1985 Merkur XR4Ti (aka Rally Car v3.0)

also! my dipstick blows right out of the tube... alot. i have it zip tied down right now... any suggestions?

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First Rally: 2010 First RallyX: 2004 (a bunch)
Driver (0), Co-Driver (7)
Organizer (3), Volunteer (3)
Cars Built (2.5), Engines Blown (2) Cages Built (0) # of rotations (3.5)
Last Updated, Apr 9, 2023

Quote
Gravity Fed
also! my dipstick blows right out of the tube... alot. i have it zip tied down right now... any suggestions?

determine whether all your combustion pressure is leaking past the rings or the valves (or both)?

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KF7RWG
http://www.utahrallygroup.com

Valve stem seals.
Super common problem.
Do a leak down and compression test.

Or buy some bigger zip ties.

Are you getting a ton of blow by out of the crankcase breathers? One at PCV valve on top rearward of valve cover, other comes off some annoying place down underneath the intake manifold. I welded a -8 or 10 fitting on my valve cover and pushed a nice big piece onto the block one and ran it to a nice big oil catch thingy. It still blew lotsa air but the tank never had much oil in it.

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Grant Hughes



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/11/2013 05:15PM by NoCoast.

Yep. Do a leak-down..

Many of these buggers have sat and when these sit there can be rust in the bores, that rust is abrasive...listen in the oil filler hole while pressure is up...
You better not hear some roaring wind sound..

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

yea i have oil film around the filler cap, pcv, etc. ill check compression and whatnot. hopefully it will just be valve stem seals.

---

First Rally: 2010 First RallyX: 2004 (a bunch)
Driver (0), Co-Driver (7)
Organizer (3), Volunteer (3)
Cars Built (2.5), Engines Blown (2) Cages Built (0) # of rotations (3.5)
Last Updated, Apr 9, 2023

Quote
Gravity Fed
yea i have oil film around the filler cap, pcv, etc. ill check compression and whatnot. hopefully it will just be valve stem seals.

Compression is best when looking for dead holes.
LEAK DOWN is for pinpoint where the problem is, not IF, but what .
Intake valve? Exhaust valve? Rings?
Leak down is the hot ticket.

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

how can i tell the difference between during leakdown?

---

First Rally: 2010 First RallyX: 2004 (a bunch)
Driver (0), Co-Driver (7)
Organizer (3), Volunteer (3)
Cars Built (2.5), Engines Blown (2) Cages Built (0) # of rotations (3.5)
Last Updated, Apr 9, 2023

Quote
Gravity Fed
how can i tell the difference between during leakdown?

listen in tailpipe---exhaust valve
listen in intake----intake valve
listen in oil filler------rings..
some of the cheesiod tester reduce shop line pressure.
I lurv full line pressure; lets ya hear easier.

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

Quote
john vanlandingham

Quote
Gravity Fed
how can i tell the difference between during leakdown?

listen in tailpipe---exhaust valve
listen in intake----intake valve
listen in oil filler------rings

No leaky then probably valve stem seals.

Pretty sure that's how I detected mine, though it might have just been compression check since I had one of those easy at hand and all holes checked out good and held compression.

---

Grant Hughes

Quote
NoCoast

Quote
john vanlandingham

Quote
Gravity Fed
how can i tell the difference between during leakdown?

listen in tailpipe---exhaust valve
listen in intake----intake valve
listen in oil filler------rings

No leaky then probably valve stem seals.

Pretty sure that's how I detected mine, though it might have just been compression check since I had one of those easy at hand and all holes checked out good and held compression.

Honeychile, leaky stem seals don't blow dipsticks out.
They suck erl in on decel

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

It's also possible that your PCV valve has failed. If so, you'll charge the crank case with boost pressure and blow the dipstick out of the tube. Easy, cheap replacement. I think Motorcraft P/N EV127A is correct.

Quote
john vanlandingham

Quote
NoCoast

Quote
john vanlandingham

Quote
Gravity Fed
how can i tell the difference between
Honeychile, leaky stem seals don't blow dipsticks out.
They suck erl in on decel

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Grant Hughes

Like what jay said, if your pcv is broken it will put all of your boost pressure straight into your crankcase and blow your dip stick. That being said, a properly functioning pcv valve only relieves crankcase pressure when you let off the throttle so if you have long full throttle periods the only way pressure is being released is through the small breather on your cam cover…or out your dipstick. People say high boost (>20psi) will tend to blow the dipstick no matter what your doing because of increased blow by. The solution seems to be a catch can like Grants. Here is a good resource. The added benefit to a catch can is that oil/oil mist is no longer being pushed/pulled into your intake which also helps raise the detonation prevention level so win win.

Only down side is it isn’t as environmentally friendly so you would be killing all of our great grandchildren…or possibly failing emissions in California. I have also read that the vacuum through the pcv valve helps prevent “engine sludge” by sucking out harmful vapors found in the crankcase but I am of the party that says “I don’t believe you and who cares anyway…use good oil and change it often. Problem solved.”

Mark the only "boost pressure" getting into the crankcase is getting in past the rings..
And cars without turbos also need crankcase ventilation..
You are confusing issues- symptoms- results.

If "boost pressure" got into the crankcase...boost is what 12-20-30 psi?

Even normal aspirated motors make 150-200 psi on the starter motor, without spark/boom..
They make shit-tons of Pee Esse Eyes when running...

See what I's saying?

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

Here's another good read.
http://www.burtonpower.com/tuning-guides/tuning-guide-pages/engine-breather-system.html

Wait, so boost doesn't push past leaking valve stem seals when you are say, pressurizing the intake manifold to 1.5 bar?
I'm having trouble grasping that one...
Enough to blow out the dipstick, valve cover gasket, etc?

If it were my car and I was about to pull the trans anyhow to fix a clutch and do a T5 swap, I'd go ahead and pull the valve cover, get a AN fitting welded onto the top instead of the cheesy little oil seperator thing, and setup a decent breather system anyhow.
Regardless of what else you are doing, that is probably a good idea.

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Grant Hughes