Hi all,

 

My son has a 1987 GL Wagon and came home last week complaining of low power and it smoking. I pulled the air cleaner top to find the filter unit saturated with oil and oil pooled in the air cleaner. it had enough oil in the aircleaner to dribble oil all over the top of the engine and drip off on the ground. The oil filler cap was missing and I noticed quite a bit of blow by pulsing out fo the filler stem. My first assumption was rings or a hole in a piston but after removing the air filter element the smoking stopped. I found the filler cap in the dirt where he parks it, cleaned it up and put it back on, I told him to drive it the next day and see what happens.

We also cleaned out the air cleaner so we could see if it was still getting new oil in it, which the next day it had some new oil residue in it, no pools this time just an oily film. no evidence of where it was coming from either.

Last night I ran a compression check on it and came up with 3 175's and 1 180, much better than I expected for the amount of blow by coming out of the filler tube.

I'm new to subie boxers so if you have any ideas I'd love to hear them. I'm thinking of replacing the air filter element to see if it oil fouls again because after a week of driving it just has a oily film in the air cleaner.

Any help would be greatly appriciated.

 

Brian

I'm thinking of replacing the air filter element to see if it oil fouls again

 

good plan, at the very least, I can't imagine a missing oil filler cap could be helping.

good plan, at the very least, I can't imagine a missing oil filler cap could be helping.

 

I thought the same thing about the filler cap but I cant convince myself it could cause it, but I'll check it off the list anyway.

 

Brian

You need to get a new genuine subaru PCV valve, and clean out all the PCV hoses as well as the little dinky PCV filter that's inside the air cleaner housing.

You need to get a new genuine subaru PCV valve, and clean out all the PCV hoses as well as the little dinky PCV filter that's inside the air cleaner housing.

 

Is there more than 1 PCV valve? My son's Chiltons toilet paper... whoops I mean service Manual only shows a single PCV valve inthe vent lines from the valve covers, which is open to air passage both directions, which I think means it's busted, but that is the only place I can rule out as the source of the oil. I cleaned the little filter and it has stayed clean.

If there is another valve actually attached to the crankcase where would I look for it?

 

Thanks

Brian

There's only one PCV valve, but the PCV system goes to both valvecovers as well as to the valve and the aircleaner housing. The PCV filter should stay clean, as air gets sucked through it on its way into the crankcase. I think there are some other hoses that connect to the aircleaner housing, and that's where the oil comes in. I hope that makes sense...just replace the valve and clean out all the large hoses that attach to the PCV valve, valve covers, or aircleaner housing, and you should be good to go.

There's only one PCV valve, but the PCV system goes to both valvecovers as well as to the valve and the aircleaner housing. The PCV filter should stay clean, as air gets sucked through it on its way into the crankcase. I think there are some other hoses that connect to the aircleaner housing, and that's where the oil comes in. I hope that makes sense...just replace the valve and clean out all the large hoses that attach to the PCV valve, valve covers, or aircleaner housing, and you should be good to go.

 

I'll give a go and see what happens.

 

Thanks

Brian

It could also mean massive blow by:-\