Hello this is my first post, I have owned my lightning for over a year with no problems. I was cleaning my MAF when i noticed an abundence of oil in the intake. I soon figured this is causing the problem with my rough idle and the truck dying. The oil gathered so much that it is messing up my MAF.. Now im at the dealership i take it in and show that its leaking oil and leave it under my extended warrenty because im out of factory. I talk to them today and they said the oil is normal and showed me an article on it. I told them that in the article it describes a little puddle and a slight film of oil. But on my truck the oil was overflowing into the MAF. They dealership wants to charge me a 100 dollers for looking at it and have yet to fix anything. They said that its not to excessive to cause a problem. I left the truck with them another day to drive around. Any ideas on what I should do? thanks


Cali Lightning

 

This a very common(but not 'normal') problem. If you use the Search function, you will find many references and possible 'fixes'. I say 'fixes' because I've done several things to reduce/eliminate it in mine but the 'fix' I used seemed to cause another problem although some guys have had luck in what they have done.

We think the oil is forced up into the intake by the s/c pressurizing the crankcase. With added boost from my 5 lb pulley, it has exascerbated the problem. You don't mention any mods so it happens even with no added boost too.

I stopped it completely by disabling/blocking the tube that goes from the PCV valve to the intake adaptor. If you do this, you have to put one or more breathers on the cam cover and/or in place of the oil cap. The problem that I had with this 'fix' was it pushed oil out of the breathers and then it was burned when it dripped onto the exhaust manifold. I freed up the PCV and just left an oil breather on in place of the oil filler cap. Several of the tuners have these breathers but it may not fix the problem.

Dan

 

I have the same exact problem on my STOCK '01 and it is going back to the dealer tomarrow. I have had this problem since the minute I drove it off the lot. My dealer also showed me the article, but thats BS because it describes a fine film or slight puddle. Slight puddle? I have poured out over a 1/4 quart just from my intake hose. Heck, I had oil running out my cone filter all over the engine and onto ground. I know my MAF is practically wrecked because the truck has a rough, sometimes erratic idle and the truck is having intermitant starting problems. And I have had to add up to 2 quarts between oil changes.
Ford wants to say its normal because it happens to a lot of the Lightnings, but the fact is that its an engineering flaw that us owners shouldn't have to deal with. You buy a new vehicle so you don't have to deal with problems, but instead I have to check my oil and MAF every hundred miles because of this problem. If I wanted only a fast vehicle, I would have bought a used Mustang and threw a blower on it. But I made the decision to buy a quick vehicle with a warranty.
Basically I am afraid to mod my truck because I feel the engine isn't in a good enough state to handle the extra stress, so I am stuck with a $32K vehicle that I can't make perform to its fullest potential. I love Fords, but I am really on my last straw with their customer service. If I have to, I might just try to go lemon law on it just to try to get an engine that will give me piece of mind.

 

Although, this has been a very minor minor problem in my 00". As the miles accumulate, I suppose it will be getting worse. I am working on a fix and should be testing it this week.

I was thi nking of trying to market it, but I'll just post some pictures. It will be a "hardware store" fix, and it's the least I can do for the Lightning community, that has done so much for me.

 

Thanks for the replys, Ford is trying to get off the hook with their reports. They also told me that what i thought was to much oil could be within standards? I go what stardards do you go by? what this mechanic thinks is ok compared to the next? I am going back tommorrow is there any kinda ford complaint department that we can tally up for some sort of recal?

