Too much oil coming up into air filter from breather line

[shawnrogan65]

Hi guys. I have done several searches and read various posts but I am still prompted to ask a couple questions to see if I can make sense of all I read.

Fairly recently purchased 1965 Beetle for my son. 1600CC engine rebuilt by previous owner less than 5000 miles.

We've never cleaned or replaced the carb air filter. Recently did a rebuild on the carb and seeing the air filter was soaked with oil. Cleaned that and re-installed with the rebuilt carb (Solex H30/31 PICT). Oil level not too high. Breather hose runs from filler tube to carb air filter. With filter off, watching what seems to be too much oil being spit up into the tube. Under filler cap, I see the white slime stuff I've read is condensation yet to burn off.

My concern is whether I should expect to see that amount of oil coming into the breather tube all the way to the air filter.

The easy answer might be that the alt stand gasket with the louvers is on wrong and allowing too much oil to come up all the way versus being direct back toward the case.

Other potential answers though? Too much crankcase pressure? Should I run a better breather system, i.e. off the valve to a box under car?

As always, thank you for the patient and helpful replies!!
_________________
1965 VW Beetle - Second Time Around!
http://s634.photobucket.com/albums/uu61/shawnrogan/VW%20Project/

[mark tucker]

could be many things but you realy need to get it out of the air cleaner as that can cause detonation and a hole in a piston and a lot of blow by and could push oil up to the carb where it could cause detonation and poke as hole in a piston and cause a lot of blow by and push oil up to the carb and.... . could also be a broken ring or 2 or sloppy"rebuild". compression check/leekdown.

[slalombuggy]

IF you loosen the oil cap and let it sit on the filler when the engine is running does it bounce around a lot? Does oil actually spray out of the filler at idle? IF so you need to do a leak down test on the cylinders to see if the rings are worn out or were they installed wrong etc.

A 1600 should not need any other breather than what came stock.

brad

[bugguy1967]

Use a real air/oil separator inline to prevent oil from entering the intake tract.

[shawnrogan65]

Thank you guys for responding!!

bugguy1967: So I am planning to install a rear breather.

Brad: When filler cap is off...oil isn't spitting out of the filler tube necessarily but I do observe some "bubbling" or small drops of oil coming up. I also experience a fair amount of "air flow" or air coming up out of the filler. If I placed the filler cap loosely on the tube it would likely "bounce around". That doesn't seem right?

Mark: I will look into the leakdown. Motor was newly built just a year ago and barely has miles on it so if something is not right...certainly a sloppy build...and I will be PO'ED.
_________________
1965 VW Beetle - Second Time Around!
http://s634.photobucket.com/albums/uu61/shawnrogan/VW%20Project/

[74 Thing]

Possibly too much oil in the engine; the baffle under the alt/gen stand is not situated correctly; can you provide a photo of your engine with the oil filler/breather system (if it is aftermarket it may be more restrictive than stock esp if it does not have the downdraft tube).

[andk5591]

Would strongly suggest doing a leakdown test. Will tell you if its getting past the rings and pressurizing the case. You usually also see oil leaking around the crank pulley in that event. If oil is overfilled, you DEFINITELY will see oil around the crank pulley. Adding breathers will be a band aid.
_________________
D-Dubya Manx clone - 63 Short pan,1914.
Rosie 65 bug - My mostly stock daily driver.
Woodie 69 VW woodie (Hot VWs 7/12).
"John's car" 64 VW woodie - The first ever
Maxine 61 Cal-look bug - Cindy's daily driver.
Max - 73 standard Beetle hearse project - For sale
66 bug project - Real patina & Suby conversion
There's more, but not keeping them...

[shawnrogan65]

Again thank you guys for the replies and help!

Attached is a picture of the after-market filler for feedback.

Oil capacity is just right so I am not concerned too much. No oil leaking around the pulley.

I will work on that leak down test for sure to at least confirm.

