TheSamba.com :: View topic - small inexpensive breather made of aftermarket oil filler pipe.

Wed Jul 01, 2020 7:21 am

I got this idea after seeing a post on Dell Venting, but after making one, figured it needed it's own post - in making a breather for a street driver without ever buying filters.

Oprn and Girrick, here you go!!!

Ok guys, I hate paying for filters when I can just use baffles. Last night I brain stormed. So I find an after market oil filler pipe that goes on the case with hose fitting. Then I looked for same kind of baffles and find a stainless steel tube used as a baffle for a blow torch. I cut and drilled an alum spacer to fit on the tube and center it in the Oil fillter pipe. Cut it exactly so one end fits in the fitting on the black cover, and grind out some grooves in the that end. The groves will aid in it accepting the oil droplets , so it can drain back in the crankcase. . I figure, between the blowby pressure and the carb suction the oil and fumes should go to the path of least resistance straight up the stainless steel pipe. The small holes will create resistance as the oil an gases tries to escape out the fitting to carb.

Keep in mind both ends of the stainless steel tube are sealed the small holes will slow it down and I expect the gases go out the fitting to the carb, and the heaver oil droplets to hit the interior wall and drop down to the bottom.

I don't have a wind tunnel to do a test, ha. What the heck it has got to be better then just running a hose from crankcase to carb. Great size, only 3", not including the hose barbs.

The square aluminum piece was in my aluminum stock of junk [parts in case I need one of them some day, may use it to mount the unit.

Relative Post ---- https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=738824

Wed Jul 01, 2020 11:07 am

It's kinda like a filter. You want to make the air/oil stream change directions as many times as possible so that hopefully the oil droplets contach a surface and become stuck :).

Wed Jul 01, 2020 11:26 am

Exactly my intention! The larger the unit the more twists and turns you can give it for the oil to be screened from the gas. Mine is small but, also height of the breather must be taken into consideration.

The blow by will have to go straight up till it it gets into the breather were the oil droplets will be forced out the holes into the outer and inner walls. It is too small to work with an engine with a lot of blowby. The breather would fill with oil and only will drain back when you turn the engine off.

I am open to suggestions.

Wed Jul 01, 2020 1:33 pm

I like the idea. Any pics of it installed? I like the ingenuity.

I too made my own breather. The Fram oil filter is actually my breather. I added internal baffles to it. The lid of the filter housing is vented to atmosphere. Any blow by has to turn at least two corners before making it to the atmosphere. I'm far from an expert on exactly the right way to do it, but it seems to work so far.

Wed Jul 01, 2020 1:44 pm

Nice engine! =D> =D>

With regards to the breather:the ventlines should enter the breather off center along the inner wall.More like a cyclone or a seperator-vessel as used in aircompressors. :!:

Cheers,Arnoud

Wed Jul 01, 2020 2:09 pm

To me it's better to fix excess blowby than trying to separate the gas from the oil ya no. I don't mind some mist, but when a seperator/can starts to fill up.its time to rebuild the top end .

Wed Jul 01, 2020 2:09 pm

Wait am I seeing double?????? Arnoudh, I got a photo from you and from VWCHAD.

Same photo and to make it more crazy one of you guys are from Australia and the other from USA State of Washington ??

We will deal with that later , ha.

The Fram filter is really cool looks like a 356 Porsche engine

ArmpidH thanks for the engine compliment. That is my original engine I wrote my manual about, back in 1992. What is it 30 years, that is a T-4 engine for you, runs like new.

Wed Jul 01, 2020 2:22 pm

ArnoudH wrote: [img]

Nice engine! =D> =D>

With regards to the breather:the ventlines should enter the breather off center along the inner wall.More like a cyclone or a seperator-vessel as used in aircompressors. :!:

Cheers,Arnoud

Thank you.

Can't really see in that pic, but the vent lines are off center. The lower one also acts as a drain for any accumulated oil, which is pretty minimal. The breather is total overkill for my needs really.

I like the OP's compact idea and would like to see how it would mount to an engine. Seems it could be pretty easily hidden if so desired to clean up an engine bay.

Fri Jul 03, 2020 11:21 am

Ok Chad, here are the photos you asked for, ha. I did not attach the hoses as for yet, I want to do some more work on the unit for a perfect fit so no leaks from the stainless steel tube and also want to JB Weld the top screw on piece.

Without the hoses attached you can get an ideal with the hose attached how small the entire unit is. Funny how the chrome breather tube was replaced by the one below, to fill the engine with oil. it was on my bug but went made some changes had to get the angled version.

The look like a matching set, except one is upside down.

Also if you look at the location of the breather it is high up gases will not have a problem, oil drop lets will and most likely fall back down.

Cost nothing and no filters to replace, not a high performance engine, should work fine.

img]https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2059687.jpg[/img]

Fri Jul 03, 2020 11:27 am

The one photo I want to show got screwed up on my last post and it is the hanger you were looking for.

