Oil smells like fuel - what to look for?

[Bbarfoot14]

So I was emptying my catch can yesterday and notice it smelled a lot like fuel. I didn’t think much of it but then I pulled my dipstick today and noticed the same fuel smell.
Ive installed a whipple supercharger 100 miles ago. My thought is possibly some leaked in there from pulling the old intake out... idk I thought I was pretty careful but regardless new injectors and rails went in.
I’m going to drain the oil tomorrow and leave some in a glass to see if any raw fuel displaces itself from the oil.
Any thoughts as other than that it’d likely be a faulty injector or correct? No CEL or anything but can I even check for that in a log?

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[Ghost50]

I’m stock and have noticed a faint fuel smell from my catch can too. I checked when I emptied to see if any fuel was in there and nada.

Hopefully yours is like mine and it wasn’t an issue with the whipple install.

I seem to recall, can’t recall here or on FB, someone mentioning that it wasn’t uncommon to have the gas smell in the catch can oil.

 

[Silver Bullitt]

Forced induction will always create more blowby. Part of this blowby is unburnt fuel. You may want to consider installing a catch can on both the clean and dirty side. Running a high quality full synthetic oil with more frequent oci's will also help with fuel dilution. It's not uncommon at all and shouldn't be anything to worry about. You can always get an oil analysis done to accurately measure the amount of fuel dilution.

 

[Grimace427]

Do you make a lot of short trips with the car or do you get it fully up to temp for significant time before shutting it off again?

 

[Notheryote]

Don’t worry about catch can unless there’s coolant in it or excessive amounts of anything. Catch can collects a mixture of moisture, fuel and oil (mostly oil, but it’s normal to have a small amount of fuel in it).

 

[Bbarfoot14]

Do you make a lot of short trips with the car or do you get it fully up to temp for significant time before shutting it off again?

I do take a lot of short trips but i let it warm up for 5 mins always up to temp even on the 10-15 min drives.

 

[Bbarfoot14]

Don’t worry about catch can unless there’s coolant in it or excessive amounts of anything. Catch can collects a mixture of moisture, fuel and oil (mostly oil, but it’s normal to have a small amount of fuel in it).

Ok good to know, dip stick had the same smell though

 

[Notheryote]

Ok good to know, dip stick had the same smell though

Yea not sure on that part.

 

[Jay-rod427]

I do take a lot of short trips but i let it warm up for 5 mins always up to temp even on the 10-15 min drives.

Without some at least 15-20 min HIGHWAY trips it will always get a lot of fuel and moisture in the oil built up. It needs the longer duration higher temps to evaporate off those vapors from the oil system. And as others said the catch can will always have fuel/moisture in it with the oil.

 

[OF5.0]

I’m going to drain the oil tomorrow and leave some in a glass to see if any raw fuel displaces itself from the oil.

The fuel will not separate from the oil. That’s a waste of time.

 

[ahl395]

Forced induction will always create more blowby. Part of this blowby is unburnt fuel. You may want to consider installing a catch can on both the clean and dirty side. Running a high quality full synthetic oil with more frequent oci's will also help with fuel dilution. It's not uncommon at all and shouldn't be anything to worry about. You can always get an oil analysis done to accurately measure the amount of fuel dilution.

This ^

 

[Bbarfoot14]

The fuel will not separate from the oil. That’s a waste of time.

Really?? Huh... now I’m curious. Why wouldn’t it with such differences in viscosity?

 

[Bbarfoot14]

Thanks everyone, that’s why I love this forum you always help me not worry when I’m such a crazy person lol

 

[Jay-rod427]

Really?? Huh... now I’m curious. Why wouldn’t it with such differences in viscosity?

Because they're both hydrocarbons, and once emulsified together won't easily seperate. Water will seperate out given enough time, and if there is even enough to see.

Viscosity has nothing to do with separation of fluids. Density plays a part, but density and viscosity are very different things.

 

[Bbarfoot14]

Because they're both hydrocarbons, and once emulsified together won't easily seperate. Water will seperate out given enough time, and if there is even enough to see.

Viscosity has nothing to do with separation of fluids. Density plays a part, but density and viscosity are very different things.

Thanks brotha always like learning new things

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