popped my dipstick, how fucked am i?

[gltasn]

got approx 1500 miles on new build. poped the dipstick on the hwy 2 days ago and cant figure out why. got good vaccum(-18),checked all the crank vents, removed stock pcv valve(1400 miles old). i strapped the dipstick so it cant pop out more than 1/2 inch so it can vent rather than pop out and cause another fire(2 so far). pressure tested at tdc and no leaks but when remove dipstick theres a woosh of air.

will buy a compression tester today but, car runs good and isnt smoking. if it is bad ring seal then what are my bandaid solutions so i can drive her for the next 6 weeks then rebuild durring winter. thx guys!

[mb7050]

when remove dipstick theres a woosh of air.



crankcase is pressurised at idle ??
Your running stock pcv valve ?

hook a vaccuum gauge on the crankase (dip stick hole) to check that there is any pressure in the crankase, thats what I would do first

[gltasn]

crankcase is pressurised at idle ??
Your running stock pcv valve ?

hook a vaccuum gauge on the crankase (dip stick hole) to check that there is any pressure in the crankase, thats what I would do first

stock pcv is out of the mix but still have the crankvents. i pretty much know the cc is getting pressure. and since its not the pcv system im buying a compression tester today. i guess i know im fuct but im in denile. unless theres another cause for the cc to pressurize.

[mb7050]

Have you tried to run all the valve cover ports to open athmosphere ?

bad rings or bad cc ventilation can cause the cc to pressurize I cant think anything else right now.

[mb7050]

I had krank vents but I uninstalled the bigger one because my dipstick popped out once (because the bigger one got stuck). Now I´m using the small one and the stock pcv valve in series(Idont trust krank vents at all), no problems I still think the bigger krank vent is useless :)...

oh and my leakdown and compression is all good...

[GTO_Joe]

My talon pops it's dipstick everytime I drive it, as did my Black stealth before I rolled it it. In the Talon's case it's due to low compression on all cylinders (100 - 110 psi on a hot engine, 15 inhg vac at a hot factory idle), caused by high mileage and alaskan winters. In the case of the Stealth it was good on all cylinders except the #6 which had something like 75 psi hot (17 inhg vac at a hot factory idle). A good easy test to do is warm up the engine and then go down a hill with your foot off the gas and the engine in gear cranking about 3500 rpm, look at your vac if it's not 23/24 inhg you probably have issues, try dropping a gear so the rpms are > 5000, you should see 24/25 inhg. My talon can only muster 19/20 inhg on these tests. I'll give you a call later today.

Joe

[gltasn]

2 tc lock-ups, 2 engine fires(not bad ones but still scary),4 engines that detonated # 6 piston, its hard for me to drive her and not be worried about something happening. driving my car is like getting a girl off, and right when they climax, she explodes!

[mb7050]

I know that feeling .

Just a thought could bad valve guides cause such an issue ?

[GTOJOE]

My talon pops it's dipstick everytime I drive it, as did my Black stealth before I rolled it it. In the Talon's case it's due to low compression on all cylinders (100 - 110 psi on a hot engine, 15 inhg vac at a hot factory idle), caused by high mileage and alaskan winters. In the case of the Stealth it was good on all cylinders except the #6 which had something like 75 psi hot (17 inhg vac at a hot factory idle). A good easy test to do is warm up the engine and then go down a hill with your foot off the gas and the engine in gear cranking about 3500 rpm, look at your vac if it's not 23/24 inhg you probably have issues, try dropping a gear so the rpms are > 5000, you should see 24/25 inhg. My talon can only muster 19/20 inhg on these tests. I'll give you a call later today.

Joe

Hahahaha there is only is only room for one GTO joe here mate!!!! and I was here first pfffth

[11secondFWD]

I take away all my sources of boost/vacuum off my valve covers and vent them. All I know is every pressure test I did when I have pcv and crap hooked up to the intake manifold boost source I would get pressure in my crankcase. Doing that on every car I have owned saved me from popping dipstick. ALso, everyone of my cars has perfect compression and runs strong, so I know that having the intake manifold boost sources hooked up to my valve cover is causing it. So I would check there first.

[Ray Pampena]

im sure its FINE. if it runs fine and has no smoke its probably ok. it will push the stick out because there is not enough room for the crankcase to breath out of that one hose you have. if you get any knock at all, it will push the stick.

the swoosh you hear when you pull the stick of from crankcase vacuum NOT positive pressure. the crankvents make a vacuum when the car is not in boost.

make sure your getting no spark knock and make the stick fit the tube tighter

[gltasn]

im sure its FINE. if it runs fine and has no smoke its probably ok. it will push the stick out because there is not enough room for the crankcase to breath out of that one hose you have. if you get any knock at all, it will push the stick.

the swoosh you hear when you pull the stick of from crankcase vacuum NOT positive pressure. the crankvents make a vacuum when the car is not in boost.

make sure your getting no spark knock and make the stick fit the tube tighter

thanks for all the reply! im a jeweler by trade and theres a device we use for milling gold,silver ,ect... its rollers that can be tightened and flatten out metel. would running the dipstick thru there and making it flatter and wider work to secure it better. right now i put a ziptie on it but left enough room for the stick to pop up 1/2 inch to relieve pressure if necs but not splatter my header with oil. car is in show all weekend(last one this year, only indoor show). no i didnt pressure test yet, i just got involved with my online courses yesterday and didnt wnat to mess with it till after the show. i will be getting some breathers and removing the rear krank vent. good thing the show is 1/2 mile away.

[Ray Pampena]

you can flatten the stick some.. thats fine. krank vents need to be both or none. the one on the manifold will suck air in like a leak if the other one is open

[mb7050]

you can flatten the stick some.. thats fine. krank vents need to be both or none. the one on the manifold will suck air in like a leak if the other one is open

Unless if your using stock pcv valve also then its just douple secure.

Is it good to have that extra vacuum in the crankcase when using both crank vents ?

[Ray Pampena]

its good to have but its only under manifold vac conditions. once under boost, theres no vacuum in the crank case. it helps the turbos drain and reduces the chance of exhaust smoke from anything like rings, valve seals, and turbos.

under boost, you have to make sure it can breathe well though or it will push the stick out or make oil leaks and or smoke

[mb7050]

this topic got me thinking since I´m getting rid of the ac could I put a vacuum pump where the ac normally sits. That way I could have a vacuum at the crankcase under boost...

Something like this.
http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/attachments/315d1208986965-gzmotorsports.jpg
http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/gz-motorsports-lsx-vacuum-pump-kit-194.html

[Ray Pampena]

thats the deal... its worth some power too

[mb7050]

less oil contamination and no need to vent the cc back to intake(what matters most to me) + other good stuff

intresting reading about vacuum pumps..

http://www.dragstuff.com/techarticles/vacuum-pumps.html

http://www.gzmotorsports.com/vacuum-pump-guide.html

What still conserns me is that in stock form there is no vacuum at the crankcase its just ventilated hmm...

[hotGTO]

Caught up to the class on the vacuum system now... lol