PCV valve knackered... where is best place to get one?

[agent_zed]

Hi,

Couldn't work out why my pinto was smoking so badly and eventually got around to taking a look. did a compression test and that was fine....although perhaps not as i noticed there was loads of oil on the pistons and the spark plugs were sooty.

I'd put the smoke down to number one piston stem seals as they sit in oil as the engine is tipped forward so i replaced the inlet one a while ago but no change.

Seeing all 4 plugs as sooty as each other and oil in the cylinders i had to wrack my brain and finally can up with the only place it could be coming from.... the pcv valve.

low and behold i've just taken it off and there is fresh oil in the pipe.

Stupidly i hadn't even thought about it but having read up on pcv valves the other symptoms are rough running on tickover as it allows more air in. I have been thinking the carb is just old and playing up so i'll be very interested to see if this cures the smoke and idling.

So my next problem is they seem to be quite expensive for what they are at around £18-20. Does anyone know a better source?  https://www.burtonpower.com/pcv-valve-straight-type-3-8-outlet-6011482.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=prodlistad&utm_campaign=gb_feed?WbRf=ProdListAd&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2-zPkt3m3wIVSLTtCh0eRwUxEAkYASABEgLjQ_D_BwE lists a part number but that doesn't seem to return much from my searches.

I guess i could try ford. occasionally they can surprise. failing that i just have to pay up.

 

any help appreciated.

 

 

 

[maca]

Try Burton power.

Not sure that you will get the parts from Ford now but you can try I just put a small filter on the p.c.v .outlet and my engine is fine without piping to the manifold. 

https://www.burtonpower.com/pcv-valve-grommet-6011482gr.html

https://www.burtonpower.com/pcv-valve-straight-type-3-8-outlet-6011482.html

Edited January 12, 2019 by maca

[Andi]

Yes. I just vented mine to the road

[Guest MrToad]

Have you tried cleaning the valve with something like carb cleaner. They are generally a very simple ball valve with spring pressure and the job they do is in very messy conditions and like later EFR valves suffer from sticking in position. Garages will just look at diagnosis computer and fit a new EFR valve at extreme cost, when all that's needed is a good clean to free up the mechanism.

[Guest MrToad]

Sorry should have read EGR not EFR, must have been the second pint that did it, Hic

[agent_zed]

Think you might be confusing PCV valve (positive crankcase ventilation) with EGR (Exhaust gas re-circulation) which do quite different jobs. The pcv valve on the pinto is just a simple valve that is located in the block just above the sump and when there is sufficient vaccuum in the manifold it draws gases from the crankcase. If it sticks open oil can get pulled into the manifold and through the engine, which is what i think is happening to mine.

I poked the valve part a bit and i can feel some resistance but it doesn't seem to spring back to a fully closed position with much force so i wonder if the spring is either too weak or broken a bit so it's not providing enough force.

 i did try running the car earlier with the valve removed and the hole in the manifold blocked and it was stilling smoking a lot. Is it possible that there is still oil that needs to be burnt off? in the exhaust manifold perhaps?

 

 

 

 

[Longboarder]

In a healthy engine the pcv just vents blowby gas from the crankcase and there isn't much, not enough to make the engine smoke. There just isn't the flow rate. Yes, you will find the pipes contaminated with oil. I suspect you have worn bores, excessive blowby gas but also excessive entry up the bores of oil, perhaps made a little worse by the re-entry of some oil vapour via the pcv manifold link. To check just block the valve open with a bit of soft wire and lead it into a temporary catch can like, say, a coke can stuffed with steel wool. Now run the car. If it still smokes it's not the pcv circuit. If it doesn't then fit up a better catchcan. And no, one of those mini cylinder filters is no good for this job. It will become saturated with oil and cease to be a meaningfull crankcase vent.

[agent_zed]

well it is 26 years old and it does have 128k on the clock so you are probably right. They don't make things to last do they

I'll check the plugs tomorrow and see if they have sooted up again, which i guess should tell me if there is oil in the cylinder still which must be from the bores Or if there is residual oil in the exhaust that is just burning off.

When i ran it earlier i left the oil separator in and just removed the pcv and i couldnt see any oil coming out. I'll put my finger over tomorrow and see if there is much pressure coming out although i don't know how much is too much as there is sure to be some.

This is all still on the drive though so only idle and a little throttle as opposed to full driving, so perhaps a blast would clear it better but i dont have it taxed right now.

Oh i did a compression test the other day and it was 158, 163, 160, 159 but from what i have read you can get good figures if there is oil in the bores as it seals it better. 

It's annoying as i want to make sure she remains driveable as i have loads of jobs to do and if i take the engine out it'll be months and months before it's back together. But i guess that's how it goes sometimes.

 

thanks all