Ls valve cover/catch can install/latest oil change at 0% oil life

[350Rocket]

My most recent oil change. I pushed it to 0% oil life this time to see how far that would take it. Turned out to be about 3.75 months and 4230 miles (6820 kms). Removed m1 0w40 and m1 filter and put fresh m1 0w40 and a Fram ultra.

I was using just over a qt in 3k miles (didn't seem to use anymore between the top up and 4200). It would blow a random large cloud of blue smoke on startup sometimes, finally realized it's the drivers side valve cover (known issue) and it's getting oil into the throttle body.

I installed a catch can last weekend and drove one week and it was 80% full.

 

[ZZman]

Where is valve cover?

 

[tyman]

What year?

 

[350Rocket]

Where is valve cover?

Sorry, this isn't the valve cover, but the one from my parts engine. I found a gm tsb and it said how to check for leaks in the baffle. The parts valve cover failed this test, so I decided to do the catch can instead for now.

In the spring I'll replace the valve cover when it's not minus 16 out.

 

[350Rocket]

What year?

The truck is a 2005. Valve covers have never been off yet. 202k miles. The parts engine/valve cover is a 2000 but the updated valve cover doesn't have those small rectangular drain holes.

 

[doublebase]

By the looks of those pictures, I had the exact same oil catch can.

Regarding the puff of blue smoke upon startup...I guess I don’t understand how that can be a valve cover leak. Is it a puff coming out of the tailpipe? If so, that’s usually worn valve seals. But I’m probably not understanding this properly.

 

[tyman]

The truck is a 2005. Valve covers have never been off yet. 202k miles. The parts engine/valve cover is a 2000 but the updated valve cover doesn't have those small rectangular drain holes.

Not bad. My 2011 Silverado with build date of Dec. '10 still had the old valve cover. I replaced it with a Dorman last year and the rubber around the mounting bolts is cracking and coming apart. Need to buy a new OEM AC delco one...sigh.

 

[Dave Hess]

Nice photos. Catch cans are definitely worth the money.

 

[350Rocket]

By the looks of those pictures, I had the exact same oil catch can.

Regarding the puff of blue smoke upon startup...I guess I don’t understand how that can be a valve cover leak. Is it a puff coming out of the tailpipe? If so, that’s usually worn valve seals. But I’m probably not understanding this properly.

I believe it's just pooling up in the throttle body only under specific conditions (running it hard made it much more likely to do it the next morning). The drain holes in the baffle get plugged up or the baffle is not sealed at the end and the oil gets sucked into the PCV.
I guess it explains why it was so intermittent, sometimes not happening for months.

Identifix showed tons of confirmed fixes for smoke on startup/oil consumption being the valve cover and only a couple were actually valve seals.

 

[350Rocket]

Not bad. My 2011 Silverado with build date of Dec. '10 still had the old valve cover. I replaced it with a Dorman last year and the rubber around the mounting bolts is cracking and coming apart. Need to buy a new OEM AC delco one...sigh.

I guess that would start to create a small vacuum leak? Even pulling the oil cap or dipstick out causes my fuel trims to go even higher.

 

[tyman]

I guess that would start to create a small vacuum leak? Even pulling the oil cap or dipstick out causes my fuel trims to go even higher.

I haven't seen any issues. The rubber gaskets are on the outside mounting spots on the valve cover uses to cushion the metal on metal. Still, only a year or so and the shiz is already cracking/breaking down? ***

 

[doublebase]

I believe it's just pooling up in the throttle body only under specific conditions (running it hard made it much more likely to do it the next morning). The drain holes in the baffle get plugged up or the baffle is not sealed at the end and the oil gets sucked into the PCV.
I guess it explains why it was so intermittent, sometimes not happening for months.

Identifix showed tons of confirmed fixes for smoke on startup/oil consumption being the valve cover and only a couple were actually valve seals.

Oh I get it now, you have oil tracking in your throttle body. Ok. Yeah, I see what you’re talking about now...PCV and updated valve cover. Yup, now I remember...and cylinder number 2? Oil soaked plugs (if I remember the TSB).

 

[350Rocket]

Oh I get it now, you have oil tracking in your throttle body. Ok. Yeah, I see what you’re talking about now...PCV and updated valve cover. Yup, now I remember...and cylinder number 2? Oil soaked plugs (if I remember the TSB).

Yeah cylinder number 2 I think was the worst for some oil deposits, but come to think of it they looked more like valve seal deposits. Not oil soaked but white buildup I had to scrape off since the plug only had like 20k on it.

I think it was 1+2 both had some buildup but only cylinder 2 had enough to misfire at that point.

 

[350Rocket]

I haven't seen any issues. The rubber gaskets are on the outside mounting spots on the valve cover uses to cushion the metal on metal. Still, only a year or so and the shiz is already cracking/breaking down? ***

Yeah I'm really fussy about what replacement parts I put in now because I've seen so many bad aftermarket parts.

I had my spare starter rebuilt by the local rebuilders and have it ready to go, so I won't have to settle for whatever is available locally if the original with 202k miles and probably 30-40 starts a day, finally craps out.

Having spares ready to go can be really handy when you need the truck for work every day.

 

[bdcardinal]

I have a catch can on the PCV side on the 14 Mustang. It doesn't catch nearly as much now that I am at 57k miles as it did when the car was new. Strangely though they are now no longer exempt in California and I have to take it off when it comes time to have the car smogged

 

[350Rocket]

I have a catch can on the PCV side on the 14 Mustang. It doesn't catch nearly as much now that I am at 57k miles as it did when the car was new. Strangely though they are now no longer exempt in California and I have to take it off when it comes time to have the car smogged

Strange rules. They got rid of smog tests here a couple years ago (an obd scan and readiness test only).

I'm hoping that I won't catch as much oil after that initial first week. Maybe it gets sucked into the catch can easier than it did the throttle body (catch can is much closer). Maybe a large buildup of oil in behind the PCV baffle got sucked in and it will taper off a bit. Fingers crossed.

Using the same catch can my 76 Olds 350 tools months to half fill the catch can. Not even close to the same amount.

 

[wtd]

I run catch cans on my 2014 Mustang GT, my fiancé's 2007 Mustang GT, and her 2017 F150 with the 5.0L

I first put one on her Mustang years ago because of blue smoke on startup. Her car only had about 10,000 miles on it at the time. A lot of guys on the Mustang forums recommended a catch can and it did stop the blue smoke. When I bought my Mustang new, a catch can was the first thing I added to it.