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Installing a push-in valve cover breather blows seal?

B

BruceB83

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Dacula, Georgia
So I may have just got a lesson in valve cover breathers. I came up with this great idea to make a open element filter intake that was higher up and further back then the factory air inlet that's right behind the headlight. I removed the factory air box, pulled out the CCV hose and installed a push-in style breather. I then found an air filter than fit perfectly in the intake tube and clamped it on. Then made a bracket to hold the filter up and near the fender and thought I was good to go until I get home from my friends and notice a puddle of oil under my jeep that probably equals about 1/3 quart or so. So my question is, can installing a push-in breather cause the rear main seal to blow out? How does this happen? I have a 1987 4.0L...

Luckily, I have a new motor to put in it! Just sucks that I can't do this method on the new one unless I can find a way to run the factory CCV hose into the air tube and angle it down just in case blow-by goes into the tube.

Here's what I did...I THOUGHT it was so cool...and the paper filter is (was) temporary.
intake2.jpg
 
with an engine that old, any chance your breather tubes/rear CCV are clogged which is causing the blow back?
there is a mod you can do to replace the old style breathers with new style which gets rid of the oil blow back.

if you stick with that filter idea, be sure ti fab up a heat shield between the exhaust mani and the filter area otherwise you've really just negated any gains you may see from easier air flow.
 
beakie said:
with an engine that old, any chance your breather tubes/rear CCV are clogged which is causing the blow back?
there is a mod you can do to replace the old style breathers with new style which gets rid of the oil blow back.

if you stick with that filter idea, be sure ti fab up a heat shield between the exhaust mani and the filter area otherwise you've really just negated any gains you may see from easier air flow.
Click to expand...

You mean the other hose on the rear of the valve cover? Hmm...could be. Unfortunately it's neither here nor there now since it's screwed!!!

Yeah, a shield is going to be integrated in with the new battery tray (dual battery setup). This mod wasn't aimed at performance increases, it was aimed towards relocating the point where air is ingested. I guess on my new motor, I will drill a hole in the tube and route the factory breather hose (front of motor hose) into the tube and then make the tube point down toward the filter just in-case I get blow-by. That will eliminate it from going into the motor.

Oh yeah, I forgot to add this at the end of my first post....:doh::doh::doh::doh:
 
Now I wonder if my rear seal is actually blown out or if the oil is just being forced past it. I don't think it's actually blown yet, I've had a blown rear main before and there's MUCH more oil coming out than what's coming out right now. I'm going to put the breather tube back in and route it into my tube and see if it stops the oil leak. Regardless, a new motor is going in.
 
I don't think putting the breather tube back inline with the filter will solve your blow back.
if the rear breathers are clogged it will still blow into the intake tube, which will allow the oil into the intake, no matter the direction you have it pointed.
 
beakie said:
I don't think putting the breather tube back inline with the filter will solve your blow back.
if the rear breathers are clogged it will still blow into the intake tube, which will allow the oil into the intake, no matter the direction you have it pointed.
Click to expand...

Well, what I meant was if I clear out the rear tubes and then run the front into my intake tube to mimic the factory setup, I wonder if that will stop the rear main from leaking like it is or if it's already fubar'd.

I still can't believe I did this...
 
Lol...thanks...that's what I was going to use in the first place.

But to answer your question Chris...yes I do...your wife forgot them at my house.
 
BruceB83 said:
Well, what I meant was if I clear out the rear tubes and then run the front into my intake tube to mimic the factory setup, I wonder if that will stop the rear main from leaking like it is or if it's already fubar'd.

I still can't believe I did this...
Click to expand...


When I was (still am) chasing a bad leak, several people told me that the tubes being clogged, or in my case the rear has snapped off, its forming pressure on the rear main and valve cover.

Since unclogging those lines and connectors is a whole lot less of a headache than a rear main, I'd do it (never hurts to clean something) and hope you luck out.
 
Cnickgo said:
When I was (still am) chasing a bad leak, several people told me that the tubes being clogged, or in my case the rear has snapped off, its forming pressure on the rear main and valve cover.

Since unclogging those lines and connectors is a whole lot less of a headache than a rear main, I'd do it (never hurts to clean something) and hope you luck out.
Click to expand...

I'm going to try and fix it when I get home by cleaning out that rear line and then running the front breather tube to the intake. I'm putting a new motor in it, I'm not screwing with another rear main seal while the motor is in the jeep. That is the biggest PITA EVER!!!
 
BruceB83 said:
Thanks for the info!

Believe it or not I was able to run a new breather hose to the intake and my leak stopped!
Click to expand...


Sweet! that give me serious motivation to get my elbows/hoses replaced. Oil is getting pricey :looney:
 
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