95 850 na. You've all heard it before, Smoke out of the dipstick, oil on top of the engine. I recently did the whole PCV service, cleaned everything, including ports, replaced seperator, hoses, flame trap etc. Has no PTC since it is not a Turbo. Runs well. Still have smoke pumping out of the dipstick. 200k miles, probably just an old worn out engine.

I've been running it with the dipstick pulled out slightly to help it vent, but when I run the heater and I'm stopped at a light or in stopped traffic, I smell oil, so I turn the fan off until I'm moving. I purchased a junkyard dipstick pipe, I was going to drill a small hole in the pipe and splice (not sure how I'm going to do it just yet) an additional line on there, run a hose down and back to the rear of the car. No emmisions testing here in New York.

I guess the right way to fix this is to tear into the engine, but I'm not up for that since it really does run well and starts every morning. Is there a preferred method to add an additional crankcase vent? What about a "catch can" is that just at the end of the vent hose? Thanks for your advice! Dave

 

Unless oil is blowing past the oil cap, or you're getting major oil through the PCV, I wouldn't worry about it (and if it is doing these things, you have pretty serious ring problems). If you leave the dipstick in, the intake vacuum will do a better job of pulling crankcase gases; the pressure is just going to the area of least resistance with the dipstick up.

I also have a bit of smoke from the dipstick after full PCV service, although it is less since i modified the PCV hose to be a bit longer and fit more tightly. The way that thing goes together is just asking for a vacuum leak.

 

Put seafoam through the engine oil sometimes that helps cleans and lubricate the engine and a bottle of lucas oil treatment. Run it for 100 to 150 miles and change the oil. Hope that helps.

 

gaby- Seafoam then 150 miles then oil change? Add Lucas to the new oil and run it? rather not throw away the $$$ Lucas.

Turkey- are you saying leaving the dip stick in will ventilate it better than pulling it out? Sounds like you aren't reccommending adding a vent.

It runs so nice it doesnt seem like its got any major engine troubles. Plugs are clean. coolant is just coolant- no oil...

Dave

 

Yeah put the seafoam treatment on the oil 150 miles and then change the oil. Lucas oil treatment is just something I like to use on my cars is a great product but that just me;everybody is different, is only 12.99 on autozone and it replaces a quart of oil.

 

Yup. But also make sure the PCV breather hoses are all tight, especially at the flame trap. I had to extend the hard pipe to make mine fit tightly. Otherwise you are not only already venting to atmosphere, but introducing a vacuum leak that will disrupt engine management.

I promise, you don't need to leave the dipstick out. The PCV hoses have plenty of diameter to vent the gases, and the negative intake pressure will move more than venting to atmosphere, as well as getting rid of the odor.

 

Only thing I forgot to mention was that I didnt clean or replace the EGR valve (mine has one of those) during my PCV job. I will recheck those hoses and try a bottle of seafoam. Maybe try some Lucas too. I'd rather not unhook that whole intake manifold again. Dave

 

make sure you got the flame trap hoses hooked up right. it only circulates in one direction.

 

I ran a hose from the top of the engine to the underside of the car and dumped the gases there, no smell inside the car.
Also if you put the HVAC on recirculate you will not get any smell inside the car.

 

Also check the insulation around the front windshield shroud. I had been getting gases inside my cabin as well until I added a new layer of rubber insulation under and above my windshield shroud. This formed a tighter seal when the hood is closed. I had a gaping hole near the cabin air filter beneath my shroud and gas were seeping into the cabin through the HVAC system. No odors since then

 

Many people don't realize that vacuum is good for the engine. When you leave the dipstick loose, you are not helping the engine. Same thing with venting to atmosphere.

If you cleaned the PCV, but still have blow-by, there is not much you can do except keep changing the oil, and add a catch-can.

These NA motors are not as good as the Turbo motors.

 

Thanks for the advice on the windshield gasket- I'll check that. I bought a junkyard frame for the cabin air vent, I dont think mine has a frame or a filter. A charcoal impregnated filter is about 18$.

Henry- How would I add a catch can? I figured that would only be used if I added some sort of extra vent line and it sounds you are not reccomending that.

Dave

 

What would happen if the sea foam is kept in longer than 150 miles?

 

Search the forum. There are several thread with detailed instructions and photos of Catch Can.

 

Is there a check this first thing to do for oil dipstick smoking(small amount of blowby)? I'm fairly new to Volvos. It'a 2000 V70 non turbo. I'm amazed daily how proud the stealer is of there parts and service work. I was quoted $600 to clean the crankcase vent system. The car has 98000 miles and has good service records. Can one spray a gum out like product or throttle cleaner into a hose a few times first before the entire vent system is taken apart?

 

I'm assuming this advice is for NAs only? Maybe it's different than turbo blocks, but I am venting to atmosphere and my vac is ~19hg at idle, which is the exact same as those who do not have any sort of catch can installed. So, if you're referring to both NAs and turbos, then I would have to disagree with you, venting to atmosphere, let alone a catch can, will not effect your vac numbers...granted everything else is up to par. If you're only referring to NAs, then I cannot say how venting to atmosphere will effect your set up.

Same advice I give everyone else, if you're not running anything over stock boost, then a catch can is pointless and a waste of time/money...in this case...the car doesn't even have a turbo. So adding a catch can would be useless.

I'm going to leave this pic here:



....if you want to know how it's installed and routed in, please search, I've explained it about a hundred times and it's beaten to death.

 

I've just accepted that my 240K+ motor is going to have a bit of blowby, and until compression loss affects performance, it'll be ok.

 

Guess I dont understand the whole idea of a catch can. That last photo looks like a relocated oil seperator with some extra stuff thrown in. I thought a catch can was just a can (or old soda bottle with some holes in it) at the end of a long extra vent line so oil doesnt drip on the driveway. I'd rather not dig back in too deep (rather not take intake off again) Sounds like there are mixed opinions on adding an extra vent line anyway...Dave

 

Oh come on Gabe, only 99 times.

I vent to atmosphere too.

 

Yeah, sounds like you don't know what a catch can is. No, it has nothing to do with leaking oil. What it looks like is exactly what it is.

Well, here we go, I guess we're making it 100 times it's been explained.

A catch can catches blow by that the breather box misses and is otherwise sent back into the intake while relieving excess crank case pressure in cases where higher than stock boost numbers are being ran. Venting to atmosphere simply releases all of that pressure while completely canceling out the chance that the blow by will make it back into the intake pipe.

In the case of my set up, the first can has a baffle in it to catch blow by and allow it collect at the bottom of the can, from there it goes to a secondary "reservoir" can where any blow by that is not caught by the first can ends up. Both have vents on them to relieve any/all pressure and both have drains so I can drain the fluid.

And a soda bottle with holes in it? No. Just......no. Don't. Ever.

100.