Crankcase breather

[Red Rambler]

My truck has the stock crankcase breather bottle. It is making quite the mess and getting oil all over the underside. Got a few questions however as when I am sitting on level ground at a stoplight I see smoke coming from both sides of my truck. I can take my oil fill cap off and smoke comes out of that hole and I see smoke coming from my crankcase breather when I shut my truck off. It appears to be smoke coming from my crankcase breather but I wanted to make sure I possibly don’t have a bigger issue since I am getting smoke coming out of the valve cover oil fill hole. I don’t recall this issue previouslay but have noticed a stronger smell of oil as of lately as well. I don’t get any oil coming out of my valve cover, just smoke. I have been reviewing the crankcase vent mode, however it seems quite a few have done this mod due to steep grades, however I haven’t been on any extreme grades. 

[trreed]

These trucks have blowby. Nature of the beast. Ive had other drivers signal me about the vapor coming from my breathers since mine exit below the drivers door. I also have some vapor coming out of my oil fill cap, if I even bother to look. 

For your truck, the question is just how much blowby you have. If it is enough to make the oil cap dance, it's something to worry about. Otherwise, probably not. 

Edited January 26, 2018 by trreed

[Dieselfuture]

Also make sure you have no vacuum leaks if you have big vacuum leaks that will contribute to excessive blowby or at least it would seem that way. 

The crankcase vent mod that a lot of us did will actually prevent oil from coming out of breather at steep grades if done right.

[Mopar1973Man]

I've got a fix for that.

 

 

 

[Red Rambler]

10 hours ago, trreed said:

These trucks have blowby. Nature of the beast. Ive had other drivers signal me about the vapor coming from my breathers since mine exit below the drivers door. I also have some vapor coming out of my oil fill cap, if I even bother to look. 

For your truck, the question is just how much blowby you have. If it is enough to make the oil cap dance, it's something to worry about. Otherwise, probably not. 

 

Yes, I watched a few videos and saw one moparman did of normal blowby, and mine is about to that same extent. My oil filler cap does not dance, it just sits in the exact same spot when I take my hand off of it. I do run 1 OZ of oil for 1 gallon of diesel in my fuel. I use the 16OZ containers from Wal-Mart, not sure if that could be a possible attribute as well. At this point that is the exact wording I would use, its is a vapor. It does have the strong odor of oil however.

3 hours ago, Dieselfuture said:

Also make sure you have no vacuum leaks if you have big vacuum leaks that will contribute to excessive blowby or at least it would seem that way. 

The crankcase vent mod that a lot of us did will actually prevent oil from coming out of breather at steep grades if done right.

I did read that also and there is a hose that is going from somewhere around my power steering pump to a T on my firewall, the hose is old and to the point that one end is almost dry rotted. I need to replace that hose for sure and make sure it has not came loose.

Edited January 26, 2018 by Red Rambler

[trreed]

I would venture to say you are fine then.  Look into re-routing the breather and you'll be fine just fine. Using 2-stroke oil won't contribute to blowby. The vapor does have a heavy oil smell, cause the trucks use a heavy oil  

That hose you're talking about is the main vacuum supply line, and that's what @Dieselfuture was talking about when he said major vacuum leaks.  

[Mopar1973Man]

15 minutes ago, Red Rambler said:

I would use, its is a vapor. It does have the strong odor of oil however.

 

the CK-4 oil smell like Rotella (Rosmella) heavy oil vapor smell. 

 

16 minutes ago, Red Rambler said:

My oil filler cap does not dance, it just sits in the exact same spot when I take my hand off of it.

 

You are fine then.

[Red Rambler]

1 hour ago, Mopar1973Man said:

I've got a fix for that.

 

 

 

Thanks Michael. I was just unsure if this mod would work as it states you are going up inclines and down ravines, where I am mostly horizontal almost always.

[Mopar1973Man]

Works excellent. Keeps the oil in the crankcase where the extension method tends to still dip more than my version. I'm mostly highway now covering over 3,000 miles a month.

[Red Rambler]

28 minutes ago, trreed said:

I would venture to say you are fine then.  Look into re-routing the breather and you'll be fine just fine. Using 2-stroke oil won't contribute to blowby. The vapor does have a heavy oil smell, cause the trucks use a heavy oil  

That hose you're talking about is the main vacuum supply line, and that's what @Dieselfuture was talking about when he said major vacuum leaks.  

My thoughts were using the oil in my fuel, if some escapes past the valve seals, that could possibly be the vapor I am seeing coming from my oil fill cap, but im only at 131,000 miles. But we all know valve seal dry out form old age.

