guys,

I have noticed recently whenever i go to check my oil, the oil dipstick is sticking up about a half inch, like it was "blown out" of the hole?

Ive heard of this happening on S13's etc (i have a 180sx as well) and was sometimes due to crank case venting, and catch cans etc. - what i was wondering was could this be related to my PCV valve (i beleive its called a PCV valve, here in canada ive seen similar valves on other cars that i call PCV) ... this vavle is located near the oil filler cap (sticks into the manifold - rubber hose running to it)...just wondering if this is the culprit, or if i can purchase it (does another toyota share the same PCV, i live in canda and parts are a pain for the 3sgte gen 3)

^ i guess it could also be that maybe the stock catch can is full?

is there some valve or some issue that im having?

Also i just changed my turbo to intercooler coupling, and WOW there is alot of slimy black sludge coating the inside of the tube, running down into the turbo (or up into the intercooler, one or the other) - i know there is lots of blowby with the dump valve, and catch can routed back to the factory airbox so oil in the cooler is normal (im at 130 000 km), should i be afraid that theres alot? and if i route the factory catch can to a aftermarket catch can then back to the airbox would that help at all (i doubt you can vent the catch can volumes to atmosphere...probably requires turbo suction to create a negative pressure so that vapours are drawn into the intake system)...will routing the dump valve to atmosphere help my copious amounts of oil in the intercooler?

there is usually a little bit of blow by but nothing major and certainly not enough to do the above symptoms.

sounds like piston rings might be fubar, they blow the dipstick out when the engine is on its way out.

so i would do all the usual test, compression etc but they are unfortunately sometimes the symptoms of knackered piston rings.

I have heard of dipsticks being pushed out at high boost on forged or worn engines. If you have oily intake hoses would indicate a fair bit of blow by.
It is possible the one way valve has stuck open, I guess you can test by blowing down the pipe that normally ataches to the manifold and see if you can blow air into the crankcase.

A compression test should tell you whether to worry or not.

The standard catch can has a drain back into the crankcase - the smaller pipe at the bottom which goes in near the inlet manifold. These can sometimes become clogged with sludge under unfavorable conditions / poor oil.

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If at first you don't suck seed, try drier grain.

exactly what i didnt want to hear...im guessing tearing down the engine is a PITA as well

basically if my compression is bad (ie piston rings) im going to burn more and more oil and keep getting blowby? I havent noticed a significant amount of oil being burnt but i mean it does drink oil (i think this is a front seal tho as my timing cover is sweating oil from the middle screw)

lets say my rings are on their way out...how long can i limp the car around, i know it will drink oil and ill get blowby but other then that can i make it through the Canadian winter hahahah

depends on whether a ringland has broken and how hard you drive. If it's just wear no problem.

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If at first you don't suck seed, try drier grain.

i can drive hard...i dont usually in this car but ill drive spirited...ive never noticed burning oil smell or blue smoke from rear, it barely smokes or makes noises, but drinks oil like a cadillac (sortof hahahah, nothing can drink that much)

ive seen oil trickling down from the turbo to intercooler coupling ever since i bought it, i assumed this was years of built up blowby just leaking out ... lets hope im right

so for compression test i have to move the intercooler, which means i have to drain the coolant system as well right...PITA i tell you, but even if i have bad compression i dont have the time or money to rebuild right now...gotta wait till summer at bear minimum

oh and the reason i dont think its ringland is ive never had oil spurt out anywhwere...plus car is 100% stock, never had a boost controller or anything...very very stock

so im thinking its just years of hard driving blowby...well im hoping anyways

If it's sticky tar like stuf chances are it's just old stuff built up over the years. Runny stuff means more serious issues.

Pull the breather pipe from the catch can to the chargecooler and stuff a rag up it to see what the contamination up there is like. It it's OK then you might have a turbo on the way out. This can spit oul in all directions. It's probably worth just pulling the catch can/pcv hoses off entirely and giving everything a good clean with petrol. Possibly while running a compresion test

BTW, no need to drain the chargecooler to change the plugs.
Remove the airbox and the dump valve pipework. Then pull the AC idle pipe off the rear of the cooler and disconnect the water level sensor. Once you've undone the bolts and hoses you should then be able to carefully rotate it counter clockwise so that it's sitting where the airbox would have been

Does the car idle OK? Many blown ringland issues are accompanied by a tickover that sounds like a Subaru

thank you sooo much for the reply, i feel alot better for now (until i check it out)

but the oil was THICK like resin or sludge, not runny at ALL, somewhere inbetween the thickness of mayo and peanut butter)


good to know ill do that instead and purchase a compression tester!!! ill clean everything with mineral spirits (i hear this works even better then petrol) and see what i have in a month or so for blowby

hopefully turbo isnt shot, but to be honest that would be a 100 times better in my mind as i wouldnt mind upgrading to a hybrid anyways, plus the labour is much much easier

thanks alot for the help guys!

oh and the car idles like a dream....purrs like a kitten, but i do get the audible tick (lifter tick) when my oil is low of course, but thats my own damn fault for not noticing the low level oil

so yes NO subaru sounds, i know exactly what your talking about, my 180sx with SR20det drift car has a knacked crankshaft bearing and it sounds like a subaru on idle...such a bad sound, unless your driving a suby

good news there then!!!

although even in stock form they can break engines, good news though!!

yes im not out of the woods yet, but its sounding more and more like years of heavy driving

im going to try and clean everything up, but whats the best way to clean the sludge off the compressor wheel in the turbo? obviously i cant run petrol or shoot it with brake kleen ???

I wish i could put the catch tank to atmosphere, but then im sure i would have negative effects

we run the catch tank to atmosphere on my brothers forged engine, many people do this to no problems at all.

i am meaning to get myself a little filter too.

maybe ill give it a whirl and see how she does...i hate running that gunk back into the intake...stupid emissions

but here in canada theres only one province with no manditory emissions testing, and i live there

FINALLY!!!

ive got new plugs rotor and distributor cap on, i compression tested and got

140 psi on #1 (for reference i call the cylinder closest to driverside fender #1, closest to passenger fender is #4)
140 psi on #2
138 psi on #3
and 139 on #4

i should be good, still not the best but above the 124 min.