I am one lucky SOB! You're not gonna believe this!
 

All right, this is too good not to start a new thread... continued from here: https://www.miataturbo.net/forums/showthread.php?t=9904

I started to diagnose my smoking problem and follow some advice I'd just posted in another thread... so I bought a 323GTX PVC valve on my way home just to rule it out as a cause and found this when I pulled out my stock PVC valve:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...9&d=1188617392
So, I assumed that's not what it's supposed to look like and wondered where the guts were... yup... you guessed it:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...0&d=1188617439
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...1&d=1188617444
How fucking lucky am I? I am about 2mm from needing a new engine. Check out where the PVC plunger hit the camshaft and scored it:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...2&d=1188617482
So what was happening was that I was putting 12psi directly into the valve cover and then down in to the crankcase, up the oil drain and into the CHRA, preventing oil from draining and BLOWING MY TURBINE SEAL! So I guess that's why I just started smoking. I'm not sure if I caught it in time. I can't drive it tonight cause I'm waiting for the RTV on the valve cover to dry. We'll see tomorrow if it's salvagable.

I also did a compression check. 187/190/191/193... I guess that's pretty good. My valvetrain also looks like brand new. I love this motor.
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...3&d=1188617500

Very Lucky! Do you remember what the original valve was? OEM Miata?

Good catch navy. This should be part of a PCV sticky because it seems everyone goes through it till they replace the valve.

I didn't boost my car til I had the proper PCV. It's not a pricey part.

wow, never seen that happen before

Pretty Hands!

Wow. Nice save.

:pitlab:

You can get inline universal PCV valves (just a one-way check valve) and then use a fitting on the valve cover. Might be some nice insurance if these things come apart very often. Kind of a scary thought.

It will be fine wit the 323 gtx pcv. It is actually made and intended for boost, unlike the stock miata one. It's usually cheaper too :)

Wow, we didn't need another dead engine post. Good thing it landed where it did! What are you replacing it with? The stock 323gtx one? If so I'm gonna go run out and get one....

great find and god damn you got lucky. Hope the car runs well man update us once you fire her up.

That's insane....Sam, I turst the turbo is ok now. You've rebuild one, the seals aren't really seals....there's nothing to "blow," thing just got overloaded and now everything should be ok.

holy crap on the pcv....i was actually spending most of the night last night looking for a better solution than the gtx valve....if anything get a factory Mazda piece....but I was considering "gutting" my OEM pcv, and putting this brass check valve inline: http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku

another thought....behind the pcv valve should be a screen and compartment bolted to the cover from preventing "things" to enter....how the hell did it get past that?!

what is a pcv ? ?

postive crankcase ventilation

is that the hose running from the top of the head, to the intake piping? the oil blow off thing ?

otherside, intake manifold to crankcase.

ah ok. so, i'm supposed to upgrade this part?? never heard of that before ?!?

they weren't intended for boost from the factory....but technically they are just a check valve so should be fine....but too much postive pressure can still force somehow force it's way past the plunger into the crankcase....

this will either:
A. dump LOTS of oil into your intake
B. dump LOTS of oil up back into the turbo.
C. shoot your dipstick out and dump LOTS of oil up the tube.
D. damage rings, valves, etc.
D. combination of A,B,C & D

Most people here upgrade to a 323 GTX PCV valve as it was our same engine boosted 7psi from the factory...The tend not to leak under boost...

CRAP!!! HOW DID I MISS GOING OVER 1000 POSTS???

^Well, I'm not sure how long this thing has been broke. My last turbo started to smoke and I thought it was bad, but I was running it well past 10psi and after a couple weeks it started to smoke. Maybe it's been broke for a long time.
On the other hand, I'm pretty sure I've had the PCV valve out in my hands a time or two since then. Every time I pull the fuel rail, that little hose comes off. I'm not really sure how long it's been broken.

Here's pic of the thing with the valve cover on:
https://www.miataturbo.net/forums/at...4&d=1179409461

here's how a PCV valve works:

http://www.stealth316.com/images/pcv-operation.gif

even though boost it acutally pushing the plunger closed....somehow a lot of valves still leak...Get a factory part...I had to buy 3 NAPA valves to get one that I couldn't blow through myself.

well you learn something new every day! and here i was thinking my engine was safe with its little bit of boost. guess i better look into this a bit more. do we have these pcv thingos on our aussie engines? i've never heard it mentioned before.

do you have emissions there?

yeah we do.

i just had a look, it's there. it has "bp05" written on it.

How much metal was taken off of the cam? The material used to make cams turns into a nice powder that is just perfect for clogging oil passages and spinning bearings...

