Predator 212cc Hemi is pushing oil out breather!

[BKS212]

As the title states, my engine is pushing oil through the breather.

It's a hemi head 212cc predator.

Has the omb stage 1 kit.

Air filter, header, 0.037 jet, emulsion tube, 8 degree advanced timing key. Also backed out throttle stop and cut off every other fan blade.

It's progressively since I first got it brand new and installed the stage 1 kit been pushing more and more oil out the breather setup I have on it. Sometimes it even smokes out it.

It seems to be running quite hot as well.

I run 87 octane, and 10w30 Mobil 1 synthetic.

It turns about 5500 rpms.

Any suggestions on what could be causing this?

At this stage in upgrades and rpm, do I need to just install a catch can system?

Or could it be head gasket, or ringlands, or the baffle in the cover that directs the oil to the outlet, or valve seals, anyone else run into this?

I pulled the plug, it looks fine. Not fouled out. Gap is set at 0.045"

Would love to get this figured out.

 

[mckutzy]

Is the oil at the correct level, and/or the motor tilted with a angled mount...
What is this used on?

 

[afremont]

It's not over-filled is it? You didn't disconnect the breather hose that runs to the carb in order to power a fuel pump did you? Try a different oil, like "marine" oil or something that doesn't have detergents in it. Even a bad head gasket could cause this. Any smoke from the exhaust?

 

[Poboy kartman]

Can you post up pics of the valve cover and breather? If it's not there...it would likely be blowby ....but I think it's the former.

 

[BKS212]

Oil is correct level.

Flat engine mount it's on a go kart.

Still has the gas tank gravity feed. No fuel pump.

No smoke from exhaust.

I'll post better pictures in a bit

 

[Joe-405]

These guys are correct it could have never seated the piston rings properly also.

Does the spark plug have oil on it ?

 

[afremont]

Yeah, that's another thought Joe-405. Starting with synthetic may not have allowed the rings to seat, but I'd expect some exhaust smoke. Maybe not though.

 

[BKS212]

No oil on the plug

 

[Poboy kartman]

Sorry, but I can't see anywhere in those pics where the vent line comes out of the valve cover..or where it goes...

 

[afremont]

I can almost make out the valve cover in the postage stamp photo. You're going to have to post something bigger than that for my old eyes.

I don't know much about those motors, but most have some kind of PCV type setup at least Tecumseh and B&S do, I suspect that pretty much all 4-strokes do. If you removed/altered that when putting on the aftermarket air filter, then crankcase pressure is likely to blame. I think that's what poboy is getting at too.

 

[BKS212]

Sorry about that, this should be better.

With the old intake setup, the hose went from the valve cover to the intake box. With the new setup, there is nowhere for it to go. So most people I have seen including our racing kart motors straight from nr racing use a breather, or an oil catch can.

The breather used to sit right at the end of that hose before today. Today we put a piece of tube between the hose and the breather thinking that putting it farther away would help. It didn't unfortunately.

 

[Denny]

You can thank that Mobile 1 for you're troubles. The rings probably never seated causing blow by. At this point I would recommend honing the cylinder and replacing the rings. Also replacing the valve guide seals and checking the guides and stems for wear. Air cooled engines do not like Mobile 1 it is graphite based, switch to regular old Dino oil. Always break in new engines thoroughly with Dino oil then after the first 100 hours switch to a good synthetic like Amsoil, Torco, Royal Purple or Red Line. Mobile 1 is junk in my book from experience.

Denny

 

[BKS212]

Even with no smoke out the exhaust and a clean plug you would say the rings didn't seat? With blowby I would expect some oil burning and a fouled plug.

For what it's worth it was first fired with Castrol syntec, then the next oil change i put Mobil 1 in.

 

[ForceFed86]

When you say you're oil level is correct... how many OZ are you putting in?

 

[BKS212]

1/2 quart (16 fl oz) what it says in the owners manual.

 

[ForceFed86]

Not sure if the 212 predator is different but I always used 13-14oz per these guys on the clone stuff.

http://www.affordablegokarts.com/performance_basics.php

Never spit a drop. Mine is on a 15* mount thou.

 

[BKS212]

That's actually what I based all my modifications off from, that site.

I'll have to pull it apart, check valve seals, guides, stems, then the head gasket, then the rings and cylinder wall. Hopefully don't have to do a total rebuild.

Might fabricate up a way to have my jackshaft and engine at a 15 degree cant.

Maybe a catch can/breather for good measure too

 

[Mulletcar88]

I had a blowby and smoking issue on my 212 hemi, not saying you do but is the oil saturated with gas? My fuel shut off valve seal had a slight tear in it letting gas stream into the carb and eventually the cylinder and crank case. I put a new seal in it from a gx160 carb and changed the oil, all is well.

 

[BKS212]

I've kind of suspected gas in the oil but I'm not sure.

I've brought it up to my dad and my friend who are more experienced with small engines than me but they say it's not.

The oil on the dipstick seems thin and opaque and grayish.

First time I drained it it was more of a gray color. Not Amber or black. And seemed thin.

As does the oil that it shoots out and covers everything else except right at the breather where it collects more it's dark brownish.

Not what I'm accustomed to seeing in my current vehicles which is Amber gold to black.

They say it's just thin like that because of how hot the oil
is.

What's a definitive way to tell if I have gas mixing in the oil?

 

[afremont]

What's a definitive way to tell if I have gas mixing in the oil?

Set fire to it. If it catches easy, it's got gasoline in it. Take appropriate precautions of course. It would smell too. Plus you'd be draining more than you put into it since the fuel adds to the volume of it.

Look at your drained oil in the sun and make sure it isn't filled with tiny specks of "glitter" or sparkles. That would be a sign of metal in it which also turns it gray in my experience. It's normal for a new engine to generate some metal while it breaks in, but it's not normal for it to keep on doing it over time. That's why you change the oil after the first hour or so of operation.

Hot oil will be really "runny" and "thin", that's normal.