Kracka Vent help

**goodhart** · 11-18-2008

OK this might sound retarded, but I bought a set of these from MAP like a week ago and put them in. Everytime after boost on decel the car would smoke like a chimney, like oil smoke.

I'm guessing I may have had them in backwards? I installed them as per the MAP instructions they came with, with 'the big side towards the engine' which is all the sheet said, so I assumed the big sides facing the valve cover. I didn't have time to switch them around because of deer hunting and other things I had to take care of, but as soon as I took them off the car stopped smoking right away.

P.S. I have the stock PCV, all emisions removed if that helps at all. Also no catch can currently installed.

**Kracka** · 11-18-2008

Hmm, I've never seen this issue before. Want to swing over to my place sometime when you're in the Cities and I can diagnose/fix the problem for you? If you have time, make sure the valves are stuck. If they are, I'll be more than happy to replace them for you. Also, you are correct, the fat end goes towards the valve cover.

**goodhart** · 11-18-2008

Ahh, I wish I could. I live all the way in St. Cloud though. I'll post some pics if I get a chance tonight.

**asshanson** · 11-18-2008

Try blowing through them, you should be able to blow through the fat side but not the other direction (air out of valve cover only).

FattyBoomBatty · 11-18-2008

(I was beaten to the punch)
Just test them yourself, you should be able to blow through and not suck back in from the big end, just using your mouth. If you can suck and blow (har har), it's broken/not working.

Maybe the kracka vents revealed some other problem like bad rings?

**asshanson** · 11-18-2008

I doubt you could suck AND blow through them, that would make them broken, but act as if they weren't even there, which wouldn't explain the difference between installed and not.

My guess is stuck completely or like FattyBoomBatty said, it revealed another problem.

**Kracka** · 11-18-2008

Goohart, please do post pics if you're able to. If for some reason they are stuck or got clogged you could try cleaning them out with brake cleaner if you want. Or, if all else fails, I'll just send you another set

**goodhart** · 11-18-2008

OK, I got home and took some pictures. The first picture is how they were originally installed before I took them off, I just slipped them back on just to show how they were.

The second pic is the current setup I came up with after looking at it for a bit, I took out the KV off the PCV, and returned it to stock setup.

On the breather however, I kept the KV inline and then ran it through a catch can on its way back to the intake pipe.

Not sure if the current setup is right or not, I did bring it on a short test drive but it was too dark to really notice any smoke out the exhaust. I will hopefully report back tommorow morning on whether or not there is smoke.

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...was_before.JPG

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...rent_setup.JPG

**goodhart** · 11-18-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by FattyBoomBatty

(I was beaten to the punch)
Just test them yourself, you should be able to blow through and not suck back in from the big end, just using your mouth. If you can suck and blow (har har), it's broken/not working.

Maybe the kracka vents revealed some other problem like bad rings?

Well, I blew through it and it worked just as it should, sucked and it closed right away like it should, that rules out bad KV. Bad rings are very doubtful also, this motor is only about 4,000 miles old had a 1,500 mile break in, and almost everything was done by DB.

They did have a little bit of gunk in them, I had already tried that out before and the car went right back to smoking.

**Halon** · 11-18-2008

Just want to make sure I'm understanding this correctly...

Without any of the valves installed, it does not smoke at all on decel after boosting, correct? But with both valves in, it smokes a lot? If so, then personally I'd remove one at a time, to figure out which one exactly is causing this. Then report back.

Also, your catch can isn't full is it?

mdost03 · 11-18-2008

I'm betting your PCV line was getting pinched shut by the sharp bend it has to make, I had the same problem. Remedied it by getting a catch can to run the lines to and to make it easier to route back to the intake manifold and valve cover with less bends.

mike55112 · 11-18-2008

I think blageo23 was having this problem has well, did you see his car on the dyno at the dyno day?

**goodhart** · 11-18-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Halon

Just want to make sure I'm understanding this correctly...

Without any of the valves installed, it does not smoke at all on decel after boosting, correct? But with both valves in, it smokes a lot? If so, then personally I'd remove one at a time, to figure out which one exactly is causing this. Then report back.

Also, your catch can isn't full is it?

Nope, catch can is bone dry. Also, I just put that on tonight temporarily, to see if it would help solve the smoking.

**goodhart** · 11-18-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike55112

I think blageo23 was having this problem has well, did you see his car on the dyno at the dyno day?

Not sure, the spring dyno day or the fall one? I was only at the spring one and about half of the cookout.

**asshanson** · 11-19-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by totaleclipse_05

I'm betting your PCV line was getting pinched shut by the sharp bend it has to make, I had the same problem. Remedied it by getting a catch can to run the lines to and to make it easier to route back to the intake manifold and valve cover with less bends.

That wouldn't be affected on boost, the valve(s) will be closed anyway. However, it would prevent air from escaping on decel, but it could still escape via the side breather.

**goodhart** · 11-19-2008

[quote=Halon;265225]
I'd remove one at a time, to figure out which one exactly is causing this. Then report back.
quote]

They each do it, I can have one on the breather and stock PCV, or one on the PCV and stock breather, still end up with the same result.

**goodhart** · 11-19-2008

Well, I got on it a little on the way to school this morning, and what do ya know, smoking like a chimney again! However, this is only on decel after peak boost (23psi) and its not as much smoke as before, but it's still smoke.

Pretty sure I will be taking these off my car now because it seems like it runs just fine without them, and I have no freaking idea why these are making the car smoke so much.

**scheides** · 11-19-2008

You never checked out or answered the question about the lines getting kinked?

Also, you have a breather on top of your catch can. You should block that off, because you are trying to provide vacuum to the can via the air intake pipe. Having that filter on the top of the can basically nullifies this.

**goodhart** · 11-19-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by scheides

You never checked out or answered the question about the lines getting kinked?

Also, you have a breather on top of your catch can. You should block that off, because you are trying to provide vacuum to the can via the air intake pipe. Having that filter on the top of the can basically nullifies this.

Whoops, nope it wasn't/isn't kinked, I did make sure of that and even got some brand new hose so it wouldn't kink.

The filter, I will try yanking the filter and capping it tonight then, thanks for the info!

**Halon** · 11-19-2008

[QUOTE=goodhart;265285]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Halon

They each do it, I can have one on the breather and stock PCV, or one on the PCV and stock breather, still end up with the same result.

So you can put one in the PCV line, and leave everything else stock, and it smokes? But you remove it and it doesn't smoke? That seems very odd, considering putting one in the PCV line is essentially doing nothing except acting as a back up to the PCV.

But if that is true, then it sounds like a kinked line, or bad valve.

Do you have a good understanding of how the crank case ventalation system works on these cars, and exactly what you are affecting/changing when you install these valves? If you don't, I would recommend you research the topic (there's a few threads on here with a lot of info) so you can troubleshoot this much better yourself.