Oil from my breather

[Jetdriver]

After I run the hell out of the boat there is always oil running across the valve cover from the breather and then dripping on down. The pcv valve is in good shape. Do I need another breather on the other valve cover? http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/79P1010221-med.JPG

[327,jet]

Instead of the typical chrome breather with a piece of foam in it ,try a K&N breather or a Moroso breather it might solve the oil problem. And you can clean them real well too.

[Hallett19]

I just talked about this problem recently, I replaced my PCV valve and I am still having the problem. People have told me it could be anywhere from gas in my oil to bad rings. I want to get a new breather, I have a crumby no name chrome one, I'm thinking about running either another PCV or maybe even a crank evac setup with a smog pump. Let me know what works for you !!!
I like your alternator setup too.

[Jetdriver]

I think the first thing Im going to do is put a set of baffled covers on there and a set of K&N breathers.

[Moneypitt]

YES, you NEED A BREATHER ON THE OTHER VALVE COVER!! The pcv valve, (POSITIVE CRANKCASE VENTILATION) MUST HAVE AN INLET to the crankcase to SUCK from. If you have just a pcv valve on one side it WILL NOT evac the pan and will blow oil out the only vent available. (the pcv valve should be grommet mounted in the valve cover, NOT on top of a breather) You do not need any high dollar breathers or screens, you MAY benefit from a baffle in each cover under the non pcv breather, as well as under the pcv valve. In order to evac the pan, there MUST be a vent to SUCK from. And the pcv valve should be sealed (grommeted) in the other cover, with the hose straight to intake vaccum. There are some oiling problems that can't be solved this way, but this set up will cure MOST.......MP

[RedRocket]

get baffled covers and use a style of breather that doesn't allow oil to drip out the bottom or sides of it , I found a square plastic one that has the opening at the top. This WORKED for me, I tried lots of things with non-baffled covers and couldn't solve it.

[Jetdriver]

Good Info! Ill look into the baffled cover asap.

[AgentX85239]

I had the same problem with those exact breathers (no pcv). picked up some k&n breathers, no more problems

[Hallett19]

I need to grab some of those K&N's from Rex.

[DogHouse]

After trying several different breathers, I finally installed a puke tank. No more mess even after running hard. Looks nice too with the big s/s lines going to it.
-brian

[Jetdriver]

Thought about the puke tank too!

[Hallett19]

and do you dump the puke tank reminants back into the motor ? I thought you were only supposed to need those for blower motors ???:confused:

[DogHouse]

Originally posted by Hallett19
and do you dump the puke tank reminants back into the motor ? I thought you were only supposed to need those for blower motors ???:confused:
You may be correct about the "need" aspect, but all I know is that ever since going to this setup, I haven't had a drop of oil on the valve covers! My tank is mounted just above and in front of the t-stat housing, on a plate that's bolted to the starboard cylinder head. The lines connect to fittings on the back of the valve covers. The lines can drain whatever oil settles out of the mist back into the motor, but once the oil is in the tank it's there until I pull the plug and drain it. When I was getting a lot of water in the engine, I would have to drain the muck out of the tank every couple of trips. Now with the new dry exhaust, the tank doesn't accumulate much at all.
-brian

[Hallett19]

Sweet, sounds like a good idea. I'm going to get a K&N and let everone know if that solves my problem.

[WriedtStuff]

Ok I am a little confused here...I have a PCV valve in one valve cover and just a chrome cap/breather in the other....just about like the one pictured at the start of this thread.....
Now my PCV valve is not connected to anything...cause the edlebrock carb I have does not have a place to connect it....
So am I setup right? Should I remove the PCV valve and replace with another breather? If I keep the PCV valve do I need to connect it to the intake somewhere so it will cause a vacuum?
I am having serious problems with oil comeing out of the breather and lots of gas in the oil....
Thanks

[NAMarine]

Actually, on marine applications the PCV is not used and both valve covers have hoses coming from the breather holes in the valve covers to the air filter. That is the way most inboard and I/O manufacturers run them.

[GofastRacer]

Get rid of the PCV, that's pasenger car stuff that goes down the road at 2200 r's all day long, not hypo stuff. Get a good set of free flowing breathers!.. On another note, if your rings are weak and not sealing you will have a mess no matter what you use!..
BTW, if you to eliminate all the mess and oil leaks, put a "Vac-U-Pan" deal on!..

