[knochgoon24]

These people have all lost it. Boost leak tests have nothing to do with your rings. You should have the engine set so all the valves are closed.

Your PCV valve is bad. Switch it out for a new OEM one. Check the new one by trying to blow through it. It should hold one way, but not the other.

 

[niddydsm]

Wow come ON guys dont start giving bad info....A BLT= Boost leak test is to make sure that your getting all your boost to the engine. So only IC pipping should be under pressure not the cylinders and the only way air can get from the intake manifold to the valve cover is through the PCV. Which should not let air into the valve cover only take air out.

YOU NEED TO CLOSE VALVES AND GET A NEW PCV BOTTOM LINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[iguanahotsauce]

So I don't have a problem with my valve seals? I replaced the pcv not too long ago. I wasn't sure how to tell if it was good or not so I asked the guy at the parts store and he said some air should be able to go through the valve from the IM to the VC is this correct? Because the one that is in there now did let a little air through but not much. Also this might be a stupid question but how do I set the engine so all of the valves are closed?

 

[MY1GDSM]

OP
You could also get a Us Plastics Check valve to put inbetween the PCV an Intake they work much better at stopping the air pressure then the PCV's


You rotate the engine to 20-30* Atdc so that all you Intake valves are closed

 

[iguanahotsauce]

OP
You could also get a Us Plastics Check valve to put inbetween the PCV an Intake they work much better at stopping the air pressure then the PCV's

So I would still use the pcv but have one of those in-between the IM and the PCV?

 

[MY1GDSM]

So I would still use the pcv but have one of those in-between the IM and the PCV?

Yes It's a one way check valve...

You put it so the the intake can still draw vacum from the VC.
But, so that boost pressure will not escape the IM when pressurized

 

[habitatguy187]

Wow come ON guys dont start giving bad info....A BLT= Boost leak test is to make sure that your getting all your boost to the engine. So only IC pipping should be under pressure not the cylinders and the only way air can get from the intake manifold to the valve cover is through the PCV. Which should not let air into the valve cover only take air out.

YOU NEED TO CLOSE VALVES AND GET A NEW PCV BOTTOM LINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Aaaand you just said the exact same thing as the wiseman above your post. No one needs or even wants to read your post, smart guy.

 

[iguanahotsauce]

Should I still get a new pcv from my local mitsu dealership too since my leaks a little bit from the IM to the VC? Also how do I go about closing all of the valves so I can do a boost leak test?

 

[MY1GDSM]

Should I still get a new pcv from my local mitsu dealership too since my leaks a little bit from the IM to the VC? Also how do I go about closing all of the valves so I can do a boost leak test?

I'm not sure what you mean?
the PCV should only draw one way slightly(as said above) they usually don't keep blocking pressure from the IM for long though.

They will for some time but That's the reason I suggested getting a check valve...

You still want a working PCV valve as it only allows a certain among of air (It meters it per say) to be draw from the Valve cover into the Intake manifold.

You rotate the engine to 20-30* Atdc so that all you Intake valves are closed

As I said Above... ^^^

 

[1990AWD]

You rotate the engine to 20-30* Atdc so that all you Intake valves are closed

Are you sure? At the bottom of this page a wiseman says differently.

 

[iguanahotsauce]

Ok so I picked up a new PCV from the mitsu dealership by me and the new one does not leak at all. I am going to order one of the check valves too. While I was out changing the PCV I decided to see if my turbo had any shaft play and it had none so that means it is fine right?

Also My1GDSM just out of curiosity, what part of Washington are you from?

 

[MY1GDSM]

Also My1GDSM just out of curiosity, what part of Washington are you from?

I'm just right of I-5 about 45min north of you...

Are you sure? At the bottom of this page a wiseman says differently.

Well that post isn't completely correct either it's Very close though...

While I've always been under the impression that the Intake valves where all closed where I stated above...

I look into it at I this is what I came up with...

