Crankcase breather - water present
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Post by: Allison » Sun Dec 16, 2007 8:52 pm
Has anyone encountered that mushroom coloured oil/water mix in the air box - and does anyone know what causes it?
On the S3 S/E (webers), the crankcase breather is via a short pipe into the air box, arriving just behind no.4 inlet trumpet. Every time I remove the airbox I am met with a puddle of mushroom coloured oil/water mix that seems to come from the crank breather pipe. The oil in the sump looks normal (black!) though there is a very small amount of the same mushroom coloured mix at the top of the dipstick.
I am going to re-instate the breather pipe which vents past the gearbox and down to the ground but I feel that is bypassing the problem and not necessarily solving it.
Any ideas as to where the water is coming from - or a sugestion that its not water at all!
Thanks,
Peter
On the S3 S/E (webers), the crankcase breather is via a short pipe into the air box, arriving just behind no.4 inlet trumpet. Every time I remove the airbox I am met with a puddle of mushroom coloured oil/water mix that seems to come from the crank breather pipe. The oil in the sump looks normal (black!) though there is a very small amount of the same mushroom coloured mix at the top of the dipstick.
I am going to re-instate the breather pipe which vents past the gearbox and down to the ground but I feel that is bypassing the problem and not necessarily solving it.
Any ideas as to where the water is coming from - or a sugestion that its not water at all!
Thanks,
Peter
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Post by: rgh0 » Mon Dec 17, 2007 3:43 am
The mushroom coloured stuff is an oil water emulsion. Are you running synthetic oil as it forms much more stably with synthetic oils.
A small amount forms with water in the blow by gases however if getting a signficant amount it may be due to a small water leak from a head gasket.
cheers
Rohan
A small amount forms with water in the blow by gases however if getting a signficant amount it may be due to a small water leak from a head gasket.
cheers
Rohan
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Post by: cliveyboy » Mon Dec 17, 2007 8:09 am
Peter
If its just started recently odds on its what has been suggested already "condensation".
If you are not losing water from the cooling system, I personally would not be too concerned. Unless you take it for a good long run and then store it in a heated garage you will continue to get the odd bit of "mayonaise" during the winter.
Put the bypass breather back on and just keep an eye on the pipe so it does not clog up. If you feed back into the airbox you run the chance of sucking lumps of goo into the carbs.
Cliveyboy
If its just started recently odds on its what has been suggested already "condensation".
If you are not losing water from the cooling system, I personally would not be too concerned. Unless you take it for a good long run and then store it in a heated garage you will continue to get the odd bit of "mayonaise" during the winter.
Put the bypass breather back on and just keep an eye on the pipe so it does not clog up. If you feed back into the airbox you run the chance of sucking lumps of goo into the carbs.
Cliveyboy
1972 Elan Sprint FHC
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Post by: andrewdmoore » Mon Dec 17, 2007 12:14 pm
Allison,
I would suggest its condensation unless as oldokie says, you find some of the 'goo' on the underside of your oil filler cap or as cliveboy says coolant loss, then its likely to be a head gasket failure. I experienced a build up in my airbox & when I removed the heads for another reason the head gasket was ok.
I blocked up the hole into the airbox and vented via a long rubber pipe onto the road. A bit naughtly I know, but it discharges a lot less that our notoriously leaky cyllinder heads leak oil!
The main reason I didn't reconnect it was that no1 cyllinder spark plug always seemed to foul up, as if some 'goo' was getting sucked in there.
Regards, Andrew
I would suggest its condensation unless as oldokie says, you find some of the 'goo' on the underside of your oil filler cap or as cliveboy says coolant loss, then its likely to be a head gasket failure. I experienced a build up in my airbox & when I removed the heads for another reason the head gasket was ok.
I blocked up the hole into the airbox and vented via a long rubber pipe onto the road. A bit naughtly I know, but it discharges a lot less that our notoriously leaky cyllinder heads leak oil!
The main reason I didn't reconnect it was that no1 cyllinder spark plug always seemed to foul up, as if some 'goo' was getting sucked in there.
Regards, Andrew
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Post by: Foxie » Mon Dec 17, 2007 5:49 pm
andrewdmoore wrote:Allison,
I blocked up the hole into the airbox and vented via a long rubber pipe onto the road. A bit naughtly I know, but it discharges a lot less that our notoriously leaky cyllinder heads leak oil!
Regards, Andrew
You wouldn't be the first !
Has anyone made up an oil catch bottle for the breather, and what did they use ?
Sean
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Post by: kayenney » Mon Dec 17, 2007 7:56 pm
Run it out onto the road - there are too many motorcyclists out there anyway!
No, seriously, install a catch bottle. Any small plastic bottle with a screw top will work. Drill a hole in the cap for the hose and mount it in any convenient spot lower the the cylinder head.
Don't forget to check it every year or so.
If you are still worried about the head gasket, go to any decent garage and ask them to check for exhaust gases in the radiator header tank. They will have a little meter to do this.
Enjoy, Ken
No, seriously, install a catch bottle. Any small plastic bottle with a screw top will work. Drill a hole in the cap for the hose and mount it in any convenient spot lower the the cylinder head.
Don't forget to check it every year or so.
If you are still worried about the head gasket, go to any decent garage and ask them to check for exhaust gases in the radiator header tank. They will have a little meter to do this.
Enjoy, Ken
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Post by: ianf » Mon Dec 17, 2007 8:54 pm
Andrew,
This problem was most noticeable with cars such as the Hillman Hunter in the 60's & 70's with engines which ran quite cool at the top end. All I can add is are you over cooling the engine at this time of year and driving mainly short distances? - hence the upper engine condensation.
Ian
This problem was most noticeable with cars such as the Hillman Hunter in the 60's & 70's with engines which ran quite cool at the top end. All I can add is are you over cooling the engine at this time of year and driving mainly short distances? - hence the upper engine condensation.
Ian
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Post by: Allison » Wed Dec 19, 2007 6:47 pm
Thanks for your comments - I'll try reinstating the external breather pipe and see what happens. Somehow it doesn't make sense to be head gasket because the oil in the sump looks fine.
There is some urgency in this as the car is being shipped to Kuala Lumpur in mid January for a five week trip round Malayasia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos & Vietnam ending in Hanoi - ok and a few laps of the Grands Prix circuit at Sepang just to shake the car down after being stuck in a container for 5 weeks.
Peter
There is some urgency in this as the car is being shipped to Kuala Lumpur in mid January for a five week trip round Malayasia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos & Vietnam ending in Hanoi - ok and a few laps of the Grands Prix circuit at Sepang just to shake the car down after being stuck in a container for 5 weeks.
Peter
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