I was installing my new AIS this afternoon and I noticed that the air intake tube had a LOT of oil in in. There was a small puddle right in front of the CCV opening, and it had sprayed into the intake tube and even onto the edge of the filter. I have noticed recently that there was some "grunge" around the joint near the CCV and on top of the CCV housing on the valve cover--oil and dust--but hadn't thought to look INSIDE the tube for the source of the oil.

Is this normal? There has never been this amount of oil in the intake before, but this past air filter change (4 mos ago) I used the 3.5" thick filter instead of the standard 1.5" filter, again at the advice of the local garage that has caused me so many problems. They told me it did better at filtering the "alluvial silt" that the Fairbanks bowl is known for (and also told me to get rid of the K&N Filter I had been using because it let too much silt past). Is the additional restriction caused by the thicker air filter to blame? As I understand it, the vent is there to equalize the pressure and provide an outlet for excess emissions, but this much oil?? I'm pretty concerned.

Any ideas?


Kevin

 

yes, that oil is normal. scary, isnt it? a quick fix is to reroute these gasses to the outside atmosphere, it won't hurt anything. perhaps you have heard of the CCV mod, it's the rerouting of the crankcase vapors (vent). some have made a trap canister for the oil, some have let it go to the atmosphere, and some members (me included) have routed it in the exhaust. it's in my Webshots, under Stacks.

 

Yeah, it is pretty scary. Was doing searches on the CCV mod, it seems like it shifts the problem from the air intake to the air intercooler. As an aside, I also noticed that my driver's side intercooler hose was also covered with "grunge" at the junction tube to the intercooler itself. I don't have any oil leaks that I'm aware of (or that I've been told about by shops), so I'm at a loss where the oil is coming from on the outside of there, too... Without the mod, is there any oil normally blowing into the intercooler?

Also, what effect does this oil have on the effectiveness of the AIS filter media. It would seem to me that it would reduce it's efficiency if it is reaching as far as the filter box, as it did on the factory original....

Thanks.

Kevin

 

well the oil shouldnt go upstream towards the filter. even though the inlet neck for the filter is facing towards the filter media, the air keeps a steady crankcase pressure and the excess oil vapor is allowed to go into the engine.

 

Well, that would be a good indication that the factory box was pretty restrictive, then, if I'm finding oil residue on the turbo-end of the filter.

Of course, I checked the oil and it is a little high from the last oil-change (done at the same time and by the same shop that nailed me for the cps). I'm guessing that having the oil about a quart high would increase the output from the CCV, right?

Thanks, strokin'

Kevin