Engine blow by is a common problem that occurs within the engine and the PCF system – the positive crankcase ventilation system. Blow-by can reduce the efficiency of your engine, since it will be coating the parts of the intake system. Often Coating the inside of the intercooler, this will alter the ability to transfer heat and cool the intake charge. The effects of blow-by are widespread within your vehicle, and can affect the way your car is cooling, lower the octane rating of the air-fuel mixture, and damage your engine.
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Can You Explain The PCV System and Engine Blow By?
The PCV system is in charge of removing unwanted gases from the crankcase. The crankcase is in the crankshaft, and is responsible for replicating the same duties that an internal combustion engine carries out. Typically integrated into the engine block, the crankcase is a crucial part of the ventilation system.
Unwanted gases, which are known as the engine blow-by, are gases that originated from the combustion chamber. These gases have leaked past the piston rings, where they are typically stopped. Older engines and the first engines to have been created released these gases to the atmosphere by leaking threm through crankcase seals – the first crankcase ventilation system then began to use a road draft tube to release them into the atmosphere.
So When Does Blow-By Come Into Play Within The PCV System?
Crankcase gases that build up are called blow-by, which is the production of combustion material from the combustion chamber. These blow-by gases can condense and mix with the oil vapors. This combination will create sludge or cause oil to become diluted with the fuel that hasn’t been burned. The additional pressure caused by the crankcase can lead to the engine oil leaking past the crankshaft seals and gaskets. Fixing this issue by utilizing a crankcase ventilation system is a proven method to prevent engine blow-by.
How Can Blow-By Harm Your Engine?
Blow-by can damage your engine – and you might not be able to notice the effects immediately, but you definitely will over time. After the blow-by has done its damage, you may notice that the blow-by can cover your intake in oil and gas, reducing your engine efficiency. Blow-by can also condense in the crankcase and settle inside your cylinders and head, lowering the octane of your gasoline.
You may also hear knocking within your engine, which is a sign of pre-ignition. Pre-ignition occurs when your air and fuel mixture ignites prematurely and unintentionally. The octane level that your manufacturer recommends is always the right level to prevent pre-ignition, but this isn’t the case if extra fuel gets into the cylinders.
The effect on an engine is extremely detrimental, and over time, blow-by can also harm the spark plugs. An oil-coated spark plug will misfire and potentially cause a carbon accumulation. This is a highly dangerous situation that will need to be fixed immediately.
Ok, Now I Understand The Process Of Blow-By. What Are The Causes?
There are a few different reasons that blow-by can occur within your car. Usually, blow-by is an expensive fix that requires time, energy, and a timely fix to prevent any further damage to your car. Check the crankcase first, in order to make sure it is not blocked or damaged.
- Worn-Out Or Damaged Pistons
The pistons in your car are vital for transferring force from the expanding gas to the crankshaft, by means of a piston road or connecting road. It is a component of reciprocating engines and other mechanisms. Pistons are imperative to moving the crankshaft. When the pistons start to wear out, they become smaller – even though the cylinder walls become larger. You will find that if you are using a diesel engine, this is also a cause of engine blow-by. The soft metal of the aluminum accumulating gas in the combustion chamber causes grooves, which lets the fuel-air mixture combine and store in the crankcase.
Pistons are typically made from almost all aluminum, which is a soft metal. When the aluminum wears out, it can create little indents and grooves in the piston. This leads to an accumulation of deposits on the cylinder walls. The mixture of fuel and air can then work its way into the crankshaft.
- Smashed Piston Rings
A piston ring is a metallic split ring that is on the outer edge of a piston in the combustion engine. The main functions are to seal the combustion chamber to prevent a loss of gases, improve heat transfer from the piston, maintain the right amount of oil between the piston and cylinder, and regulate engine oil consumption.
The piston rings are consistently being pushed back and forth in the wall of the cylinder. Over time, they become damaged, and eventually, destroyed. This destruction leads to the gases leaking, which causes the blow-by to build up. The fix for the smashed rings is to replace them with new rings. In a diesel engine, smashed or damaged piston rings can lead to blow-by on an engine. The grinding back and forth causes the damage, causing the piston’s sealing abilities to fail over time. The failure of the pistons causes the gases to be able to sneak to the back of the ring, leading to blow-by on the diesel engine. If you have a diesel car with a damaged engine, the repair is costly – and you can often sell your diesel vehicle, sometimes for an extra $10,000, just due to the fact it contains a diesel engine.
- Damaged Cylinder Walls
Within the engine, the cylinder is the space in which the piston travels and moves back and forth. The pistons do not actually touch the cylinder walls, but ride on a level of oil that lubricates the cylinder walls. The continuous movement of the pistons over time can lead to damaged cylinder walls, due to the friction and consistent movement. If this issue isn’t immediately fixed, the walls can become damaged, causing them to leak gases outside of the walls. In a diesel engine, you will see that the gap in the cylinder caused by the continuous piston usage leads to the compressed glasses being passed easily into the piston. The worn-out diesel cylinder can’t perform to the optimal level that is required.
