wierd -- pushing oil out the cap seal at higher loads

[strad]

The compression # are 159,152,152,159,148,157. Oil cap is new. Old cap was doing the same thing. I did not notice it happening before I had the head off to replace the head gasket. Head went to the machine shop and was pressure checked (ok), resurfaced, valve job'ed and new valve guides. It has 700 miles on it since all that was done.

I know blowby would be one cause of this happening, but the compression # would seem to reflect an engine that is not too far out of whack. Anything else you guys can think of?

[jlevie]

Have you check for a blockage in the hose that runs from the valve cover to the throttle body? The crank case should be under negative pressure all the time if that hose isn't plugged.

[strad]

Well, I checked that out on your suggestion. No blockage is evident. What I did find while putzing around though, is that about a 1/2 inch section of paint has rubbed off the valve cover right where the oil cap seals (I know, it should be bare metal all the way around, but I painted the cover before I had a full understanding of exactly where the seal was). This was right where I was seeing the leak. So anyway, I sanded off all the paint with a sanding block to keep it flat. I hope that's it.

edit: did over a hundred miles yesterday, some of it at high rpms, after sanding off all the paint on the lip. No leak. Yayy!