Another question from a newbie

[TailHappy]

On my 4.2 cerb the previous owner has installed a vented catch tank for the crank case breather instead of it going to the airbox. The holes in the airbox have been filled where it used to connect.
There is a small pipe(looks like fuel pipe)coming from a 4 way pipe connector near the alternator. This pipe is blocked with a bolt and jubilee clipped and tie wrapped up out the way near the airbox.
Im assuming this shouldnt be blocked? Should this pipe go to the air box?? What does it do?

[hoppo4.2]

if i recall 2 pipes from that 4 way should go to the inlet manifolds

[brogenville]

From the 4- way connector:

- 2 pipes go to the inlet manifolds;
- one pipe goes to the carbon canister under the boot;
- one pipe goes to the oil catch tank under the n/s plenum

Its this last pipe that you're on about, and was obviously blocked up after the catch tank was removed.

It wont come to any harm at all the way it is.

[TailHappy]

Thanks for the replys. Does anyone know what function this pipe has? Is this pipe used as a vent for the fuel system when connected to the airbox? just wondered if keeping it blocked might cause fuel starvation? vacuum?

Thanks for your help, much appreciated.

[Guy J Russell]

This is completely off the top of my head but is it a remote bleed nipple for the clutch slave cylinder? Is there one there? If there is it might be it and would explain the blanking.

[brogenville]

TailHappy said:

There is a small pipe(looks like fuel pipe)coming from a 4 way pipe connector near the alternator.

The clutch bleed pipe comes from the bellhousing, somit cant be this pipe.

All this pipe does is help extract nasty fumes that come out of your crank case and catch them in your carbon canister. Unless you're a member of Greenpeace (in which case you may have bought the wrong car), it really shouldn't worry you.

Edited by brogenville on Thursday 27th November 08:42

[volospian]

Guy J Russell said:

This is completely off the top of my head but is it a remote bleed nipple for the clutch slave cylinder? Is there one there? If there is it might be it and would explain the blanking.

I'm sure he is talking about the pipe that *should* plug in to the top of the old oil catch pot thing under the offside air box.

God knows what it does though!!

[TailHappy]

volospian, thats the one im talking about. Its definately part of the fuel system (breather maybe?) but havnt the fogiest what it does. Im guessing it shouldnt have a bolt in the end blocking it up, so i think it may be worth reconnecting this small pipe to the airbox. I will leave the main crank case breather going to the aftermarket catch tank as it stops all the crap going into the airbox.

[brogenville]

Right, this is the last time I'm replying to theis thread.

As I have tried to tell you twice before, this pipe is part of the emmisions control on the car. Your car is fitted with an activated carbon canister. Carbon canisters are fitted to petrol tanks to reduce evaporative emissions of petroleum. Vapour rises into the carbon canister, which then returns the petrol to the tank, hence avoiding a loss due to evaporation. The canister itself also feeds into the intake manifolds, so that what comes out of it is burned off in the engine. This part of your system is still connected. The pipe that has been blocked off is the one that goes into the oil catch tank. What its doing is allowing the intake vacuum to suck the nasty crank case vapours into the engine to be burned off. You "could" argue that by not having this pipe connected you wont be getting as efficient extraction of these fumes, and that this "could" be increasing the acidity of your oil which "could" be increaseing the wear on your engine. Seriously though, I wouldnt worry. The important thing for you is that you no longer have the ability to connect this pipe up as it should be due to your new oil catch tank arrangement. With this in mind, without question, the best thing for this pipe is simply for it to be blocked up, as it will give the best vacuum in the rest of the pipe, thereby allowing the carbon canister to work properly.

In the end, if you dont want to believe me, then thats fine, but then there's really no point in asking questions on this forum if you dont want to believe the answers you're getting.

[TailHappy]

Thanks for your detailed explanation, i understand its purpose now. Sorry if i offended you but as an engineer i like to know how things work and being new to this particular marque I was trying to glean a comprehensive reason for this pipes existance from people on here who are experienced with Cerbera's. As the original catch tank was removed before i bought the car, I have no reference to how it used to be.
After your last response, I'll think twice before asking further questions on here........

Thanks to all who contributed, much appreciated.

[brogenville]

Do please excuse the slightly exasperated tone I used in the above reply- there is honestly no offence intended. It was early in the day and I think I was yet to have a cup of tea at that point. The last thing I would want to do is disaude anyone from asking any question on here.

For what it worth, I'm an engineer too, and so will also look to hear a technical justification before I believe answers to technical questions.

[TailHappy]

No problem Brogenville, no offence taken. I think its an engineer thing needing to know how things work. I have been known to take stuff to bits just to find out how it works. Im resisting with my Cebrera for now.... until it needs a rebuild!

All the best.