Sat Jul 04, 2020 4:45 am

Looks like a good thing Nextgen!

Personally though, if it were mine, I would still vent the fumes to atmosphere. But I don't have emissions testing to contend with.

Sat Jul 04, 2020 6:46 am

Ok when you say vent to the atmosphere are you filtering it or just running an open tube.

Sat Jul 04, 2020 7:13 am

Open end, you could put a barbed fitting on the end of the breather pipe and fit 1 of those little filters to it. position the end of the pipe out side the engine bay , so ANY oil mist can't make a mess. I use 13mm I.D oil cooler pipe. go bigger you want to. just let it breath. :bug_red:

Sat Jul 04, 2020 7:40 am

I am using 13mm also but my engine compartment is stock with the stock deck led... VW originally ran the hose out bottom of the engine and it had a one way rubber that opened under pressure.

So were would I put your suggestion?

Sat Jul 04, 2020 8:20 am

Anywhere that's convenient really. I know you know where to position it nextgen. You got skills 😉

Sat Jul 04, 2020 11:35 am

Thanks for the compliment. I thought of another reason why your ideas is better, existing to atmosphere.. If the blow by is exited into a Carb, the carb is adding suction to the crankcase gases. If the end of hose is from the crankcase only then only the engine will be pushing it out, there is no carb assist suction ( as little as it may be)

So here I go again, you got me going for a plan "B" !

I most likely will work on what I have and install it in the bug shortly. Will

Drive it and see if anything other then gas fumes are coming out.
Thanks

Joe

Sat Jul 04, 2020 3:21 pm

OK I lied, had to finish it. Strong fastening, no problem, looks great. Ever if the hardware broke, the hoses will hold it in place. Though that will happen, ha.

Took it for a ride, all is good. After some long rides I will check to see what is happening on the carb end..

BTY I love using allen bolts, why, because I was working with a guy on the first computerized Elevator. I am an Industrial Designer and he was way more experienced. He said " Joe use Allen bolts" I said why, he said " because, they look BadAss ,Techie Cool"! "Besides that I love stainless steel rivets". Right on!!

OK back to the present time here in NY
The finished photos.

Sun Jul 05, 2020 2:13 am

looks good that engine bay.
I see 1 and 2 carb top needs seating properly. look at the inside of the breather pipe going to the 3 and 4 carb top .... if its wet with oil mist , the top of the carb/jets/stacks etc will over time get an oil film covering. The pipe might be dry now , but if you go to a show half a days drive away the oil mist might start on that journey and show itself with by blocking idle jets etc.

That little breather catch can you made might stop that happening.

Just noticed something.
The drop rods on your dells are at an angle. From the top to the carb spindle you can get extenders that fit onto the carb spindles that allow the drop rods to be vertical , It smooth's the throttle action out and stops the heim joints wearing out. It might have been like this for years , but it would benefit from it.
I made some out of old aluminium push rods. Threaded both ends and that was it done.

Sun Jul 05, 2020 6:21 am

nextgen wrote: Ok when you say vent to the atmosphere are you filtering it or just running an open tube.
Open tube just like VW did right up to the early '70s. Your new breather will work just fine to filter out the oil mist but I would just leave the rubber tube off the carb air cleaner and run it instead down below to exit under the car.

Quite frankly I have never understood the need to re-burn the blow by from an engine. Blow by is burnt gasses that have made it past the rings and exhaust valve stems and is already burnt anyway. It's the same stuff that's coming out the exhaust pipe now, why run it through again?

Oil mist excluded of course. As long as you are containing the oil mist there is no need to put it through the carb.

And you are right there is virtually no suction added to the case by the carb because any suction/pressure in that area exits and enters through the air filters.

Sun Jul 05, 2020 8:58 am

Garrick and Oprn,
You guys are great. Garrick, thanks, for catching the carb filter not seated correctly. Also you are correct about the drop rods being in that position for 30 years, ha. Keep in mind, this is my first Upright Conversion and fitting the Dells was a job. Depending on the homemade Gen/Alt Stand height things changed, if you notice in the photo I had to add an alum. flat bar of about 3" high and 1" thick, to the air cleaner tops and make mounting holes for the Hex Cross bar to clear the ALt. Was happy to get the darn thing running, also was looking for a perfect angle so the cable had a direct line up position in relationship to the hole in the fanhousing.
I am sure like me you have seen throttle cables slice the cable tubes. That said sure that is a good idea to adjust that issue.

Oprn

Ok will plug the carb hole and go Atmospheric ( Sound like I am in rocket going to blast out of the ionosphere).

My issue with running the hose out under the bug was worrying about oil dripping on to the black top of my driveway. But like you said unlikely with breather box.

Yes the idle Jet holes are real small and a pain in the ass when clogged.

Now to find a longer hose.