 

Hey people I have the fix for this!!!! I was so very tried of the oil deal that I took the blower off. Took the intercooler out. Cleaned out all of the oil in the bottom of the lower manifold. Mixed up some J-B Weld and plugged up the hole in the bottom of the lower manifold. Will it wasn't the hole, it was the inside of the banjo fitting the goes into the bottom of the lower manifold. Once the intercooler is removed you will see this fitting. There is a story in the June 4th 2001 issue of MM&FF with Jim installing a 2001 intake on a 99 Lightning. The pictures will help you out if you make the move to do this. The banjo fitting connects to a hose that routes up to the passenger side of the motor to a T. One half of the T goes to a hose that leads to the PCV valve and the other hose leads to the top upper intake runner. Plug the hole in the upper intake runner that connects to the T from the PCV valve. I used J-B Weld in the runner. I put masking tape inside of the the hole so that the J-B Weld didn't run into the idle control. P.S. If it does get into the hole that leads to the idle control just let the J-B Weld set up over night. Take the idle control off of the intake runner and drill out the J-B Weld. Now the next thing that I did was to use a Moroso oil breather tank. It's used for vacuum racing pumps. Works great for this mod!!! I connect it to the driver's side valve cover. I used #12 steel braid lines and fittings. I mounted the remote breather and oil separator tank to the radiator fan shroud. No more oil any where!!!! All you have to do now is to use the hand-operated drain. This Moroso
part has a non hooded, clamp on style filtered breather that traps oil while allowing air to escape freely. also catches water from the motor! Works GREAT. The part # for the oil breather tank from Jeg's is 710-85465. It has a 12AN inlet. I almst forgot! I used four cans of brake clean to get the oil out of the fins on the intercooler. Now it runs so goooooooooooood with clean air. I would use some J-B Weld to plug up the slots in the blower while your at it! I did this also. I think it helps.



Herb

 

Herb
Great fix but a little too much for me to do. I was thinking of doing just the Moroso oil breather tank and plugging up the pcv valve that goes into the intake. Is there any problems with plugging up that pcv valve? Would I benifit with just the breather tank and the valve blocked? how should i block the valve?
I dont quite understand how you connect the hose from the breather tank to the valve cover. Did you drill a hole and use a fitting? Any pics?
thanks
btw
this is what you are talking about right?


EDIT:
just went searching on jegs and found a JAZ 1quart breather tank for about $30 cheaper. Could I just go with that one or is the Moroso one better?
P/N 547-605-225-01

 

Action 911 thanks for the FIX, Im sure if this problem continues i will do that.. What I need to know is what happend to my MAF when the oil hit it, for my warrenty claim?

thanks a bunch

 

it was posted on this board a few weeks ago that you can, when changing oil, only refill to 1/2 qt low level? Think my dealer did this without telling me? Probably charged me for the missing 1/2 qt. If true, oil level needs to be checked more frequently? Seemed to have stopped problem in my 2kL

 

I dont think I would feel save filling up the oil in my truck 1/2 low. I dont think us lightning owners should haft to do a fix ourselves. Ford should make a recal

thanks again

 

I had a ball bearing in the T From the lower intake to the T from the PVC valve to try to stop the oil. It didn't work. Oil was still getting into the runner and into the lower intake manifold area. Thats why I've done what I explained in the other post. You can block the PVC, but you have to vent the pressure on one side of the motor! Some say you have to get a re-burn on your chip. I haven't done this yet.

J15BIG,

Yes, thats the right Moroso part. You can use the Jaz part also. I went with the Moroso one because I like it's looks better than the JAZ part. Look at the pic of the Moroso part that you posted. That is how it would face if you were looking at it from the drivers seat. Drill two holes into the radiator fan shroud. Now use two self tapping screws to mount the breather tank to the shroud. Run a 90 degree hose end, get aproximatley 10 inches of #12 hose. Connect it to the 90 degree hose end, run it back to the driver's side valve cover. Now take off the hose from the cover. Place the end of the #12 hose onto the stock connection coming from the valve cover. Use a clamp over this end of the hose and your done. I don't have a way to post pics right now.

I hope this helps.

Herb

 

Herb I have the metco breater kit that blocks off the drivers side tube to intake boot and adds a breather on the oil cap. Is that all I need to work with this mod you described? Do you happen to have some pics also? If not I'm sure I'll figure it out or break it too! HEHEHEHEHHE

 

They will never do it but it would be a quick, cheap, easy recall, just send out shorter dipsticks

Doug