Subaru l series oil in my air intake/filter

Strevdog · Post by **Strevdog** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 8:35 pm

So I had my wagon down a creek bed today testing her out. I had the front right down in a hole and the rear left right up in the air so I got out to get a few photos and left it running then I drove out And I noticed a big trail of oil! It was coming out the air box, hasn't done it before that I know of :/ I'm just wondering what causes this and how I can stop it in the future

Post by **TOONGA** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 8:42 pm

It is more than likely that the rocker cover filled with oil, due to the angle of the engine and crankcase pressure pushed the oil up the breather pipe and into the air cleaner. catch cans on the breather pipes should stop this from happening again.

Or you could turn the engine off next time

TOONGA

RSR 555 · Post by **RSR 555** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 10:09 pm

How much oil was in the engine? and how much is left in it now? Remember you can only get a true reading on the dipstick first thing in the morning. I find so many Subaru engines have been over filled because they have been checked just after the engine has been turned off.

Another big factory in oil in the air filter tray is due to the air filter being dirty and it gets sucked up through the breather pipes.

And a plus 1 for what TOONGA said about turning the engine off

Strevdog · Post by **Strevdog** » Tue Nov 12, 2013 8:41 pm

Oil filter looked quite dirty iv cleaned out my intake pipes, mas and put in a new air filter, been checking it daily and it's still clean so it must have been the angle or the filter being dirty cheers for the replys

Strevdog · Post by **Strevdog** » Mon Nov 18, 2013 9:55 am

I had the subaru in some sand on the weekend and had this same issue was going up a sand hill in 2nd gear at 4500rpm and it sucked oil into the motor through the intake only lost about 500mm of oil. Got a trip planned soon so I really want to figure out why this is happening. :/

RSR 555 · Post by **RSR 555** » Mon Nov 18, 2013 3:15 pm

I'd do as TOONGA has mention and fit yourself a catch can. You can buy them of Supacrapy for $40

You'll just need to empty this out ever so often. I'd also look at the air filter intake, as there is a little summer/winter flat on there and this might be getting stuck in the winter position, this could be restricking the air into the housing and cause the engine to draw the air from the breathers?? Also make sure the little rubber flapper do-dads on the back of the air filter housing aren't blocked off.

Strevdog · Post by **Strevdog** » Mon Nov 18, 2013 4:48 pm

Mine is the mpfi ea82 will it still have this little flappy things in the intake pipes? I didn't see them when I was cleaning the oil out of them?

Strevdog · Post by **Strevdog** » Mon Nov 18, 2013 8:15 pm

And can I block the PVC valve pipes off for now? The pipes that go from the rocker cover into the air intake? That's where the oils coming from

RSR 555 · Post by **RSR 555** » Mon Nov 18, 2013 10:37 pm

Strevdog wrote:Mine is the mpfi ea82 will it still have this little flappy things in the intake pipes? I didn't see them when I was cleaning the oil out of them?

Sorry didn't know yours is a EFI version and I didn't ask

To answer your question.. Nope, yours won't have this air filter housing that I'm referring to. But if you are having oil come up to your air filter box on the EFI model, then you have a bad blow-by problem.

Strevdog wrote:And can I block the PVC valve pipes off for now? The pipes that go from the rocker cover into the air intake? That's where the oils coming from

I wouldn't block your PCV but maybe try putting your breathers into a couple of plastic bottles and go for a good hard drive, then have a look at the bottles and see how much oil is in them.

NachaLuva · Post by **NachaLuva** » Tue Nov 19, 2013 12:28 pm

PCV= positive crankcase ventilation, so if you have blow-by your crankcase pressure will be higher, pushing more oil out the pipes. If you block off the pipes then I'd imagine other things might happen as the pressure builds up like blowing seals & gaskets

Sounds like a catch can is your best bet till you find the cause

Can you do a compression test?

Strevdog · Post by **Strevdog** » Tue Nov 19, 2013 1:42 pm

Would bad blow buy make my engine run rough all the time, loss of power and shooting oil up regularly not just every now and then? And what would fix the blow buy issue? Rebuild?

RSR 555 · Post by **RSR 555** » Tue Nov 19, 2013 9:55 pm

Strevdog wrote:Would bad blow buy make my engine run rough all the time, loss of power and shooting oil up regularly not just every now and then? And what would fix the blow buy issue? Rebuild?

Yes, Yes, Yes any you answered the last one yourself

I'd try a compression test first, before you go too far