05-19-2024, 12:02 PM | #1 |
Drives: 2010 Chevy Camaro 2SS coupe (MT) Join Date: Jan 2024
Location: Sacramento, CA - USA
Posts: 113
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LS3: oil catch can excessive fill-up?!
Can anyone explain why my oil catch can fills up so quickly? I haven’t had it compression checked or anything, but I know that I might’ve overfilled oil before. Even then, after a while, my dipstick went down even below the max, and the catch can was STILL filling up more than halfway every 200-275 miles or so (depending on how hard I drive; how much I idle, etc.)…
I have a 2010 Chevy Camaro SS, with an LS3; currently sitting at around 34k miles, and I’ve done a pretty decent job at maintenance if you ask me. I haven’t had issues with the factory spark plugs or spark plug wires yet; but recently, one of my primary/upstream O2 sensors went out. The O2 sensor issue shouldn’t be directly related, as I’m sensing that this oil issue might be something deeper, physically going on in the engine block itself. I recently just did an oil change and still went below the max by maybe half a qt or 3/4 of a qt (usually takes ~8 qts for a normal drain and fill). I drove about 100-150 miles so far, and it’s filled up the oil catch can about a 1/4 way or more. I’m starting to lose some hope…. At first, I was thinking for a second my oil catch can was routed wrong, since it didn’t have any outlet and inlet routings marked. However, if that was the case, I probably wouldn’t be getting any oil in the catch can at all… My other concern is if I reinstall the stock PCV “valve” (more of a “recirculation” kind of valve, between the intake manifold and valve cover), that there must be TONS of blowby going on. Have I been having an underlying issue all this time?? |
05-19-2024, 12:39 PM | #2 |
It don’t come easy.
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Search oil valley baffle. Probably has a bad seal.
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Last edited by 0stones0; 05-19-2024 at 05:27 PM. Reason: Wording |
05-19-2024, 01:41 PM | #3 |
Drives: 2012 Chevrolet Camaro l99 Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 2,191
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Is your engine stock, and what kind of catch can do you have?
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05-19-2024, 05:27 PM | #4 |
It don’t come easy.
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05-19-2024, 09:51 PM | #5 | |
Drives: 2010 Chevy Camaro 2SS coupe (MT) Join Date: Jan 2024
Location: Sacramento, CA - USA
Posts: 113
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Quote:
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05-19-2024, 09:57 PM | #6 | |
Drives: 2010 Chevy Camaro 2SS coupe (MT) Join Date: Jan 2024
Location: Sacramento, CA - USA
Posts: 113
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Quote:
Engine’s stock, as far as I’m concerned. I ended up using a Mishimoto 6th gen Camaro SS (LT1) replica oil catch can. I don’t know about the exact quality of the generic catch can, but the design and everything looks pretty much identical, minus any engravings or logos. I also just checked to make sure I didn’t overfill or was losing oil right after an oil change. Sure enough, it’s just tons of blowby; literally 70%+ of the catch can was full after a single ~220-250 mile trip… Crazy. I’m basically emptying out the catch can weekly, so that it doesn’t suck bad up oil…. |
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05-20-2024, 09:20 AM | #7 |
Anthony S
Drives: 2011 chevrolet camaro 2ss/rs Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Chiefland, FL
Posts: 979
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That is alot of oil honestly. Is your catch can routed to the intake manifold port for inlet and outlet to the valley cover baffle? Even under boost I only have an ounce or two after 1500 miles or so of hard driving mixed with highway. When my car wasn't boosted, it was maybe 2 ounces between every oil change.
If you have to replace the valley pan gasket. removing the intake manifold is not really that difficult honestly. I had to undo mine to do the fuel rail flip, and it was not difficult. Just use 1/4 inch drive tools so you don't break anything. Torque specs are pretty low.
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06-01-2024, 04:45 PM | #8 | |
Drives: 2010 Chevy Camaro 2SS coupe (MT) Join Date: Jan 2024
Location: Sacramento, CA - USA
Posts: 113
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How to check inlet/oulet on oil catch can?
