Kent Breathing Problems
04-01-2006, 09:25 PM
#1
PassionFord Post Whore!!
Thread Starter
Kent Breathing Problems
ok, i have a problem with my breathers, the engine is a 1700cc crossflow - it has a HP oil pump too.
Now i've always had a problem with it breathing, originally i had a mk3 fiesta oil cap with just one pipe connection which had the mini K&N on it. this puffed out alot of smoke tbh, i.e. with the lights on, stopped at night you could see the smoke comming out through the grille, not full on plumes or anything just a gentle fog comming out.
this is pretty much how it has stayed until recently when i've got pissed off at it looking like some steam train by night.
soooooo i first i've bought a alloy rocker cover as my old one was bent thus leaking, this came with the usual twist on cap and a single elbow on the other end.
Also as per my other thread i had oil dribbling out of the top of the oil cap - theres some sort of breather hole in it - i've sealed this hole up and this is now not leaking.
now, i've bought a breather pot from halfords for £13, it looks similair to what is fitted on a efi CVH, it has three pipes comming out of it. one at the bottom one at the top of the side which appears to go into a wire gauze and a small one in the middle.
What i've done is connect the breather from the crankcase [previously blocked] to the bottom side of the breather pot, the breather from the rocker cover to the top side port on the pot, and to the third, small middle port i've stuffed a poly-stryrene coffee cup to make use as a collector.
i've been for an approx 10mile drive of mixxed driving and have collected approx 2mm of oil in the bottom of this pot. which doesn't sound much but over a few weeks driving this is gonna explain some of my lost oil where-abouts. theres now no plume of smoke from under the bonnet and a deffo decreased amount of burnt oil smells in the car.
Sooooooooo why is the oil going into the pot like this? what is worn out? or is this normal? how can i return this oil to the sump? can i just hack it into the breather on the crankcase or could this upset the breathing as this pipe already goes to the pot, if you get me?
on a side note the seal on the cover cap is leaking, it's a cork one where can i get a replacement?
i have wondered whether my HP pump could be causing problems? not sure how/what though? I've also thought about excessive rocker box pressure but i'm not sure what could be causing it tbh?
suppose a compression test is the next step forward? or the f*cking scrapyard.
any input greatly received as i'm stumped.
Thats how it is atm, if i got say, a beans tin, welded the top shut and drill a hole at the top each side and put it inplace of my coffe cup would this have the same effect as a breather tank?
oil would then drain out the side of the breather pot into the beans tin then when it gets above a certain level down into the crankcase breather?
Now i've always had a problem with it breathing, originally i had a mk3 fiesta oil cap with just one pipe connection which had the mini K&N on it. this puffed out alot of smoke tbh, i.e. with the lights on, stopped at night you could see the smoke comming out through the grille, not full on plumes or anything just a gentle fog comming out.
this is pretty much how it has stayed until recently when i've got pissed off at it looking like some steam train by night.
soooooo i first i've bought a alloy rocker cover as my old one was bent thus leaking, this came with the usual twist on cap and a single elbow on the other end.
Also as per my other thread i had oil dribbling out of the top of the oil cap - theres some sort of breather hole in it - i've sealed this hole up and this is now not leaking.
now, i've bought a breather pot from halfords for £13, it looks similair to what is fitted on a efi CVH, it has three pipes comming out of it. one at the bottom one at the top of the side which appears to go into a wire gauze and a small one in the middle.
What i've done is connect the breather from the crankcase [previously blocked] to the bottom side of the breather pot, the breather from the rocker cover to the top side port on the pot, and to the third, small middle port i've stuffed a poly-stryrene coffee cup to make use as a collector.
i've been for an approx 10mile drive of mixxed driving and have collected approx 2mm of oil in the bottom of this pot. which doesn't sound much but over a few weeks driving this is gonna explain some of my lost oil where-abouts. theres now no plume of smoke from under the bonnet and a deffo decreased amount of burnt oil smells in the car.
Sooooooooo why is the oil going into the pot like this? what is worn out? or is this normal? how can i return this oil to the sump? can i just hack it into the breather on the crankcase or could this upset the breathing as this pipe already goes to the pot, if you get me?
on a side note the seal on the cover cap is leaking, it's a cork one where can i get a replacement?
i have wondered whether my HP pump could be causing problems? not sure how/what though? I've also thought about excessive rocker box pressure but i'm not sure what could be causing it tbh?
suppose a compression test is the next step forward? or the f*cking scrapyard.
any input greatly received as i'm stumped.
Thats how it is atm, if i got say, a beans tin, welded the top shut and drill a hole at the top each side and put it inplace of my coffe cup would this have the same effect as a breather tank?
oil would then drain out the side of the breather pot into the beans tin then when it gets above a certain level down into the crankcase breather?
05-01-2006, 06:37 PM
#3
PassionFord Post Whore!!
Thread Starter
ok, i've done a compression test and got 170psi give or take a few on 1, 3 & 4 and 150 on number 2. 
i re-did the test with oil in the bores and got 220 give or take on 1, 3 & 4 and 190 on 2.
Now i personally don't know what to think, a few people i've spoken too all reckon a broken ring is most likely on 2nd yet someone i've spoken to says that that isn't a big enough difference to be something to worry about, if a ring had broken the figures would be much lower. He said it could be down to a blocked crankcase breather, he said there might be a gauze filter in the block and this might be clogged, he's suggested a engine flush/oil change then go from there.
the car drives fine with no missing which rules out burnt valve/seat which leaves rings/head gasket. i doubt it's the HG as the cooling system isn't being pressurized, which with a loss of 20psi it would be i reckon?
also the engine has only done approx 10k miles since rebuild, it's always had breathing problems but i've put them done to other faults only now i've sorted other faults i'm left with more questions than answers!
another thought is a hairline crack in the head?
any input?
i re-did the test with oil in the bores and got 220 give or take on 1, 3 & 4 and 190 on 2.
Now i personally don't know what to think, a few people i've spoken too all reckon a broken ring is most likely on 2nd yet someone i've spoken to says that that isn't a big enough difference to be something to worry about, if a ring had broken the figures would be much lower. He said it could be down to a blocked crankcase breather, he said there might be a gauze filter in the block and this might be clogged, he's suggested a engine flush/oil change then go from there.
the car drives fine with no missing which rules out burnt valve/seat which leaves rings/head gasket. i doubt it's the HG as the cooling system isn't being pressurized, which with a loss of 20psi it would be i reckon?
also the engine has only done approx 10k miles since rebuild, it's always had breathing problems but i've put them done to other faults only now i've sorted other faults i'm left with more questions than answers!
another thought is a hairline crack in the head?
any input?
