Crankcase is pressurized - Dodge Dakota Forum

Subject: Crankcase is pressurized
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Hi All,

Just found your board and it looks like I found the right place to get my question answered.

I have a 1996 Dakota Sport with the OHV 4 banger. 232,000 hard miles with no major issues (and very few minor ones) until about a week ago.

My oil is blowing out of the dipstick tube. After the truck has been running for a bit, the crankcase pressurizes and forces the oil out. This happened twice before at around 190,000 miles and then stopped. Now it's happening all the time. I don't think it's a head gasket, as the porblem slows down or stops completely once the truck has been running at operating temperature for 10-20 minutes. I know that the truck does not have a PCV valve. According to the book, it has the CCV system for venting the crankcase, and I think it's clogged. What I need to know is where is the vent? My Haynes manual just says that it requires no maintenance (yeah...right). Is it accessable from outside the engine, or is it a passage inside the motor (under the valve cover maybe?)

Thanks in advance,

Jeff

BTW...in 232K miles, The only things that have broken on the truck are the water pump, the idler pulley, the power steerng pump, radiator, and the fuel pump. Maintenance items replaced have been the belt, hoses, 2 sets of front brakes, tires, 4 tuneups, and oil changes. Clutch is original, rear brakes are original. This truck has done everything I ever asked it to do and there were many things that I should NOT have asked it to do.

Brian G
Dodge Dakota
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1/25/2004
23:35:34

RE: Crankcase is pressurized
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The four cylinder engine has a fixed orifice valve system in place of a PCV valve. Check the hose going from the valve cover to the intake manifold.... it has a very small orifice in it ... it could be blocked up keeping the engine from drawing in the crankcase vapors. BUT the system does NOT force air into the crankcase so if it is blowing out the dipstick I feel that you have massive blowby around the rings.... do a compression check and consider a rebuild... you have 200K+ miles on it.... its about time for one.....

73duster
Dodge Dakota
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1/26/2004
08:10:13

RE: Crankcase is pressurized
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your rings especially the oil ones have most likely given up the ghost. my duster started doing the same after a month of ownership. after a tear down it actually was throwing pieces of the oil ring into the head. It was amazing how it still ran at theat time even with kendall 70wt racing oil in it. even with that oil it still was spitting the oil up through the dip stick. Looks like it is time for a V8. Good Luck!

Jeff G
Dodge Dakota
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1/31/2004
16:09:00

RE: Crankcase is pressurized
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Crankcase is no longer pressurized :)

Thanks for the assist Brian G. I owe you a brew.

The CCV fitting was completely clogged and the air intake for the valve cover wasn't much better. Now the intake vacuum is pulling the the fumes out of the crankcase instead of the pistons pumping it up and blowing the oil out the dipstick. It took me a few days to get some garage time. Mine is full of motorcycles and I cna't use my neighbors if he's running his plow truck (just in case) Got the time today and got it fixed in 15 minutes. Now to get the heater core ordered and installed so that I don't freeze.

This truck runs great, uses no oil under normal circumstances, and I can honestly say that I have about $2500 in it above and beyond the purchase price. That includes oil changes, tires, brakes, etc. I did not believe that the rings had gone bad. I just couldn't find the CCV system...the book only mentions that it never requires service...ha ha ha.

If the motor had required a rebuild, I would either rebuild a 1968 Charger 318 that I have available or I was going to drop in the 327/300 HP Chevy that is sitting in my shed...I'm putting a big block in my 63 Impala ;) Both are points motors so I can do away with the computer and with either motor, I was going to have to fire up the welder and make mounts. Thankfully, from a labor standpoint, it didn't come to that...maybe in another 200,000 miles I'll have to swap the motor, but not now.

Thanks again for the help.

Jeff

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