Quote:
To check the inlet/outlet on my oil catch can, I can kinda inspect underneath the top, to see the filter element, and then the baffling, right? I forget which goes to which… Also, how else would you be able to tell if the valley cover gasket is bad? I’m kinda confused, cause I tried to look up a diagram and parts, and I keep seeing oil pan stuff.. My only concern now, I guess, is that I want to take off the oil catch can to reinstall the factory recirculation “valve” or whatever (LS3 only). I asked if all the same oil that I caught in my catch can, would be filling up and gunking up my entire intake manifold? I just can’t be emptying out my catch can every single week; this just seems completely pointless… Although it’s not seeming to drop my oil level like crazy at least. |
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06-02-2024, 08:07 AM | #9 |
Drives: 2012 Chevrolet Camaro l99 Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 2,191
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So do you have aftermarket valve covers, like Holley?
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Build Thread https://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=609817 |
06-08-2024, 07:00 PM | #10 |
Drives: 2010 Chevy Camaro 2SS coupe (MT) Join Date: Jan 2024
Location: Sacramento, CA - USA
Posts: 113
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Fully stock engine setup
Nope, my engine setup is bone stock. I don’t think it’s ever been serviced at all; still even has the original valve cover gaskets and everything else. I’m barely at 35k original miles on my car, if that explains it.
Also, I’m not sure if the routing orientation of the catch can itself matters… I don’t think so; but at this point, I’m trying to grasp at straws. I’m probably gonna just throw back on the stock recirculating valve. I’m just afraid that it’s been dumping/sucking ALL that oil into the intake system, this entire time. Is that possible? I was debating on unthreading the catch can fittings and reversing them, but I doubt that trying to figure out if it’s reversed is gonna do any good either. What exactly happens in a catch can with lines reversed? Does any damage occur? I figured oil obviously wouldn’t be catching… |
06-08-2024, 08:47 PM | #11 | |
Drives: 2012 Chevrolet Camaro l99 Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 2,191
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Quote:
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DSS FX Forged Pistons, Eagle ESP L19 Forged Rods, ARP Head and Main Studs, TSP PRC 260 CNC Ported Heads milled .030, Cometic .040 Head Gaskets, GPI SS3 VVT Camshaft, GM Performance Racing Lifters, CHE Trunnions , Molly Pushrods, Melling 10355HV Oil Pump, Cold Air Inductions CAI, Fast LSXR Intake Manifold, Nick Williams 103 TB, TSP 1 7/8" Longtubes with 3" TSP Exhaust, ZL1 Fuel Pump, Mishimoto Radiator, Mishimoto Oil Cooler, Tru Cool 40k Tranny Cooler, 3600 Circle D Converter, Fluid Dynamics Balancer
Build Thread https://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=609817 |
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06-09-2024, 08:05 AM | #12 |
Drives: 2012 camaro ss Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Illinois
Posts: 463
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I think hes talking about the small u shape factory connector that goes from intake to block on the LS3.
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06-09-2024, 08:11 AM | #13 | |
Drives: 2012 camaro ss Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Illinois
Posts: 463
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Quote:
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06-09-2024, 09:00 AM | #14 |
Drives: 2012 Chevrolet Camaro l99 Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 2,191
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If that's the case then I don't think I would put the factory set up back together unless you want all that oil in your intake. I just don't know how those cheap catch cans work compared to like a mishimoto or something similar. Not to bash the one have or anything just don't know how they compare you know? You definitely have a problem. You do know that they pcv stuff is under the valley cover right? So the only thing I can think of is maybe the pcv stuff under you valley cover isn't working correctly. Pull your oil cap off while it's running and see if you have air being pumped out. It should have a light suction to it if anything.
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DSS FX Forged Pistons, Eagle ESP L19 Forged Rods, ARP Head and Main Studs, TSP PRC 260 CNC Ported Heads milled .030, Cometic .040 Head Gaskets, GPI SS3 VVT Camshaft, GM Performance Racing Lifters, CHE Trunnions , Molly Pushrods, Melling 10355HV Oil Pump, Cold Air Inductions CAI, Fast LSXR Intake Manifold, Nick Williams 103 TB, TSP 1 7/8" Longtubes with 3" TSP Exhaust, ZL1 Fuel Pump, Mishimoto Radiator, Mishimoto Oil Cooler, Tru Cool 40k Tranny Cooler, 3600 Circle D Converter, Fluid Dynamics Balancer
Build Thread https://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=609817 |
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Tags |
breather, engine, oil, pcv, vacuum |
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