Iz dat some blowby?

[Toastedlightly]

So, I work at Erberts and Gerberts (sub sandwich delivery). I am a delivery driver, and I use the company vehicle. As posted in previous threads, this vehicle is very shaky. Very. Heres the short list of problems:

-Drivers side window regulator is shot
-Passenger's Door panel is completely beaten, linkage is gone, door is unusable (power window still works 🙂)
-Driver's headlight is out
-trunk rattles and doesn't close tight
-needs brake pads
-needs new blower for heat
-needs voltage regulator/alternator (most likely full unit)
-shocks all around
-ball joints
-tires

So, anywho, I was going to make a list (I decided against doing any repairs other than 10 cent fixes) of things I think the boss should fix (high and low priority), as the car is used daily.

While I was out trying to figure out if the light was good, I stumbled upon a great/hilarious problem. While fiddling w/ wires, I pulled out the PCV valve. I now had a hole directly into the valve cover of the engine. What I /felt/ by accident was hilarious. A steady, poof poof poof poof poof poof, coming from the valve cover. It was this instant that I knew what true blowby was. It was also that instant that I realized that my list was meaningless, and this car was on its way out in the next couple of months.

CLIFFS: I could FEEL the blowby in an engine.

 

[imported_Truenofan]

wow, how many miles are on this thing?

 

[boomerang]

Do this on another car and compare results.

Pistons moving up and down move a lot of air.

 

[BUTCH1]

All engines have some blowbuy, that's why the PCV system is there, to route these gases
back into the intake. If it gets severe enough the car will start smoking blue.

 

[Toastedlightly]

Originally posted by: BUTCH1
All engines have some blowbuy, that's why the PCV system is there, to route these gases
back into the intake. If it gets severe enough the car will start smoking blue.

Well, all engines have some.. but this I can easily feel.

 

[Toastedlightly]

Originally posted by: boomerang
Do this on another car and compare results.

Pistons moving up and down move a lot of air.

I've worked on many a car. This one never sucks back in.. always blowing out.

 

[Toastedlightly]

Originally posted by: Truenofan
wow, how many miles are on this thing?

x64000, so Im guessing 164,000. Mercury Topaz

 

[AdamK47]

Most likely worn piston rings. If the blow-by is significant you'll be able to tell in diminished performance. The Topaz already came with diminished performance, so it would be hard to tell.

 

[Toastedlightly]

Originally posted by: AdamK47
Most likely worn piston rings. If the blow-by is significant you'll be able to tell in diminished performance. The Topaz already came with diminished performance, so it would be hard to tell.

I actually want it to die. I figure spending 300 more than the last car (500 total) on a new car may net something useful.

 

[BUTCH1]

Originally posted by: Toastedlightly

Originally posted by: AdamK47
Most likely worn piston rings. If the blow-by is significant you'll be able to tell in diminished performance. The Topaz already came with diminished performance, so it would be hard to tell.

I actually want it to die. I figure spending 300 more than the last car (500 total) on a new car may net something useful.

I thought this was a "company" vehicle???

 

[Toastedlightly]

Originally posted by: BUTCH1

Originally posted by: Toastedlightly

Originally posted by: AdamK47
Most likely worn piston rings. If the blow-by is significant you'll be able to tell in diminished performance. The Topaz already came with diminished performance, so it would be hard to tell.

I actually want it to die. I figure spending 300 more than the last car (500 total) on a new car may net something useful.

I thought this was a "company" vehicle???

A "company" vehicle, used by many a evil delivery drivers. They had better ones several years ago, but those were totalled in the span of a couple months by bad drivers. So, we get the lowest tier of beaters.

 

[exdeath]

That isn't all from blow by. It's just the crankcase being pressurized as the pistons move down and pump air around causing turbulence in the crankcase.

There are two parts to the PCV system, one that lets air into the crank case and one that vents it out, both if I recall are one way check valves. So by disconnecting one you're just feeling the turbulent air puffing around as the pistons and crank move.

The PCV uses the pressure difference between the air intake and the plenum behind the throttle body to ensure a constant flow to ensure constant ventilation of the crankcase, but what you are feeling is just the air flow that is there regardless if there is blow by or not.

 

[funboy6942]

UNLESS the air coming out the hole is smoke it is not blow by but just pressure built by the engine. Its what controls a lot of the other components of the cars systems, like heat vents, egr valves, and the likes.

All cars old and new you will feel some air come out of the pcv hole, or out of the oil cap hole where you put oil in. THE ONLY TIME IT IS CONSIDERED BLOW BY is when it is excessive and is smoke. The smoke you see IS the blow by. It is the compression getting past the worn out rings of the motor and into the crankcase.

So as long as its not smoke, or if it has some, very little is not anything to be alarmed of, your perfectly fine, drive it do not be scared.