1978 Type 4 engine. Oil from crankcase in paper aircleaner.

[mcdonaldneal]

I can't find specific advice on this, so...

For over a year I have had a fair bit of oil in the air cleaner housing, from the hose from the crankcase breather. Not enough to make the paper filthy. Both carbs are black inside and the butterfly's are sticky, slightly improved by aerosol carb cleaner, I always assumed this was unrelated. Engine burns a bit of oil, maybe a quart every thousand miles or so.
Engine is a type 4, automatic, (cj code), 70,000 miles, totally stock, regular servicing from new, but had a bad spell a couple of years ago when it did over 1000 miles on 3 cylinders, overheating badly across Europe and the Alps in Summer, cracked HT lead. Compression test, all just over 100 a year ago.
My plan is to take out the carbs (PDSIT 34 2-3) and send them to a specialist for refurb, but my worry is that if there is an underlying problem they might oil up again (that maybe shows my hazy mechanical knowledge)? I can take it through a service myself but have never tried any job bigger.
QUESTIONS:
1. Is it likely the piston rings are worn?
2. If the engine needs to come out (it will need to go into a garage) is it worth just going ahead and getting them to fit new pistons/ cylinders and exhaust valves?
3. Anything else worth doing if the engine does come out? I've had the van 13 years and am likely to be camping in it for many years yet, so keen on preventative measures!

Thanks for any sensible advice! I'm away on holiday at the moment, otherwise I would attach pictures, but I'm trying to plan my winter maintenance schedule!
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1978 marino yellow Bay Dormobile camper
1969 signal orange Karmann Ghia convertible
1976 martini olive Bay Dormobile camper

Stop dead photo links! Post photos to The Samba Gallery!

[skills@eurocarsplus]

Sounds to me like it is due for a top end. New p/c's and heads.
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[SGKent]

That is called blowby and it is normal especially if you don't have some kind of pre-filter between the engine and air cleaner.

You can add a catch can full of brass wool etc to the firewall and come out of the catch can to the air cleaners. That will cut some of the oil but not all.

Here is a good article on the issue http://www.hamincgroup.com/type4-test.php

[Wildthings]

The carbs being black could be from backfiring. Oil passing through your crankcase ventilation system will actually lube your choke for you, but this doesn't sound like what is happening.

Are you running a factory air cleaner set up? I am not familiar with the European system, so does the blowby enter before or after the the paper aircleaner element?

[mcdonaldneal]

[Wildthings]

You can buy PVC fitlers that sit inside the air cleaner. They have a mesh filter that catches at least some of the oil and a tray that gathers the oil and drains it back down into the ventilation hose. The system requires gravity to work so the hose needs a downward slope. Have no idea if you have sufficient room in your air cleaner to add something like this or not. Easy to retrofit if you do.

A filter is just shown in its box in this ad, but here is a listing for one.

http://mx.fram.framautogroup.com/enmx/node/228

In the bottom right of this picture you can barely see one install on my air filter, it is the orange piece.

[mcdonaldneal]

Thanks for that tip, Wildthings, will look into it.
_________________
1978 marino yellow Bay Dormobile camper
1969 signal orange Karmann Ghia convertible
1976 martini olive Bay Dormobile camper

Stop dead photo links! Post photos to The Samba Gallery!