jrdecat

So I had an extra intake manifold that I had taken a lot of time to get nice and clean and I decided that I would put in on my car. Well when I went to take the old one off I had quite a surprise. I took off the top cover and there was a crap ton of oil in there! Not just a little, but pools of it. I had to use rags to soak up all of the junk so I could take out the bolts. Anyways...what causes this?

hANDYcaptd

iTrader: (5)

Oil vapors from the engine gets blown back into the intake (it's one of the hoses you see coming into the intake tube) And it pools up in the IM.

It's normal btw.

jrdecat

Normal is good. I almost crapped myself when I saw that. The car drives much better with a clean manifold, clean EGR port, and seafoamed. Imagine that.

MrChanh

makes me wanna check mine out.

gold2003tl (90)

normal, i had just as much oil in mine.

01tl4tl

welcome to the PCV system!!
and now you see why a cleaner thru the gas and manifold is a good idea`

thinhthan

a oil catch can would help to

01tl4tl

yes but that allows oil vapors to escape- iirc?
thats probably why they routed internal engine pressures back to the TB for reburning
In the old days we had vented oil caps!

webmastir

you really are that old

jdjohn84

But doesn't this mean that a gasket is failing to do its job? Specifically, the gasket under the upper cover? I'm embarrassed to say that I don't know what that large, u-shaped port is with all of the carbon buildup. But I'm guessing that is where the blow-by is coming from, and the gasket is not keeping the vapors contained. Point is: I don't think it was designed to have this happen.

Regarding the oil catch can: I don't think that allows the vapors to escape; it's just in the PCV line, and allows a place for the oil to condense and collect. But I could be wrong.

hANDYcaptd

iTrader: (5)

The oil isn't not doing any harm sitting there.

The U shaped port is coming from the EGR valve to the 6 holes with carbon build up.

Catch can would help. Oil in the can instead of the combustion chamber.

jdjohn84

Thanks, Andy. I thought EGR, but I know the valve is mounted underneath, so was confused. So the exhaust blow-by comes through the EGR valve on the bottom of the IM, travels up through the IM and out that big port, then proceeds to the six holes. Wow...I thought those were rubber washers or something, not carbon buildup.

I still don't understand where the oil is coming from since (best I can tell) there is no PCV plumbing coming through that area. Is it blowing back through those six EGR ports and into that chamber where the oil is collecting?

hANDYcaptd

iTrader: (5)

There is a tube coming from the engine. Look to the right of your engine oil cap. The tube running from under the engine cover to the intake plastic tube. That sends oil vapors back into the intake.

dudeinaTL

iTrader: (1)

Threads like this remind me I need to do spring cleaning...
- plugs
- UIM & EGR cleaning
- seafoam? still not sold on it.

My car misfires almost every other time I floor it (blinking CEL)...afraid what I'll discover upon pulling the UIM.

01tl4tl

then use redline or bg or lucas or wynns gas cleaner so you get some cleaning done over a few hundred miles,,it really does help

jdjohn84

Gotcha, but that front PVC tube leads into the throttle feeding blow-by vapors back into a closed system. The oil is puddling on top of the IM, not inside it. It must be getting outside of the air intake system somehow/somewhere, but where?

hANDYcaptd

iTrader: (5)

My guess is that some of it isn't being burned in the combustion chamber and coming back through the EGR. Or coming up through the 6 small ports.

The gasket is being held at the edge of the cover to prevent a leak. The gasket does seal the middle portion of the IM but doesn't have bolts holding it down. I wouldn't say its a gasket "failure" though.

jdjohn84

I haven't taken mine off yet, so what does the underside of the cover look like? Does it have a maze-like structure that matches the pattern of the gasket? If so, it should be helping to seal-off the different chambers that the gasket is trying to create.

fsttyms1

The gasket is just a flat metal surface, it doesnt follow the maze.

jdjohn84

Did you mean the 'cover'?

fsttyms1

No, it follows the outline of the cover to the inside of the maze, NOT the maze lines itself. Its just a large metal gasket.

hANDYcaptd

iTrader: (5)

^

hANDYcaptd

iTrader: (5)

OT quick question...the plenum gasket is reusable too right?

fsttyms1

Yes, both are metal. The TB gasket is not and why i would leave it attached to the IM when you take it off the car.

ANC297

iTrader: (2)

Do you take the plenums off when cleaning IM? I guess I'll clean it all while doing the egr.

fsttyms1

I did.

01tl4tl

get everywhere you can- those with a solvent tank can have a great time!
read the acura method for 99 in the diy- how to run cleaner thru where and how to rinse-plus the water rinse we use

optional- buff the plenums with metal polish and powerball/buffer wheel while they are off- run without the top plastic engine cover for a show look at the next ziner meet

ANC297

iTrader: (2)

Is there certain torque specs on the plenum bolts?

01tl4tl

if you really want to have fun- grab the dremel or the porting tools and clean up the edges so manifold matches gasket openings on runners, maybe clean runners up a little too

Smoother flow at that point of travel is better,
later it gets stirred as it enters cylinders in a tornado like effect- vtec delays opening 2nd valve slightly to create the effect

01tl4tl

every bolt has a torque spec- many you can figure out by the size of the bolt, 10 mm head or smaller is less- usually 8 ft pounds

If unsure but you own a torque wrench- test bolt by trying to tighten- increase lbs until it doesnt just click- it trys to actually tighten the bolt, now you have the spec!

also try muscle test- attempt to tighten bolt with wrench in hand, how much pull does it take to move- now that is ingrained in your brain and you have a built in torque hand!

jdjohn84

I think you're right based on the depth of the puddle right next to that EGR port. It's the deepest puddle, and the closest one to the port.