88red4cyl Posted January 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 i use brake kleen but thats just me. spray it on a rag and go to town All right, thanks! I'm gonna be driving the LTZ on a 30 mile trip tonight down to macon which the speed limit is 70 mph.. Is that enough time of driving for the water to get out of there? What I mean is, if it's condensation, will that yellow crap still be there after I get there and check the cap, or do I need even more driving than that? And I won't be immediately coming back when I get there.. It'll be drive 30 miles, sit 3 hours, drive 30 miles back. -Will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schurkey Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 Have you verified that the PCV system works as intended? Normal operation of the engine will result in water vapor in the oil due to combustion blow-by past the rings. Having a functioning PCV will help pull moisture out of the crankcase--although clearly it would work better when the engine is fully warmed up. If condensation is a problem, the first three things to check are: 1. Short trip driving. (...don't.) 2. Defective PCV system 3. Defective thermostat resulting in reduced engine operating temperature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88red4cyl Posted January 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 Have you verified that the PCV system works as intended? Normal operation of the engine will result in water vapor in the oil due to combustion blow-by past the rings. Having a functioning PCV will help pull moisture out of the crankcase--although clearly it would work better when the engine is fully warmed up. If condensation is a problem, the first three things to check are: 1. Short trip driving. (...don't.) 2. Defective PCV system 3. Defective thermostat resulting in reduced engine operating temperature. I haven't checked the PCV valve.. To be honest, before the water pump went out on the 3100, I've never even payed any attention to what was under the oil cap.. I just added oil if I needed it and went on my way. So the condensation has probably always been there in the winter, I just didn't notice it.. Now I am super paranoid that I've got water in my oil.. As for the three things, I can't help #1... Pretty much all the trips I make are short as I don't live in that big of a town.. The thermostats are also good.. The cars blow warm heat and don't go up too far on the temp gauge.. Like I said before, I've never checked #2.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockfangd Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 well regardless change the pcv anyhow,. i usually change them once a year. I pulled 4 gm caps today and they all had the same stuff as yours Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88red4cyl Posted January 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 What's involved in changing the pcv on a 3100 and the 3800? Is there a write-up somewhere? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19Cutlass94 Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 3100 is easy, its on the front valve cover, to the right, pull up, and when its out, slide the 90* rubber boot off the plastic tube, then to take the rubber 90* boot off, get a small flathead to take it off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88red4cyl Posted January 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 3100 is easy, its on the front valve cover, to the right, pull up, and when its out, slide the 90* rubber boot off the plastic tube, then to take the rubber 90* boot off, get a small flathead to take it off. Cool.. Is the boot the thing you replace or the plastic tube? Sorry, I've never done this before.. What about on the 3800? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19Cutlass94 Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 The boot you keep. Unless its damaged. But when you pull up on the boot there will be a metal PCV valve. That metal part is what you replace. The PCV valves goes maybe 1/2" up into the boot. I couldnt tell ya on the 3800's. Ive never done it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88red4cyl Posted January 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 The boot you keep. Unless its damaged. But when you pull up on the boot there will be a metal PCV valve. That metal part is what you replace. The PCV valves goes maybe 1/2" up into the boot. Cool, thanks!! So if I replace that, then I should theorhetically have less moisture in the crankcase, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManicMechanic Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 3800s are easy (at least series I, I think series II is the same) It's at the passenger side of the intake, rotate the cap, pull the PCV valve out and replace the o-rings while you're at it, put it all back together (place one o-ring on the PCV valve itself and the other on the cap) and you're done...45 second to one minute process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88red4cyl Posted January 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 3800s are easy (at least series I, I think series II is the same) It's at the passenger side of the intake, rotate the cap, pull the PCV valve out and replace the o-rings while you're at it, put it all back together (place one o-ring on the PCV valve itself and the other on the cap) and you're done...45 second to one minute process. . DO you have to purchase the o-rings seperately or do they come with the new pcv valve? