Cobra4B

If you had the earlier rings you'd have oil consumption constantly to the tune of about 1 quart every 1000 miles even w/ street driving.

You say you only get the consumption when cornering... well, when cornering oil hangs up in the heads from G-loads and gets sucked through the PCV system, hence the re-design and implementation of the LS6 system which lets crank pressure out from the valley which is far less suseptible to oil getting through.

Yes... oil vapor still gets through, but that's why I have my catch can... and even in track events it only gets a little in there.

There are how-to's floating around on how to add and LS6 valley cover and LS6 intake to an LS1 car. I know it requires a tiny bit of dremeling and you have to switch to the new coolant tubes (metal tubes under the manifold)

I don't know the parts cost... but I'd do that first, then block off the stock PCV ports in your valve covers.

Here's my Elite Engineering catch can setup... it works off the oem LS6 PCV system, the fresh air line from the valve cover to the TB is still in place.


Here you can see the LS6 valley cover



If you look at the front you can see a metal line sticknig up and toward the passenger side abotu 3/4" long w/ a vaccum cap on it... this is where the motor vents crank pressure. Under the valley cover there is an oil/air seperator. The line that goes to the top of the catch can comes from this port.

The other metal line at the front spanning the valley from head to head is a coolant pipe. The LS1 setup is different.

The '04 Z06 has a different valley cover w/ an internal PCV setup that doesn't use a PCV valve at all... on my father's '04 the catch can install was just 2 hoses, simple... mine uses the PCV still.

Hope this helps some.

Cobra4B

Here's the underside of the passenger side valve cover where you can see the oil blocker for the fresh air feed line:

tcmc5

Quicksilver, the only way to be sure you're not pumping oil into the intake is to do what has already been suggested several times and disconnect the PCV and fresh air lines and cap-off the intake nipples. Then run the the two lines to a breather catchcan. Simple. Effective. A can with 16oz or more capacity should be adequate. If you still have consumption issues that significantly exceed what's collected in the can then work that problem. But the prevalence of intake consumption on tracked cars convinces me that's where your problem lies.

Cobra4B

^ Cass is right... if you're not overflowing the catch can then the problem lies elsewhere.

A breather catch-can would do the trick. The breather will feed the fresh air line when needed, and the other will collect the PCV gasses. You'd want to cap off the ports on the manifold and on the TB.

BQuicksilver

I've certainly not had oil consumption the entire time, nor has it been high under street driving.

That makes sense. I think I need to better understand the origin point of the PCV line and valley cover lines to get this all straight...your pics helped a lot. As an aside, does anyone know a good diagram for the LS engine oiling flow?

I believe my 2002 Coupe should have come with the LS6 intake, and presumably the valley cover as well??

Looks similar to mine, except my PCV line lays across the pass valve cover coming up from the rear.

Also, can you just buy the oil blocker for my valve cover or would I need a completely different valve cover?

Cobra4B

^ Your valve cover has that in there allready... I believe you can have the LS6 intake manifold w/ an updated LS1 valley cover. This should mean that the swap would be easier.

BQuicksilver

I agree with you both as well. I pulled off the the lines to the TB and mani. The one from the pass valve cover to the TB was clearly passing oil. The one to the mani downstream of my AMW can was relatively dry. Unless I fail the leakdown I'm confident oil is passing up from the valve cover to TB.

Wow, I'm starting to get a real to-do list here. I'll likely do it all since I can't replicate the issue anywhere but the track, and I'm not willing to waste another track day getting black flagged.

#1) Compression/Leakdown test
#2) Add Canton Can (as Dale linked) between valve cover and TB. Cap off TB nipple.
#3) Switch over to LS6 or maybe 04 LS6 PCV, depending upon price or feasability.
#4) Add .040 restricted pushrods.
#5) Seafoam, new plugs, new O2's, oil change.

BQuicksilver

What gain would I see by going to the LS6 valley cover? Or is my updated LS1 cover good enough?

Cobra4B

^ Going to the LS6 valley cover... which is the main diference in the LS6 PCV vs. the LS1 PCV should pull less oil. However, if you are saying the oil isn't comming from the PCV line then it may do nothing.