Preventative Maintenance For Blow-By
In order to avoid your engine or diesel engine prevent blow-by, there are some steps you could take to keep a healthy and functioning system. Frequently changing the oil in your car’s engine will help prevent any of the buildup. If you let the buildup occur within your engine, this can erode metal and cause the breakdown of parts. If you don’t undergo regular maintenance, your car can experience a low mileage engine blow-out – fortunately for you, some companies will still be able to purchase your car even with this issue.
Adding treatments to the fuel and oil will aid in the dissolving of solids and prevent the buildup in liquid form. In addition, try using only high quality oils and fuels to keep the engine running smoother for longer, and prevent any possibilities of engine combustion. The use of high quality oils will prevent creating solid byproducts which can wear away on the metal over time. Lastly, collect and send oil samples to be tested for any foreign particles and debris that can degrade your system over time.
Engine Blow-By Fixes and Solutions
So now the main question is, how do you fix a blow-by? This is the most important question, since a blow-by will significantly reduce engine efficiency. By increasing the intake of oil and fuel the piston rings and cylinder walls will wear down, causing more fuel to make its way into the crankcase. Blow-by can also damage the intake valves, creating an optimal system that needs immediate fixing.
Blow-by is typically caused by compression going through the pistons, through the crankcase, and reducing the efficiency of the system along the way. In most cases, the engine will have to be taken apart in order to find a solutinto the problem. This is a time-consuming and costly procedure. However, if your vehicle is a bit older, there are some other things you can try first to get your vehicle to run for a little bit longer before you search out a permanent fix.
Flushing Oil Concentrate
If your car is experiencing blow-by, sometimes you immediately think you should buy a new engine. Fortunately, this isn’t always the case. You can do some regular maintenance, along with cleaning the engine, to prevent buying a new part that will cost thousands.
If the rest of the components of the engine are performing the way they should, you can use a flushing oil concentrate to clean the engine. The concentrate is made with hard baked carbon, which will move through the engine’s parts. The concentrate is designed to remove sludge, reduce smoke, and reduce blow-by, which in turn, helps the piston rings and compression.
Is Flushing Oil Concentrate The Best Solution?
Flushing oil concentrate is possibly the fastest and most efficient way to clean the sludge from your engine. You can add the flushing oil just prior to an oil change, which will remove the deposits and suspend the sludge. This oil contains a concentrated amount of detergents and dispersants, which then let the lubricating oil capture and suspend particles within the liquid. This way, the sludge and other metals are removed while performing the oil change.
By using flushing oil concentrate, you can eliminate the engine sludge and hard carbon. In addition, you will be able to release stuck piston rings and reduce smoke and blow-by from harming your engine. It will help to restore the cylinder compression, stop the diesel engine going black after an oil change, and can be used in all engines for a versatile product that efficiently helps the blow-by issue.
Oil Treatment
An oil treatment can aid in reducing blow-by in your engine. As an engine gets older, gaps are formed within the parts, which need to be filed to prevent combustion gasses from leaking within the piston rings. An oil treatment fills the gaps and improves the performance of your engine.
Be sure to avoid performing an oil treatment while the engine is hot. After the engine has cooled, put the car in park and place your emergency brake on. Open your car hood and look for the oil filter, which will usually have a symbol on it for identification. Turn the dial in a clockwise rotation and funnel the oil in. pour in the recommended amount for your car’s specific engine, which you can usually determine via a manual or by contacting your manufacturer or technician. After you poured the oil in, let your car idle for a few minutes.
Letting your car idle ensures that the oil has circulated to all of the moving parts within the engine. During your next oil change, you may ever see that your oil is one grade higher than usual. Heavyweight oil can reduce blow-by in diesel engines. If your diesel truck has engine problems that you didn’t fix, you can still sell your vehicle instead of paying for a costly repair.
So The Oil Protects My Engine Or The Oil Additives?
Contrary to what one might think, when protecting your engine, the oil isn’t the biggest contributor to the defense mechanism – but the additives are. Conventional motor oils contain additives that suspend damaging dirt particles and destroy harmful acids to protect against corrosion damage. However, these additives get used up over time, which is why you need to ensure you change your oil.
If you purchase an oil additive that can boost this additive package you already have, you can gain some extra protection for your car. In addition, an oil additive increases the oil’s ability to protect under dire conditions. Very high heat and pressure conditions can break down oil, and thereby reduce the oil’s ability to protect and do its job. Adding a treatment to increase the oil’s ability to protect against friction under high-heat conditions is beneficial to the longevity of your car.
What If My Car Was Damaged During Blow-By And Will Cost Too Much To Fix?
If your car has been highly-damaged due to engine blow-by and the aftermath, you can decide to turn your car into a reputable company. This company can provide you with a fair quote for the worth of your junk car, and you can earn some money from the vehicle you’ve been driving for so many years. Remove all of the non-metal components to sell separately, and bring your vehicle to CashCarsBuyer for a fair quote, great customer service, and none for your car.