[Moneypitt]

Gas in the oil is a flat STOP RIGHT NOW!!! (fuel in the oil is probably the #1 cause of lower end failure) 1st, change the oil. 2nd, find out where the excess gas is coming from. 3rd, find a manifold port to plumb the pcv hose into. 4th, install baffles under the breather, and pcv valve. (take the covers to a local muffler shop, tell them you need some baffles welded in, note clearance for girdles, rockers, the weld will discolor the finish.....) I can not express the importance of the fuel in the oil problem enough.......Fix it now!! or pick up the pieces later!!!!

[GofastRacer]

Oh shit, I missed that that part!. :hammerhea :hammerhea :hammerhea Yes by all means if there's a lot of gas in the oil, you need to solve that problem before anything else!.. :eek: I'd still get rid of the PCV though!..

[Blown 472]

The fords have small drain back holes and love to pump the valve covers full of oil and push some out. I run restricted push rods and they got rid of the oil out the breather dealio. Smith brothers makes them.

[RedRocket]

After you fix the fuel problem, buy some baffled covers if yours aren't baffled. They're cheap. You can get push in breathers anywhere that have a hose fitting so you can run the hose to the air cleaner. Don't run the breathers with the holes on the underside. Run one in each valve cover and no PCV.

[Moneypitt]

Sure, go to 2 breathers and dump the pcv valve.......Just bring lots of rags to wipe down the motor oil spread all over the engine. PCV systems work!! I have used the one breather, one PCV, set up for years and evacuating the pressure build up in the pan is the ONLY way to prevent oil dribble out the breathers. The only other way is to vent the covers with very tall breathers (6 to 10 inches) with dump lines to a puke can or into the header collectors like the racers do it. For a recreational boat, use the "Positive Crankcase Ventalation" system.........Simple, cheap, and effective.........MP

[RedRocket]

Money pitt. A PCV is not a PCPE(positive crancase pressure evacuator). It ventilates the engine drawing the air through the valve cover breather, through the engine and out the PCV valve with a small amount of vacuum. It doesn't evacuate pressure. Having an oil breather lets pressure out. PCV works on vacuum, which boats have little or none of in any kind of working range, so your pcv isn't doing anything, it might not leak oil but it isn't doing anything except at idle. Around hear no one runs PCV's on there boats including me and guess what..no wiping oil up with rags.

[Moneypitt]

Since you're speaking for all the boats "around hear" , where is hear? If your boat doesn't have vacuum in its power range, maybe the fuel system gravity feeds the air into the intake.........MP

[WriedtStuff]

I don't know if I can run a PCV system...cause I have no vacuum source to connect it to...the Edelbrock Marine carb does not have a vacuum connection for PCV. Just curious...here, if PCV was suitable for marine use, why does Edelbrock not incorporate a vacuum nipple to connect to?

[Moneypitt]

There should be a tapped hole for the power brake booster on the back of the intake, behind the carb. This is direct manifold vacuum and will work just fine........MP

[jackpunx]

I run hoses from my valve covers right into my carb.. No mess at all..
But Shawn .. this sounds like something really major.. I think you should just take my old whipple and install it.. That should fix every thing :D

[jackpunx]

Gas in the oil is a flat STOP RIGHT NOW!!! (fuel in the oil is probably the #1 cause of lower end failure) 1st, change the oil. 2nd, find out where the excess gas is coming from. 3rd, find a manifold port to plumb the pcv hose into. 4th, install baffles under the breather, and pcv valve. (take the covers to a local muffler shop, tell them you need some baffles welded in, note clearance for girdles, rockers, the weld will discolor the finish.....) I can not express the importance of the fuel in the oil problem enough.......Fix it now!! or pick up the pieces later!!!!
My boat was running pretty rich.. I smelled gas in the oil when I changed it. Do you think it was from that?

[RedRocket]

Wreidt stuff, you just answered your own question, it's the lack of vacuum that makes the pcv pretty much useless in marine applications. Moneypitt, have you ever run an engine under hard load with a vacuum gauge? It has no manifold vacuum yet it mysteriously keeps running, the carb doesn't need manifold vacuum to feeed it fuel, it needs air flowing through the venturies, which it has. Dragboats: A PCV draws fresh air through the engine. You don't need a PCV to relieve the pressure, just anything that opens up the valve cover, a breather in the valve cover,run a hose to the air cleaner etc. If you had valve covers with no breathers the engine would pressure up from blow- by. A PCV system will let the pressure out simply because the valve covers breath freely but it doesn't need a PCV valve to do that.