_________________
1965 VW Beetle - Second Time Around!
http://s634.photobucket.com/albums/uu61/shawnrogan/VW%20Project/

[andk5591]

Nothing wrong with that filler IMHO. Have used them on occasion.
_________________
D-Dubya Manx clone - 63 Short pan,1914.
Rosie 65 bug - My mostly stock daily driver.
Woodie 69 VW woodie (Hot VWs 7/12).
"John's car" 64 VW woodie - The first ever
Maxine 61 Cal-look bug - Cindy's daily driver.
Max - 73 standard Beetle hearse project - For sale
66 bug project - Real patina & Suby conversion
There's more, but not keeping them...

[shawnrogan65]

Thanks andk5591.
_________________
1965 VW Beetle - Second Time Around!
http://s634.photobucket.com/albums/uu61/shawnrogan/VW%20Project/

[74 Thing]

That is one of those POS aftermarket aluminum fillers. The fitting is 1/4 NPT. Take off the hose and look at the tiny opening of that brass fitting. Compare that to the fittings on the stock oil/filler breather with downtube which has more than twice the surface area to let your engine breathe.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1986386

I am not saying that is the problem-I would start with the overfill first, but my second step would be replace that filler with a stock one.

[andk5591]

The oil breather being restricted would cause the oil to come out of the least restrictive orifice. This is typically around the crank pulley IMHO. The OP's issue is having more oil coming up the line.

As was mentioned, if you take the cap off, you should feel gentle pulses both directions...You really should not have any real pressure blowing out .You will have some, but very little. BUT if you do, this means that you have something pressurizing the case. This is typically excessive blowby past the rings.

I am running similar fillers as the OP on 3 of our cars. A mild 1600, a 1955 stroker and a 1914. No problems. But also all of the engines are in really good shape,

But if you feel a stock filler would help, you could try it or drill out the fitting some. Don't think it will make a difference, but sure wont hurt anything.
_________________
D-Dubya Manx clone - 63 Short pan,1914.
Rosie 65 bug - My mostly stock daily driver.
Woodie 69 VW woodie (Hot VWs 7/12).
"John's car" 64 VW woodie - The first ever
Maxine 61 Cal-look bug - Cindy's daily driver.
Max - 73 standard Beetle hearse project - For sale
66 bug project - Real patina & Suby conversion
There's more, but not keeping them...

[mark tucker]

[andk5591]

[Mikedrevguy]

Any chance that an incorrectly oriented oil deflector beneath the oil fill could cause this?
Any chance the OP builder did not correctly orient this deflector?

Any way to check without pulling the stand, alternator, shroud?
_________________
74 1303 (RevBug): plan for German Look
76 914 with 2260
79 VW Iltis
69 Bwajaja
"The wise speak because they have something to say; while the foolish speak because they have to say something." Plato

Illigitimi non-Carborundum!!

[catahoula lou]

Shawn:

Off topic, I know, but - GO CATS!

Best,
Thom
Class of 2000 M.Sc. Hydrology & Water Resources
_________________
1 great wife
2 Catahoula Leopard Dogs (Mahogany Star and Spartan) - RIP Lucy, Braveheart, & Dusty!
1 1959 mango green Ragtop Bug (the "Mango")
1 1958 pantina red Lowlight Ghia (the "Chili Pepper")

Still looking for:
(1) My Dad's 1955 356 (he raced it amateur-class at Riverside and other courses during 1950s),
(2) My parent's black 1955 hardtop bug (CA license plate FWC 201 or FWG 201), and
(3) My parent's agave green 1957 ragtop bug (CA license plate LFK 734).

[74 Thing]

I would 1. Make sure the oil level is not overfilled; 2. Remove your existing oil filler and use a flashlight to look down the alt stand and make sure the oil deflector plate is installed correctly; 3. Replace that oil filler with a stock one with a downdraft tube and make sure you have the downdraft boot on as well.

[begood56vw]

Shawnrogan65,
My engine just started to do the same thing as yours (oil spitting out the filler hose). Never done it before UNTIL I changed the oil and added Brad Penn 10w40. I haven't drained the oil to add regular 30w, but does that make any sense to folks with more experience in VW engines??? Would the wrong grade oil cause this issue? Thank you in advance.