Just for reverence here is picture of a degree wheel

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

From what I see the '90 factory manual lists the Intake valves as closing at 51* ABDC In reality this is going to depend on what cams you have .

I also Found a second cart that lists at what degree of crank angel the Intake valve are with a few different cams. based on that and the later 2g manual it's 59 ABDC...

Hope this information helps

 

[iguanahotsauce]

So that picture of the degree wheel would be the crank pulley? I'm still really new to the DSM world and don't exactly know how to rotate the engine to 20 - 30*. I also have another question which is, is it bad to run the car when the timing is off? Because back before I could figure out why my Talon wasn't starting I pulled off the CAS to check to see if it was working without knowing that it was how you set the timing in the car. So now I'm pretty sure my timing is off and I am currently trying to find somewhere to get a timing light. If anyone knows of somewhere that will rent a timing light let me know because I don't want to spend $50 on a timing light.

 

[iguanahotsauce]

Alright so I got the ECU back in today and I got it running. I also picked up a timing light and I am going to set the timing tomorrow. I am having a bunch of white smoke pour out of the exhaust and I don't know why it is happening. When I first started it after I put the ECU back in it happened right when I started it but now it doesn't happen until after I rev the car. At first I thought it might be condensation but it's way too much to be condensation and it lets out a huge cloud when I hit boost. It doesn't have a sweet smell like coolant, there is no oil in my coolant, and my oil isn't milky (I don't think, I don't really know what milky oil looks like). Also my turbo has no shaft play at all. Then after I let it idle for a while it started dropping in revs. It would start out high at like 1500 but it wouldn't gradually go down it would sit for a little while and then all of the sudden drop 200 - 300 rpms until it hit about 800 at which point there was some noise coming from the engine bay that my father things is metal hitting metal and I have no idea what it is so I will post a video tomorrow. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[94_TSi]

Im gonna say headgasket. Do a leakdown test.

 

[iguanahotsauce]

The headgasket was replaced only a couple thousand miles ago and I don't have the tools to do a leakdown test =( I have a buddy who has a compression gauge and he is going to bring it over this weekend so I can do a compression test. There was a lot of engine work done a couple thousand miles ago because the timing belt broke

 

[94_TSi]

With recent engine work done the headgasket could be just as much possible as a high mileage engine. Where arp headstuds installed, if so were they retorqued? What kind of headgasket was used?

 

[mikus]

When you pressurized your system on leak test, air was trying to get out from your crankcase. That's nothing to worrry too much about. Air might be slipping past the turbo seals into the oil chamber, since there's no oil pressure to 'push' agains that air and seal the chamber.

When a seal moves at all it can be compromised. It's possible your turbo seals were compromised during this testing.

What you're describing (white smoke at first, now only when revving AKA oil pressure or in boost, no other indicator of HG failure) sounds like turbo seals to me.

 

[iguanahotsauce]

With recent engine work done the headgasket could be just as much possible as a high mileage engine. Where arp headstuds installed, if so were they retorqued? What kind of headgasket was used?

I have no idea. All the work was done when the previous owner had the car (A family friend that gave it to me) and all he knows is he took it to a well known mechanic in his area and had the whole mess from the timing belt slipping fixed. The smoke went away btw. I decided to take it for a drive today because I now noticed it was only smoking after I revved the engine and it would stop after a while and now the engine doesn't blow white smoke at all.

When you pressurized your system on leak test, air was trying to get out from your crankcase. That's nothing to worrry too much about. Air might be slipping past the turbo seals into the oil chamber, since there's no oil pressure to 'push' agains that air and seal the chamber.

When a seal moves at all it can be compromised. It's possible your turbo seals were compromised during this testing.

What you're describing (white smoke at first, now only when revving AKA oil pressure or in boost, no other indicator of HG failure) sounds like turbo seals to me.

But it was not oil smoke. I am positive no oil was burning (I know what oil smoke is like because my Tercel used to burn oil bad) It was white smoke with kind of a nasty smell.