Some Serious Blow-By

SilverCasket

Registered User
Getting some serious blow by out of the dip stick (i think thats the only place) after just a few minutes of driving (beating it or not). When I stop, it almost looks like under the hood is on fire because of the smoke. Then it stops smoking a couple minutes after I turn the car off.

(just giving background here) I installed a t-stat and pusher fan last night & didn't have much time to see if the temps would rise out of control. As they were hitting the "Hot" level before this. I don't think so, because they looked fine. The bottom end only has about 700 or 800 miles on it. I have a pretty radical setup, but I couldn't imagine it not lasting more than a few hundred miles.

The thing I'm wondering is what could cause the blowby? I'm thinking either PCV Valve or cracked Rings. .... Any other suggestions? Things to look at? .. All this is being done today too since I am hoping to leave for St. Louis tonight.

Anthony
 
Updates

Looks like it may be a compression ring or oil ring. I've just about eliminated the PCV theory.

Could I have popped a compression ring or oil ring by running the car for a few hundred miles in the beginning with the cam position sensor way too advanced?

Anthony
 
It does sound like a compression ring that isn't seated or is nicked. Were you careful at installing them all? They can be nicked pretty easy if you're not real careful. If you were real careful, did you get blow by right from the beginning or was it after a few miles on it?
 
If I got it from the beginning I didn't notice. But I don't think I had it at first. I got the bottom end from Ford.

For the first 500 miles or so, I didn't know that my Cam Position Sensor was way too advanced & I thought it was just a over fueling problem. But then I found out on the dyno that it wasn't the fuel problem, so I had the sensor positioned correctly & the car ran fine after that.

However, the temps started to really get to the "H" within the few miles I was driving it. And thats when I noticed the blowby starting (or getting bad, maybe I just didn't notice a little bit at first).

What do ya think?
Anthony
 
Does Ford break in their engine before they sell them? Anyone know? If they don't, what have been your break in procedures? Changing oil? When? What weight? Oh and cam sensor probably didn't do anything.
 
They don't break in the engine first. Also, I've only got about 700 or 800 miles and changed the oil twice. 10-30. Within that 7 or 800 miles I've blown the trans on a couple of track runs, pulled a few 350rwhp 5800rpm pulls and gone so far sideways that I could have touched the bumper on a few whole-shots. I'm sure that wasn't helping, but I was having too much fun. ... But I still don't think that qualified enough to blow it up.

Anthony
 
Well, it sounds like you didn't give it enough time before you got on it to fully seat the rings. I may be wrong but are you still using oil? Well, that's probably kind of hard to tell with blow by now but how about before. Did you notice you hwere low oil at all?
 
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Yes, I did notice low oil before. I thought it may have been an oil leak somewhere. But, maybe it was burning?

Anthony
 
Yeah. As the day goes on, I am concluding that after St. Louis I'm going to be doing another transplant.

Another question. Could it screw up my heads or blow a piston if I drag it a few times and dyno it twice?

Just curious. I plan on doing it anyway though.
Anthony
 
I really don't think you will hurt anything more than making the existing problem worse but I don't think the guys at the shootout will be to happy if you oil down the track. I know when I blew my engine, broke rings lands on two pistons, I covered my engine compartment and the track with oil.
 
That's what I'm wondering. Will it blow? Because I have the blow-by under control and have no leaks. Cleaned the whole compartment down. If the motor blows during a pass that's a different story. But I guess that could happen at any point. Making the problem worse, but not blowing it up, everyone (and I) will be fine.

Anthony
 
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