PCV System Failure? (Video)

[purg3d]

Please forgive my poor cinematography skills.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGPILgE56uc

It was suggested perhaps my smoke problem is not ring related, but rather a PCV issue. The PO could not give me any information on this problem, but given the amount of sludge this didn't happen yesterday.

I replaced the PCV valve and hose. Also, I added a catch can. The oil on the valve cover is coming from the breather hose.

Just before the video was shot, I:

-squirted a little ATF into each spark plug hole
-took off the PCV hose and sprayed carb cleaner into the intake manifold, followed by scraping with a piece of wire; cleaned and blew out the PCV

-sprayed down the EGR pipes and scraped them as well.

Of course when my engine is ingesting considerable amounts of carbon sludge, it's expected I might have a clogged EGR pipe. EGR valve operates as it should.

I don't generally have smoke from the exhaust, but as you could see in the video, I do usually see smoke coming from the exhaust flange.

I know I didn't exactly eliminate any variables by doing all these things at once, but the general issue still remains:

There is an abundance of gasses and pressure in my poor precious B3.

Thanks for taking the time to read and watch. Hope it was enjoyable

Piggyback question: Gas gauge- It reads accurate, but goes to empty sometimes. No change after replacing the sender. Is this more likely a bad ground than the reader wire? I can't seem to find the ground screw to the chassis. Have I not explored far enough?

[Bert]

Wow! As if everything venting the crankcase is blocked. And yet you showed smoke coming from all of these hoses. Excellent video by the way. Takes the guesswork out of describing the problem.
Sometimes the manifold, where the PCV hose enters, is gummed right up. See if you can blow in through it. If not, maybe time to steam clean that part on the inside.
Once you get this sorted out the tail pipe smoke will likely abate considerably too.

[drddan]

This is exactly what my old B3 was doing when it up and died.
You my friend, have a "blow by" issue, and is more than likely that it is on its last leg.

You could try using "Seafoam" in your oil pan, and gas tank, and even putting some in the vacuum lines to try and free up the rings, which may, or may not be stuck, causing the issue.

I milked mine for a long time doing the above, and I replaced the Valve Seals too, to try and get the smoke to stop. That helped, but it wasnt long before, it was back the way it was, smoking like a chimney!

Best bet is start looking for a donar engine, while you milk this one.

Good luck!

[purg3d]

I blew air into the PCV hose. Smoke came out of the breather.

After about 10 minutes of carefully feeding .5 liters of water into the pcv, I blew more air into the hose.

This time, I saw air come out of the carb.

Revved it up like I would after a seafoam treatment, and it basically smoked like it did when I seafoamed through the brake booster.

It runs smoothly. Since I got it, I've given it 2 seafoam treatments via vacuum and currently treating the fuel. I ran it with some ATF, changed the oil (black), and now after maybe 250 miles of driving, the oil is looking about as dark as if I drove 5000.

So the hunt begins for a donor engine. In the mean time, I'll continue poking, prodding and screaming at it to stop.

For the record, 88-93 Festivas (B3) and the 88-89 Tracers (B6) are the only year/make/model with the cam lobe for a mechanical fuel pump?

Thank you both very much for your time, gentlemen.

[drddan]

So the hunt begins for a donor engine. In the mean time, I'll continue poking, prodding and screaming at it to stop.

Ha! Then you will sound like I did when my B3 was blowing oil like a gusher!

For the record, 88-93 Festivas (B3) and the 88-89 Tracers (B6) are the only year/make/model with the cam lobe for a mechanical fuel pump?

Yes....AND the 88-89 Mazda 323 also

[Bert]

Before giving up on the engine a simple wet and dry compression test ought to shed some light on what is going on. Rings, valves?

[scitzz]

Before giving up on the engine a simple wet and dry compression test ought to shed some light on what is going on. Rings, valves?

Exactly what I was thinking.

[bravekozak]

You are correct. There should be little crankcase vapor. Unless your piston rings or valves are kaput. Compression test time. I would hate to see the sludge on the inside of your valve cover.

[blkfordsedan]

LOL, that looks exactly like my B3.....except not quite as bad (believe it or not). Mine, however, does not smoke at all out the exhaust. You can run a compression test if you want, but the bottom line is its time for a rebuild and/or swap.

[WmWatt]

Second the compression test. A compression guage is 'way cheaper than a replacement engine and will come in handy again some day.
A vaccum guage is also cheap and will show leaking valves or blocked exhaust. Disconnecting the catalytic converter at the front will reveal blocked exhaust.
However smoke in the crankcase is more probably a worn out engine. See compression test.

[purg3d]

I just got home from meeting my first festiva friend.

After 6 hours of driving, I have a replacement 1.3 in my possession + goodies

Thanks again, smurfstiva!

[mintFestiva]

That looks really bad!! The Sentra I was using as an example in that other thread with the blow-by problem is still running strong(although it wasn't near that bad)

Glad you found a new engine.

[purg3d]

Alright, well the replacement engine has been installed.


Please bare with me. This is a new set of problems, haha.

Backstory on the engine:
- 93 FI motor
- Unknown Mileage
- Sat for 6 years in car, with oil


Everything is installed, but while lowering engine, I broke off the nipple on this. What is this?

See video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHYDTTKDmzw

The fuel return hose got pretty mangled, so as this video it's running with the hose unplugged.

Nooby me lost a plastic spray straw inside #1 Cylinder.

Can you hear that sound coming from near the timing belt?

Holy smokes (again), batman. It has been smoking, but less and less. Car has been idling for 30 minutes.

Changed the oil. Found a little metal- almost like a fingernail size. I figure that's probably a piston ring?

What is that whine sound? Doesn't want to idle consistantly...

Please bare with me; and thanks.

Edit: I soaked the cylinders and exhaust ports with Kroil before turning it over.

[purg3d]

I'm just going to preface this post by apologizing. I don't have a timing light or vacuum gauge to diagnose my engine issues, nor do I see purchasing one in the near future. Times are tough and sometimes you just need to make do.

With that said, I'm hopeful someone can give me feedback on my latest video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNOG8Jd4WHQ

Since the last video, I:
- "repaired" the broken vacuum choke doo hicky by drilling out the hole and epoxying on a new vacuum nipple.
- reconnected the carbon canister to the carb
- adjusted timing
- painted the intake manifold gasket with rustoleum and put sealant around the water passages
- tested red wire on choke for continuity; cleaned distributor cap and rotor with contact cleaner

As you can see when I applied throttle, the choke plate never moved. I don't know if this is normal, but once warm the choke plate is open. Oil is clean.

Plan of action?
Again, sorry for being "that broke guy asking all these questions that simple tools could answer easily". I'm saving up for a new vacuum choke doo hicky.

[purg3d]

Alright, well so much for assuming the PO had all the vac lines correct.

I tell you, this thread has been instrumental in finding out what a mess I'm looking at.

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?41212-feedback-carburetor

Referencing posts #2 and #7
Take the MAP sensor for example. It's supposed to get vacuum from the back of the carb next to the brake booster. In stead, it's getting vacuum from the intake manifold, driver's side. Previously connected was the green solenoid.

I really don't want to start swapping connections, but I connected the map correctly and now it at 500 as opposed to 1000 rpms. Now perhaps I can nail down the rest of the hoses

edit: nevermind, just created a vacuum leak. seems referencing post #18, perhaps those hoses are correct.