Oil Breathers

[mshmodela]

Not to highjack another thread but I wondered what those small tubes I've seen from time to time on folks cars were:

http://www.mikes-afordable.com/product/A6764.html

A nice example from :Y-Blockhead's car (USED without his permission but I think he's cool with it



What are the main benefits of using one of these (yes a newbie question) I'm not smelling anything odd with my car.

[marty in Ohio]

Mike
I have one of these on my car - been on it since I bought the car 22 years ago. In the Snyder's book it says it keeps the "engine compartment from looking like a pig pen." I don't know about that, but it seems to work for me.
Marty

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Vermin has one of those, but missing the tube. I'll sweat on a piece of flexible electrical conduit. Les' P.U. blow by was SO BAD, he ran that conduit clear to the BACK of his truck, for a trip to Canada!
Bill W.

[MrTube]

Would think you could hook up a PCV system to the valve cover into the carb and put a filter in the original cap and be less conspicuous than those huge breather tubes.

A PVC system would also keep the junk off of the bottom of the car as well.

[Mitch//pa]

thats good if you dont need it..
it means you do not have excessive blowby from a worn motor

[glenn in camino]

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Originally Posted by Mitch//pa

thats good if you dont need it..
it means you do not have excessive blowby from a worn motor

If your rings are seated properly, you won't have a blow by problem until your engine is really worn out.

[Y-Blockhead]

Originally Posted by mshmodela

Not to highjack another thread but I wondered what those small tubes I've seen from time to time on folks cars were:

http://www.mikes-afordable.com/product/A6764.html

A nice example from :Y-Blockhead's car (USED without his permission but I think he's cool with it



What are the main benefits of using one of these (yes a newbie question) I'm not smelling anything odd with my car.

That's a fine example you have there . The tube serves two purposes. 1. As stated, to route any blow by fumes (which I don't have a problem with) under the car and 2. To act as a road draft tube to help 'pull' any moisture or unburned fuel from the combustion process (face it, rings don't seal 100%, even when new) out of the crankcase.

The theroy of a road draft tube is as the car is moving, air flowing across the end of the road draft tube causes a low pressure in the tube, to help draw out some of the nasty stuff that contaminates your oil. Combustion contaminates can lead to the formation of sludge.

Road draft Tubes were used until the PCV system came along.

[duke36]

I have an old Fumaze accessory that seems to work OK; when the car was purchased, it was stuffed with a copper scouring pad which seemed to block the blowby function and was removed.

[Synchro909]

A fumy motor without one of those tubes will leave the engine compartment an oily mess. A sock over the filler tube works to stop it.
Also handy to wipe the dip stick on too.

[Terry, NJ]

The copper scouring pad was recommended to me by Ora at Schwalms. It was a semi-blockage to allow fumes but not the oil to escape the crankcase. It seems that many minds have worked on the problem of the oil seeping out of the engine. It's a perennial problem.
Terry

Originally Posted by rip94611

I have an old Fumaze accessory that seems to work OK; when the car was purchased, it was stuffed with a copper scouring pad which seemed to block the blowby function and was removed.

[Y-Blockhead]

Originally Posted by Terry, NJ

The copper scouring pad was recommended to me by Ora at Schwalms. It was a semi-blockage to allow fumes but not the oil to escape the crankcase. It seems that many minds have worked on the problem of the oil seeping out of the engine. It's a perennial problem.
Terry

Just ensure it doesn't cause too much of a "semi-blockage" so the pressure in the crankcase does not increase or you will have oil seeping out of other places.

That's one of the advantages of having a Road Draft Tube is that it actually reduces crankcase pressure by drawing out the vapors (in theory).

[Brianfrench65]

I too have added the road draft tube. Believe it or not, a tight engine releases fumes when driving along. This accessory was well worth it to me.

[MrTube]

Originally Posted by Brianfrench65

I too have added the road draft tube. Believe it or not, a tight engine releases fumes when driving along. This accessory was well worth it to me.

All engines have some blow by by nature, the steel rings with gaps aren't air tight.

I'm surprised at how many seem to think a new "properly run in" engine has no blow by.

They also all use some oil, though a good one will use very little. My two GM 1.4 turbos use less than I can detect on the stick in 10,000 miles but I'm sure they use some. They must or the compression rings wouldn't be lubricated.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by MrTube

All engines have some blow by by nature, the steel rings with gaps aren't air tight.

I'm surprised at how many seem to think a new "properly run in" engine has no blow by.

They also all use some oil, though a good one will use very little. My two GM 1.4 turbos use less than I can detect on the stick in 10,000 miles but I'm sure they use some. They must or the compression rings wouldn't be lubricated.

I agree with what you say.

Are you also saying you put 10,000 miles or more on an oil change?

[MrTube]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

I agree with what you say.

Are you also saying you put 10,000 miles or more on an oil change?

Yep. 9,000 to 10,000 depending on conditions.

Going by the car's oil life system and running Mobil 1 extended performance though, the computer doesn't know that but it makes me feel better. The computer assumes it's GM's synthetic blend.

99% highway miles, no short trips.

On the "A" we don't see near that mileage though I am about to do a change on it using Mobil 1 0w40. It's lucky if it get's 100 miles on it's oil.

[Keith True]

Also,it's not really just blow-by that makes the mess.The parts whipping around down there just throw oil all over the place.Ford made,what,three??four?? changes to the baffles in the filler tube before giving up.Those care didn't have blow-by so much when new as they just had oil droplets slung around.They finally semi-solved it with the bigger baffled filler tube on the B.You can also make your own road draft setup with an old road draft tube from a 283 Chevy.The baffled box fits right into the A filler tube,and you heat and bend the tube to go where you want it to.It might be hard finding one of those nowadays though.

[Chris in CT]

Hi Mike,
Here's another consideration: I have installed a "flame arrestor" (marine style) on my A with excellent results. It consists of a 1/2" breather tube installed on the valve galley cover, leading to the intake bore of the carburetor. The tube runs in back of the carburetor, and is barely visible. It sucks all crankcase vapors into the carb intake and burns them in the combustion process. It keeps the engine compartment clean, and it helps to cool the engine by removing hot gases from the crankcase. This is not a solution for a "dirty" motor, but it the best thing since sliced bread for a clean one.
Happy Motoring!