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88red4cyl Posted January 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 Well I took the 3100 out for a drive today and drove her around for about 15-20 minutes.. About the length of time for the gauge to get up to the middle and stay there.. Then I took some pics of the oil on the dipstick and crankcase, and then a better one of the cap. I know that the oil and water will blend if they are both present and look like "chocolate milk" so I thought I'd post and let you guys see what ya thought.. Now on with the pics.. And here's a better one of the oil cap.. It looks dry in the pic, but it was wet on the cap.. So what do you guys think? Did I even warm it up enough to tell anything.. The reason I'm posting this is because when I tasted the oil right off the cap, it almost tasted a bit sweet, but when I tasted it again it just tasted like crap.. So I thought I'd throw some pics up and see how it goes.. Oh, and the oil has ~1500 miles or so on it, Castrol GTX 10w30.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19Cutlass94 Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 Looks fine to me. After a while of driving the oil will get hot enough to burn off any water that has mixed in with it. Since oil's boiling point is higher than water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManicMechanic Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 DO you have to purchase the o-rings seperately or do they come with the new pcv valve? Yeah, you have to get them seperate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88red4cyl Posted January 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 Looks fine to me. After a while of driving the oil will get hot enough to burn off any water that has mixed in with it. Since oil's boiling point is higher than water. Cool.. Hopefully I can find an excuse to go out of town with it soon and try to get that water out of there... The look of the oil cap and how wet it was just had me worried.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManicMechanic Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 Take it on the freeway for 20 minutes or so... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88red4cyl Posted January 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 Take it on the freeway for 20 minutes or so... I will try to do that soon.. Is this the o-ring I need to replace with the pcv? they call it a grommet. http://www.autozone.com/R,APP550211/vehicleId,1979001/initialAction,partProductDetail/store,2340/partType,00462/shopping/partProductDetail.htm EDIT-- should I go with the acdelco pcv that I will have to order in, or is their generic one ok.. Not much difference in cost.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Euro Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 IMO Delco>generic. They're not expensive, but I'd rather pay for the little more expensive one. Just sort of that "peace of mine" thing for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockfangd Posted January 25, 2008 Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 basically cheaper or not they all work the same and they last about as long as any other. it is a 2 second job also, once you see it you will see how easy it is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
93CutlassSupreme Posted January 25, 2008 Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 IMO Delco>generic. They're not expensive, but I'd rather pay for the little more expensive one. Just sort of that "peace of mine" thing for me. It's a cylinder that contains a ball and a spring. I'm sure the generic one will work fine, especially on your 3100 where the valve is easy to get at. I'd use a Delco one on a 3.1 Multiport though, which requires Pletnum removal to get to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManicMechanic Posted January 25, 2008 Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 That's something I was going to do to my 3.1 and never got the chance...Make the PCV valve easily accessible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
93CutlassSupreme Posted January 25, 2008 Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 That's something I was going to do to my 3.1 and never got the chance...Make the PCV valve easily accessible. I'd be interested in that. Placing the valve under the intake is asinine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManicMechanic Posted January 25, 2008 Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 What i was thinking was running a hose out from under the intake to a PCV valve, then running another hose from the PCV valve to an emptied out PCV valve that's in the valve cover. That's not too much different than the way a DOHC 3.4 is set up... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88red4cyl Posted February 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 I went to the auto parts store today and bought a PCV valve. The guy asked me if I needed a grommet and I said I didn't know, so he came out with me and had me start the car up. There was a loud hissing sound and if you move the PCV line, then the car would either speed up or slow down. He said I needed a new something or other that is where the line from the PCV goes back into the engine under the bracket that holds the throttle cables... I have no idea what he is talking about though, but he said that is where my sometimes erratic idle comes from (the line moving).. Is the PCV a vacuum system? If it is, would a hole in it make the crankcase not vent enough, causing my moisture buildup? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88red4cyl Posted February 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 So the PCV isn't really a vacuum like the other vacuum lines are.. The sucking on it is from the intake I think, so if it's sucking in outside air from the PCV line, then the crankcase isn't getting vented enough,, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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