Discussion
Hello all, I have a Locust running a 1700 crossflow. My problem is the crankcase pressurisation this engine is producing, to the extent of blowing oil up the dipstick tube generally making a mess. The car has an aftermarket catch tank fitted with three connections to it, one is from the crankcase, one from the rocker box cover and the third is used as an overboard drain again making a mess of the underside. Surely this can't be right. Would it be ok to use this third one to go from d/stick tube to catch tank. It seems pointless to have a catch tank and them dump anything blown out overboard. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
You are right it is pointless. I had the EXACT same issue with my pinto a few weeks ago. Catch tanks are pants in general!! They must breathe too so make sure the cap on it is a breathable one and that it is not screwed down so tight you cant get it off. If your system is working right you shouldn't get much oil in the catchtank anyway, it's only to catch oil 'mist' and will take a LONG time to fill up. Many have a clear tube on the side so you can see the level in it.
Really that tube you have coming off should it be blocked off, OR you can run it to the very back of your car underneath so any oil mist doesn't end up all over your engine bay. It can help the engine breathe better but it kind of hiding the real problem which is that your engine is not breathing like it should. It's important on these old Ford engines that they do breath properly or you will sooner or later get other issues like gasket leaks etc.
Do you have a breathable cap on your rocker cover?? If not it's not a bad idea to get one. Make sure all your pipes are clear and not blocked at all and if (like on my pinto) you have a crankcase PCV valve make sure it's working or better still fit a new one cos they get blocked with crap over the years.
Do you have a lowered sump??
Really that tube you have coming off should it be blocked off, OR you can run it to the very back of your car underneath so any oil mist doesn't end up all over your engine bay. It can help the engine breathe better but it kind of hiding the real problem which is that your engine is not breathing like it should. It's important on these old Ford engines that they do breath properly or you will sooner or later get other issues like gasket leaks etc.
Do you have a breathable cap on your rocker cover?? If not it's not a bad idea to get one. Make sure all your pipes are clear and not blocked at all and if (like on my pinto) you have a crankcase PCV valve make sure it's working or better still fit a new one cos they get blocked with crap over the years.
Do you have a lowered sump??
Re; your tube from the dipstick question, if you do that you will not sort out your problem!!! And sooner or later you will damage your engine. You need to get the breathing sorted out and puttng a tube from the dipstick to the catchtank will just mask the problem. I had oil coming from the dipstick tube too and eventualy from around the distick entry point into the crankcase as well!!!
If you have oil coming from the catchtank drain/breather tube make sure your catch tank is not full cos it shouldnt do that. That tube will help breathing especially if you do not have a breathable cap on the catch tank but the oil should drop into the tank before it ever gets chance to come out of that drain/breather tube! If there is oil in the catch tank, empty it! You may find that sorts the issue out completely if you are lucky!
If you have oil coming from the catchtank drain/breather tube make sure your catch tank is not full cos it shouldnt do that. That tube will help breathing especially if you do not have a breathable cap on the catch tank but the oil should drop into the tank before it ever gets chance to come out of that drain/breather tube! If there is oil in the catch tank, empty it! You may find that sorts the issue out completely if you are lucky!
Ok thanks for your replies. After doing a bit more searching I'm going to start by re-routing the breather tube I.e. The one from the crankcase into the rocker box cover and take it from there, blank off the pipe into the catch tank and leave the drain one in place for the time being, but put it into a container of some sort. I won't know what results I'll get for a while as engine is partially stripped for access.
A catch tank can only work if there are pipes in and a pipe out. After all that is what breathing is about.
You could take the 'out' pipe to the air filter housing so the fumes get re-burnt in the engine.
If oil mist is coming from the 'out' pipe then the catch tank is not working. The idea of the tank is that the oil mist will drop out of the fumes and sit in the bottom of the tank until you empty it. If this is not happening you could try stuffing wire wool into it which would give an increased surface area for the oil to stick too and drain down to the bottom of the tank.
Steve
You could take the 'out' pipe to the air filter housing so the fumes get re-burnt in the engine.
If oil mist is coming from the 'out' pipe then the catch tank is not working. The idea of the tank is that the oil mist will drop out of the fumes and sit in the bottom of the tank until you empty it. If this is not happening you could try stuffing wire wool into it which would give an increased surface area for the oil to stick too and drain down to the bottom of the tank.
Steve
dont waste your time in rushing for finding a solution and following the advices in most forums:
the most important thing is to retain the original ford tin-can crankcase breather
this will absorb and return most of the oil from the crankcase.
those (alternative) alloy ellbows are a waste of money and do NOT work. (ok, they may work on a frshly bored engine which gets not rev-ed beyond 5500rpm)
if you have removed your mechanical fuel pump against an electrical, you need the blanking cover WITH deflector plate.
also very importsant: the oilfiller cap needs to be a vented type (the porigoinal tin one is the best). if you have the following one with the same bajonett cap fitted...forget it..it looks nice, but doesnt work in terms of breathing:
on my locost the catchtank (from mocal) has been fitted at the bulkhead, as high as possible.
the bottom drainage (plug) was removed, a hose connector fitted and the crankcase breather connected there. one of the upper fittings have been connected with the vented oil-filler cap:
and here we go...oil gets absorbed in catchtank and can easily return in engine.
the most important thing is to retain the original ford tin-can crankcase breather
this will absorb and return most of the oil from the crankcase.
those (alternative) alloy ellbows are a waste of money and do NOT work. (ok, they may work on a frshly bored engine which gets not rev-ed beyond 5500rpm)
if you have removed your mechanical fuel pump against an electrical, you need the blanking cover WITH deflector plate.
also very importsant: the oilfiller cap needs to be a vented type (the porigoinal tin one is the best). if you have the following one with the same bajonett cap fitted...forget it..it looks nice, but doesnt work in terms of breathing:
on my locost the catchtank (from mocal) has been fitted at the bulkhead, as high as possible.
the bottom drainage (plug) was removed, a hose connector fitted and the crankcase breather connected there. one of the upper fittings have been connected with the vented oil-filler cap:
and here we go...oil gets absorbed in catchtank and can easily return in engine.
Edited by GinG15 on Thursday 13th August 17:59
Edited by GinG15 on Thursday 13th August 18:03
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