[Mopar1973Man]

Just now, Red Rambler said:

But we all know valve seal dry out form old age.

That's my spring time project for my truck my valve seal are leaking now and give me a nice blue smoke cloud on start up. 

[Red Rambler]

1 minute ago, Mopar1973Man said:

Works excellent. Keeps the oil in the crankcase where the extension method tends to still dip more than my version. I'm mostly highway now covering over 3,000 miles a month.

Alright, I give in. Will be my next mod for sure, only after I get my dual fuel filters added. The stock crankcase breather bottle is a messy design, that is for sure. Not a lot of oil really makes you think it is pouring oil out, such a mess.

[trreed]

The 2-stroke is atomized and burned quickly with the fuel, and if it were to seep up, there would be a window measured in milliseconds where it could.  While stem seals do dry up, usually its engine oil going into the cylinder, causing the blue smoke Mike mentioned.

Edited January 26, 2018 by trreed

[Mopar1973Man]

11 minutes ago, Red Rambler said:

The stock crankcase breather bottle is a messy design, that is for sure.

 

While you are there pull your radiator out and power wash both side of it. 

[Red Rambler]

22 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

 

While you are there pull your radiator out and power wash both side of it. 

Dang, this is just a terribly messy design. I need to change my radiator fluid anyways, so might as well drain it and pull it. Thanks all for the help.

[Mopar1973Man]

This is why my design came to be because it resolves all the issues. Freezup and blowing the mains problem which the drop down extension have been known to do. Resolves the crankcase smell in the cab. It resolves the spill problem for hard braking and 4WD operation. 

[Red Rambler]

4 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

This is why my design came to be because it resolves all the issues. Freezup and blowing the mains problem which the drop down extension have been known to do. Resolves the crankcase smell in the cab. It resolves the spill problem for hard braking and 4WD operation. 

I was reading your mod last night before I posted, but am glad I went ahead and posted just for peace of mind. Your mod looks better in my eyes given it solves the issues you listed above. I really dont like the look of oil all over the front of my engine either. I assume the bottle gets full and this is the result, oil spilling all over the front of the engine. I have never emptied it if a person is supposed to, in the 24,000 miles of me owning it.

1 hour ago, trreed said:

The 2-stroke is atomized and burned quickly with the fuel, and if it were to seep up, there would be a window measured in milliseconds where it could.  While stem seals do dry up, usually its engine oil going into the cylinder, causing the blue smoke Mike mentioned.

In my mind I was thinking just pure oil and neglected to remember the oil is heavily diluted 128:1, 1 gallon fuel to 1 oz oil, and also atomization. Last night when I was looking through my oil fill cap, I could see the valves working, and your right, it would be such a small window when the valve is open. I have built a few single cylinder race engines for mini bikes and race karts. Often times with more aggressive cams you get valve overlap where the exhaust valve is closing while the intake valve is opening, and both are open at the same time for a period of time. My thoughts were, being 24 valves if there was a way that an exhuast valve would be closing at the same time of an intake valve opening and allowing vapors to escape that way, but I'm thinking not possible as the rush of intake air/fuel mixture would keep the vapors in the cylinder. Basically a scenario of un expelled exhaust gases being left in the combustion chamber with new unburnt fuel/air, so there is no way to push past the valve seal. Just thinking out loud and too much into it lol.

[trreed]

It's a good thought process to have.  NA motors would have some characteristics you mentioned above, especially with aggressive cams.  I can't speak to the specifications of the cams in our trucks, but I don't think there is any overlap. Also, the turbo provides some scavenging effect, which helps pull the exhaust out.  And because we are a forced induction application, any leftover exhaust gas would be diluted by the sheer volume of forced fresh air.  

[Red Rambler]

1 hour ago, trreed said:

It's a good thought process to have.  NA motors would have some characteristics you mentioned above, especially with aggressive cams.  I can't speak to the specifications of the cams in our trucks, but I don't think there is any overlap. Also, the turbo provides some scavenging effect, which helps pull the exhaust out.  And because we are a forced induction application, any leftover exhaust gas would be diluted by the sheer volume of forced fresh air.  

Yep, that is a huge aspect, the turbo pulling the exhaust out and pushing air into the cylinders. I love this stuff. Good explanation, thanks.

[Red Rambler]

I got home and was able to do a little more investigating. I knew I had put this hose end on more than once. I hooked the hose up and the vapor cleared up immediately. I am going to get a new hose end for the tee. I am still moving forward with doing the crankcase mod, to keep the front side of my motor clean.