I have a 2003 HD truck and love it very much. I read about these trucks and the lightnings too having a pcv system problem where the oil is sucked from the pcv and goes into the intake and intercooler . I know for a fact that installing breathers(which require reprogramming of the pcm) will help minimize the oil in the intake problem. Can this oil problem be eliminated or ONLY minimized?

 

Welcome ! Several tuners use the breather with the chip that you mentioned. Others "rework" the system with varying results like these: www.lightning-enterprise.com/pcv.html or www.swansonperformance.com (not on website, but very popular). Others choose to leave the engineering of the system alone and just put a separator to catch it before it's sucked down. www.razorsedgemotorsports.com and www.lightningforceperformance.com sell the separator. At the very least, get a separator. I put mine on the day I bought my Lightning and it fills up after 2 tanks of gas. No comment on the other solutions.

 

Ok so far I have added a pcv valve kit from Lightning enterprise. Can I add the oil separator in line with the new pcv as well?

Does the oil separator require frequent maintenance? What do you have to do to maintain it?

 

The Lightning Enterprises kit claims that it's a better solution than a separator. Their kit is designed to eliminate the need for a separator. Swanson's kit basically claims the same. There are also a few modifications that others are utilizing. Do a search in the "Lightning" section and you can read the ranting and raving for a few hours. Adding a separator inline, either way, will hurt nothing. The LE and Swanson kits change the engineering of the system that Ford designed. On the surface, the PVC system sounds simple, but if you research a bit, you'll find that the engineering behind the "complete" function and design takes in many factors. All I have is a separator. This allows the factory system to work as designed. The separator goes on in about 1 minute. It simply goes inline on the PCV hose. As for maintenance, you have to empty oil out of it. It has a clear bowl where the oil collects. You can visually check it as it fills up. Mine takes about 2 tanks of gas. When full, you unscrew the bowl and empty the oil out. You screw the bowl back on, which seals with an O-ring.

 

Good stuff to read I'll try the oil separator inline with the new pcv.

So everytime you empty the oil out that means you have to add more oil to the engine then correct?

 

The oil in the separator IS missing. Some pour it back in the engine when they empty it. The separator only holds a small amount, maybe a few ounces. You could empty it several times and notice NO drop on the dipstick. I just add NEW oil if needed, but it doesn't matter as long as you check your oil level regularly. When I bought my separator, the tech said if you run your oil level in the middle of the dipstick instead of totally full, that you'd get less oil sucked up. He said 5.5 quarts. I did notice that when I had 6 quarts in and emptied the separator a few times without refilling oil that the separator was collecting less.

 

if you guys havent seen it, there is a new solution to this problem via "Vince's Oil Separator". it is like a regular oil separator except instead of emptying out the oil, it automatically pumps it back into the pan. it is a really good idea and has had many compliments. his office is based out of Lousiana, it is L&S automotive performance center and there is a link to his 'supporting vendor' site over on nhtoc here: http://www.nhtoc.com/forum/forumdisp...?s=&forumid=85

 

Thanks. I saw his postings in the Lightning area throughout his development and found it to be very interesting.

 

Here's an update. I have both the LFP oil separator and the Lightning ENterprises pcv valve kit. I thought the pcv valve kit was supposed to STOP oil. Guess it didn't because after two days of driving the truck there was oil in the separator. About half a bowl! Does that mean the pcv valve kit has no purpose and I just wasted my money on it?

 

That seems like a good test to me. Members on all of the websites swear by every remedy. My truck will drive a whole tank of gas out, maybe 300-350 miles before it fills it up half way. I don't know how effective your LE kit is, but I just got sick of reading all of the back and forth uninformed debating. Even the expert tuners suggest multiple methods and report that the oil comes from more than one circuit. Out of everything that I've read, I only absorbed one thing that makes sense, so far. Ford knows the problem; they engineered it this way; why change it; collect the oil and remove it before it slimes the intake tract.