[Moneypitt]

I don't know where to begin here, so I won't, except to say if you truly have an engine that will operate without vaccum, its the best kept secret in the universe...........MP

[Foggerjet]

Vacuum is kinda funny really. When we are at full honk WFO at full load it's true that a Guage will read a big whopping "0". Truth is that the pistons on the intake stroke cause a low pressure area, and the 14.7 psi of atmospheric pressure (sea level), that is all around us, "pushes" the air in. When the throttle plates are closed the Intake strokes are creating more of a low pressure area than atmosphere can relieve, hence "vacuum".
'er somethin'
fog

[RedRocket]

I didn't know that the amount of vacuum an engine loses under throttle was top secret. I guess we can go to the patent office together so you can patent your engine that builds up pressure in the oil pan (with a valve cover breather), and the PCPE(pressure evacuator) which sucks pressure out of oil pans.

[RedRocket]

Thank you foggerjet, I guess you have the same top secret engine that runs with no manifold vacuum at WOT just like I do.

[Moneypitt]

over and out..........

[Havasu Hangin']

I run a PCVs into my flame arrestors (so there is always vacum on it). It helps pull moisture out of the engines, and keeps the blowby stink to a minimum. I also run breathers...I just tapped into them.
Without a PCV valve, I wonder if a backfire could get into the crankcase? :idea:
I had those cheap push-in breathers before...and the foam was always soaked and dripping on my valvecovers.

[WriedtStuff]

Wow, Sorry I did not mean to cause such a fuss.....I am in no way an expert but I have heard that you loose manifold vacuum when you accelerate an engine....I also know that a diesel engine does not create much vacuum, that is why they use an auxillary vacuum pump on them and use the power steering pump for power brakes instead of vacuum....
Have you ever stuck you hand in the intake of a PowerStroke diesel when it is running? It is sucking massive amounts of air...you would think it would be creating lots of vacuum...but it is not....don't know why :confused:

[Snowboat]

Tough crowd Moneypitt. You can give me advice almost anytime. Didn't you come in first in the Prostocks. Ya, the five mile, flat out 7600 rpm deal. See you at Needles, with a new surprise. I just learned how to balance the boat. I'll let you know how it turns out. See ya, Ken.

[Havasu Hangin']

....I also know that a diesel engine does not create much vacuum, that is why they use an auxillary vacuum pump on them and use the power steering pump for power brakes instead of vacuum....
Have you ever stuck you hand in the intake of a PowerStroke diesel when it is running? It is sucking massive amounts of air...you would think it would be creating lots of vacuum...but it is not....don't know why :confused:
Restriction causes vacum. When the throttle blades are open...no restriction in the manifold. Pressure equalizes.

[RedRocket]

exactly

[WriedtStuff]

Restriction causes vacum. When the throttle blades are open...no restriction in the manifold. Pressure equalizes.
Makes sense when you think :idea: about it......

[Foggerjet]

Moneypitt can give me advice too, and I hope he does. I don't believe anyone is trying to make a personal attack, (save that for bench racers), this is just discussion. I, and many others respect MP. Thin skins need not apply. this thread is already destroyed, What was it about anyway? :)
fog

[Havasu Hangin']

I think what confuses most people is the air moving through the engine. Granted, the two variables that determine vacum are the speed of the engine (volume drawn) and amount of restriction, but you need both to create a pressure difference we read as vacum (lower pressure than the atmosphere).
A supercharged engine is attempting to force more volume through the engine than it can phisically draw, which we read as boost (higher pressure than the atmosphere).
Like Foggerjet said, at WOT (unless your carb is too small creating a restriction), there should be no vacum. Lots of air being drawn through, but no pressure difference.
However, I am a bench racer, and an idiot, so please consider the source.
:D

[Tahiti350]

Back to the original issue, I had the same problem with a set of old style MT covers. I simply cut up some soda cans, and epoxied a shelf in right below the PCV and the Breather openings, about 3" long, and valve cover wide (+1" to allow for flanges to epoxy to).
The problem with mine is that it was picking up oil spray right off the rockers. Never had to clean up the mess again. Simple and cheap (both good things). Lessons learned for 20+ years of building and racing different brands, and trying to stay in the hobby with a money grubber wife. She's gone, now I have more toys and still no money......
GaryB> Tahiti350

[WriedtStuff]

I ended up buying new valve covers with the baffles built in...My old ones were kind of beat up anyway....I also just put breaters in both valve covers and did not use any PCV connections. I have not had a chance to test this setup yet....but will post about it when I do.