GM redesigned the system becuase the LS1 PCV which veted from the valve overs was pulling too much oil at high RPM use. The LS6 PCV relieves pressure from the valley cover and not the valve covers.

A quick check would be to put one of those air compressor filters in the fresh air line and ssee if it is need sucking oil.

I'd go w/ the vented catch can first... if that doesn't fix the issue then it will be filling up w/ oil and you'll know your problem is elsewhere.

DALE C

Sorry I have been tring to keep up.
If you have a vent line from the front of the valley cover you are good and dont need an upgrade if you are going to run a vented catch can. If you need a valley cover give me a call I should have a few around here. Dont buy the big dollar LS6 PCV line you wont be using it with the catch can any way.

RAFTRACER

Brody......I thought you and I talked about all of this.......Remember what happens under WOT, PCV valve closes, engine vents through right side valve cover . This causes oil to be inducted and burned. Sorry been way too busy to pay attention to all of this. Things for you to do: 1) remove intake and get all of the oil out of it you can. 2) Install restricted pushrods (Comp Hi-Tech or Smith Bros.) 3) remove right side valve cover to throttle body line and either run through another oil separator tank (AMW or other) or vent through oil separator /breather tank as others here have mentioned.

My '03Z has two AMW's ...one on the pcv side and one on the fresh air vent side....no smoky under decel.....usually accumulate more oil in the can on the fresh air side (remember how the engine is venting under WOT) . 02Z has crude spray mist bottle conversion coming from lifter valley cover (as you have seen).... Also no smoky, but this car has no working pcv and is just venting to atmosphere.

Call if you need more........it really doesn't need to be rocket science.

BQuicksilver

Thanks Danny. You know I'm a little slow on most subjects until I've torn that particular part up.

Thanks Brian for the chat today re: all this....you really know your stuff.

I pulled the air bridge off today and oil was still pooled in the TB. I'm not even bothering with the leakdown at this point.

I'm planning on the oil cap breather AND restricted PR's. I forgot my PR length unfortunately. I believe they're stock length despite milled heads to 63cc.

I was chatting with a friend tonight about the PCV update question since it sounded nice but not necessary, and he reminded me of the popped 04 Z06 engine he had in his garage. Would it be worth making the swap if he'd hook me up on the parts cost?

BQuicksilver

I guess I still have one remaining question.

Why is this a new issue? I've been to quite a few track days without serious oil burning. Am I just faster this year (i am, but enough to really change that much)?? Flattery is welcomed, but I figure I would have seen this before.

rikhek

ttt

DALE C

Dont use the valve cover breather you will make one hell of a mess

rikhek

After following this and other threads I ordered an aluminum catch can with breather from drysump.com. If you're nice he'll probably give the "engine builder" price of $78 as opposed to his list price of $93. Their current cans have just one inlet. Will need to get a 3/8" NPT tee and run the fresh air line and PCV line to the tee and into the can. This will completely bypass the intake tract and manifold. I'll just plug up the PCV valve and fresh air nipple.

I'd like to thank Dale at tachitupmotorsports.com for spending a long time on the phone with me. He was patient and educated me.

Rick

http://www.drysump.com/catchcan.htm

P.S. They no longer make the plastic cans depicted in the picture.

0Randy@DRM

I also have the same question!!! Did you change anything else on the car or are you driving the wheels of the car? Or different track, or anything else???

Randy

BQuicksilver

I 'may' be driving it somewhat harder, but I think I would have seen hints before at the very least. In what little time I had at Putnam Monday, i had a 1:18 with full tank and passenger + short shifting the straight+no downshift in 7 to avoid the black flag. That's 3 secs+ faster than last year running 1:21 with none of those excuses. I'm still not really sure I can attribute it to more agressive driving...and I'm on the same tires as last year (NT01's).

BQuicksilver

Just talked to Tony Mamo, and he also pointed toward the breather can that Dale and Danny recommended.

kukri

Thank you very much for the pics. I have it setup same way except for one thing. In the first picture I can see that you PCV valve is connected to the intake inlet. On mine PCV valve is connected to the lower outlet on the catch can and faces opposite direction from yours. I just want to make sure I installed it wrong..so I guess I need to switch it out huh..