[alfa] cranckase vent

[Jon Pike <jhpike@xxxxxxx>]

> Dear All,
>
>
>
> My crankase vent system is full of gunk that is clogging out my Oil-Vapour separator. I'm sure this is not normal and suspect a blown head gasket (otherwise why would there be so muck brown muck?). I would like to disconnect the crankase hose from the Oil separator and have the hose just hang there for a while to prevent the gunk to enter the combustion chamber until I sort things out. I don;t plan great trips just short hops to test the car now and then. 
> what are the implications of doing that? (other than environmental of course). 
>
>
> TonyG
Probably nothing worse than getting oil spray all over, coming out of 
the open hose.. .  You aren't going to get any of the gunk into 
combustion chambers thru that hose..  usually no vaccum at the cam cover 
vent,  the suction path is the lower large hose going to the bottom of 
the air filter box.  The thin separator oil return will put gunk back in 
your sump, if it's not clogged completly,  which is a good reson alone 
to keep the system clean.

Short rundown..  get at least two large cans of carb or brake cleaner,  
a full roll of paper towels cause there will be LOTS of FILTH coming out 
of this thing!  Find a place that can get dirty, (preferably outside so 
you don't gas yourself with fumes) spread lots of toweling, and start 
spraying, shaking, and pouring,  in and out all orfices of the 
separator.  Keep at it till it runs out clean..   Flush clean the long 
return hose as well,  and replace it if it has any holes..  The stuff 
coming out of it probably will make you shudder at the thought of it 
going back in your sump.

Then you'll be clean and neat,  the separator will do it's job well, and 
you'll have no excessive crankcase pressure problems and only relatively 
clean oil going back to the pan.  Oil separators normally grow crud at a 
steady rate.. probably should be on the to do list once a year or so to 
clean them,  though you probably won't have the enviromental incident 
you did the first time around!  ;-)


BTW,  the definitve test for a blown headgasket,  at least in the oil to 
water failure mode, is to pop off the radiator fill cap and look for the 
dreaded "milkshake" of oil mixed in the water..  
Jon
77 Spider
Irvine, CA
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