VS PCV valve - what is normal?

[aceventura]

I recently replaced the injectors in my VS Berlina. When I removed the plenum cover I discovered quite a bit of free oil throughout the plenum chamber. When I removed the plenum from the inlet manifold quite a bit of oil leaked from around the PCV valve. When I removed the PCV valve, I found that it was filled with oil, but when I shook it (as the Gregory's manual suggested), it rattled.

Is this normal? Is the PCV broken? I am guessing this is the origin of the black soot that seems to cover the back of the car.

Also, the Gregory's manual shows an o-ring and an oil seperator that goes with the PCV valve, but all I have is a PCV valve and a spring.

What should be present? Is the fact there is no oil separator part of the problem? I would have thought at the very least there would be an o-ring or some kind of seal at the interface between the PCV valve and the manifold.

I would appreciate any thoughts.

[immortality]

unfortunatly this is normal. best you can do is give it all a good clean.

the black soot on the back of the car would suggest it's running rich. what sort of fuel mileage you getting?

[greenacc]

could it be that your rings are worn ? hows your compression

[undar8ed1]

Get a old clean glass jar (dolmio sauce etc..) and put enough petrol in it to be able to submerse the valve and put in there, leave it in there over night.
In the morning pick up the jar and swish the petrol around, it should be fairly clean now, then just take it out of the jar and let it drip drain until your satisfied (blow it out as well if you wan`t) now put it back in ya car.
P.S the longer you leave in the jar the better, though it just depends on weather or not you need the car the next day.

[aceventura]

unfortunatly this is normal. best you can do is give it all a good clean.

the black soot on the back of the car would suggest it's running rich. what sort of fuel mileage you getting?

Running rich was my first thought when I noticed the black soot, at which time I was getting around 10.5 L/100km doing pure freeway driving. I replaced the O2 sensors and saw a 10-15% improvement in fuel economy - the black soot was reduced but still present. I then wondered if the injectors were blocked and not atomising the fuel properly so I replaced them - early indications suggest around a 5% improvement in fuel economy but it is too early to tell. It is also too early to tell whether this will fix the soot problem. I just saw the oil and the plenum and thought that might explain what I was seeing.

Thanks.

could it be that your rings are worn ? hows your compression

I will look into testing the compression - I don't have the equipment to do this - my toolkit is quite modest. The car only has 160000km on the clock and runs otherwise well, so I hadn't considered that till now.

Get a old clean glass jar (dolmio sauce etc..) and put enough petrol in it to be able to submerse the valve and put in there, leave it in there over night.
In the morning pick up the jar and swish the petrol around, it should be fairly clean now, then just take it out of the jar and let it drip drain until your satisfied (blow it out as well if you wan`t) now put it back in ya car.
P.S the longer you leave in the jar the better, though it just depends on weather or not you need the car the next day.

Thanks for the advice, I will try that.

But can anyone fill me on the oil seperator in the Gregory's manual? Did the early models have this fitted and it was useless?

[immortality]

Hi immortality,

Running rich was my first thought when I noticed the black soot, at which time I was getting around 10.5 L/100km doing pure freeway driving. I replaced the O2 sensors and saw a 10-15% improvement in fuel economy - the black soot was reduced but still present. I then wondered if the injectors were blocked and not atomising the fuel properly so I replaced them - early indications suggest around a 5% improvement in fuel economy but it is too early to tell. It is also too early to tell whether this will fix the soot problem. I just saw the oil and the plenum and thought that might explain what I was seeing.

Thanks.

oil in the plenum is normal, mine has it also, although not that much when i had the plenum cover off at 130,000km's some oil is always going to work it's way into the intake through the PCV valve with the blow-by gasses. mine was more of a goo rather free flowing oil. i suggest cleaning yours out as above and see what happens. i owuld expect a little better the 10.5l/100km on the freeway but i don't know what your driving style is. a ecotec really should be in the low 9's me thinks. change your fuel filter if oyu haven't already done so to protect your new injectors. and if possible get your fuel pressure checked. excessive fuel pressure can increase fuel consumption.

the best thing you can do is fit oil catch can in the vac line that goes from the intake manifold valley back into the TB and then block the PCV valve. no more oil in the intake. i have done this on my VN although that has a external PVC valve that i have plumbed into directly

[DannyboyDS]

the PCV valve is a one way valve, if it rattles and you can blow air through the larger (bottom) side and not from the smaller (top) side then it is working correctly, put an O ring on that PCV valve, it is meant to have one, thats all you can do, if all else fails holden sell them for under $20