No metal removed, just a nice scratch. I'll go for a drive as soon as I get home and pass the word on how it goes. I'm assuming it's not gonna smoke anymore.
Additionally, I didn't find any of the plastic body of the PCV valve. I guess it probably got chewed up a little and made it's way down into the oil pan. I'll check the oil real careful next time I change it. I'm not worried about it.

Damn one more reason to not run a PCV boys and Girls. :gay:

Well thats better then a blown Trubo :)

What do you do to lose it?

OK, guess I'll go to PepBoys and pick this up. And some colder plugs.

^If you just block off the port, usually the vacuum from the breather line going to the intake on the opposite side of the valve cover is sufficient to keep good flow... but I'm confident the new 323GTX turbo-specific valve will not fail.

wow that's nuts, i'm glad i've got the metal gtx pcv in there

Can't we put breathers on both?

I suppose you could, but then there's nothing helping oil drain from the turbo. I don't know of anybody who will tell you there's anything to gain from removing the PCV valve except that now you don't have worry about it breaking. Quite a few guys put a filter on the intake breather line, but other than aesthetics or not having to plumb the intake for it, there's no reason.

Running the breather ensures the valve area and crankcase are always under vacuum and you have good oil drain from the turbo.

dang...add that one to the parts list....

Where did you get your PCV at? A dealer?

totally dealer.

look up a 1988 323 "Turbo" PCV Valve. i dont know if it has a p/n.

should be: E301-13-890A

It's made by Purolator. I got it at Advance Auto Parts... lots of other Mazda's seem to use the same piece. Something weird was that 90-91 and 93 Miata's use the same part number. 92 uses something different, and 94+ use yet another part number. The 323GTX one was like PV-1014 or something and didn't share with any year of the Miata. I'm sure you can find them at any auto parts store.

I decided never to buy pcv valves from napa or autozone anymore...took me (3) to get one I couldnt blow through.

I'm still going to be trying a brass check valve in-line with my pcv valve...

How the hell did it the guts make it through the baffles in the valve cover?

Wacky stuff. +1 for getting the PCV valve from the dealer.

Sam, could you re-link the pics please?

I'm sorry... I tried to make space in my attachment folder after the new server came online so I could start attaching new photos... even after deleting over 200 attachments, I'm still way over the size limit. I can email them to you.

hmm well I don't see where I have an upload limit... so you can send them to me and I'll attach or you can upload them to imageshack like a mere standard user

Since most of my attachments are for writeups/sticky's I really can't delete any more of them to make room. I'm not an imageshack/photobucket guy cause I can't view them at work... the Navy computer system blocks the sites.

Maybe *HINT* *HINT* I can get Philip to UP my attachment limits! I'll send them in an email when I get home.

Mostly the pictures showed the spring and plunger that are inside the PCV valve lodged down underneath the right side camshaft. There's also a small mark (not a nick) on the camshaft where the plunger hit it when the valve broke. Are under the camshafts that is the top of the head isn't flat... it's full of small pools and indentations where oil collects... the pieces were in small pools of oil.

Hmmm, one more thing to check on I guess.

Sam--I asked Philip about it.

If you're not blowing smoke out the exhaust, your PCV valve is probably working correctly. However, there's a reason that the Miata and the Mazda323GTX PCV valves are different part numbers. The 323GTX factory turbo car has a stronger spring tension and probably a stronger valve body. I'd like to find a 323GTX all-metal PCV valve.

It's always a good idea to swap the stocker to a turbo one for safety. I got damn lucky the plunger didn't jam under a cam lobe and take out my whole motor. Take it out and give it a good the plastic body a good inspection for cracks and any possible degradation.

WOOHOO!!! Posting rights returned.... thanks Philip, I promise not to abuse it. Hope those pics help somebody else prevent it from happening. Enjoy!

why not just run a catch can and eliminate the recirc system?

I called the stealership yesterday, list is something stupid like $27 for the PCV. I just got the Purolator version for $2 from Advance. PV-1014 IIRC.

What do you mean? When installing a catch-can you're simply eliminating the possibility of blow-by entering the intake tract from the valve cover. Since I don't have any blow-by problems and never had any, I don't understand.

When this happened several months ago and the crankcase was pressurized due a failure of the PCV valve, it backed up the oil drain line and forced oil into the turbine housing. It was an easy fix, simply get the 323GTX PCV valve. No oil ever made it into the intake tract... probably due to the baffle installed inside the valve-cover to prevent any splash from getting to the breather port. Catch cans look dumb and cost money, even the DIY ones.

Please explain "eliminate the recirc system"... what exactly would I have to do and what would be the benefit of a catch-can over what I currently have?