iil soaked air filter

[what2do]

As the title says......steam cleaned the underside if the van yesterday knowing that I had a couple of oil leaks which weren't obvious to trace due to the build up if crud. Now that the van's booty is spotless, I've found the culprits - firstly, the sump plug is weeping (new washer every oil change and I had to helicoil it when I first got the van), perhaps a couple of wraps of ptfe will sort this. However, I traced the second oil leak to the bottom of the air box, opened it up and there was a considerable puddle at the bottom and the 2 month old filter is coveted in a film of it. I guess it's coming from the breather, question is, what to do? This is where I hope some of you will offer experienced advice. Had similar on old landys, the cure was to disconnect the breather altogether before the engine began to pick it up and start running at several thousand rpm higher than the red line! Thoughts please.

Thanks in advance.

[ghost123uk]

Had similar on old landys, the cure was to disconnect the breather altogether before the engine began to pick it up and start running at several thousand rpm higher than the red line! Thoughts please.

I think that situation only applies to Diesels.

Usual cause is worn rings causing crankcase pressure forcing oil up the breather and into the filter housing. However, the breather tower is there to allow droplets of oil to condense on the mesh inside it and run back into the engine. So, if the gauze mesh is all crudded up, the oil could be getting past it. Although Sciroccos use a slightly different breather, this is a common cause of them getting oil into the filter. Folks have junked perfectly good (Scirocco / Golf) engines thinking they were worn out because of this fairly common fault.

So, first thing to do is get a new or known working breather tower.
Next thing to do is get a compression test done to put your mind at rest.
Don't bother trying to clean out your breather tower, in my experience it never works.

If you do have too much crankcase pressure, you could shove the breather pipe into a pop bottle to act as a catch tank, just as a temporary measure. They sometimes do that on race / rally engines (and some race style motorbikes)

[ghost123uk]

As the title says......Re: iil soaked air filter

You could E D I T that title a bit

[Cruz]

breather tower is obsolete and unavailable from classic

what should I look for if I check mine? Is the mesh inside or do I need to take it apart?

[what2do]

Youre absolutely right about it happening to diesels only, tut-tut, for a minute I was thinking that I was blessed with a diesel rather a petrol with a non functioning lpg install!

Re: title - poxy smart phone thinks it knows what I want to say!

Thanks for the info.

[ghost123uk]

what should I look for if I check mine? Is the mesh inside or do I need to take it apart?

"Is the mesh inside ?" err yes (I was going to be more sarky but it might have come out as rude on forum where you can't see me smiling )

I have never tried to take one to bits as I ain't had the need. The Scirocco ones are built into the rocker cover and cannot be taken to bits (spot welded). I do know that those ones do not respond to any form of cleaning I tried (solvents etc). It is not a simple mesh, more a sort of course wire wool. Not sure about the design inside the WBX tower but I bet it is similar = not practical to clean it. However, on Rocco's, one trick is to burn it with a blow torch. This burns and dries all the oilly crud until it turns to soot and then it can be tapped out. Takes a lot of burning / heat and on the Rocco wrecks the paint on the rocker cover.

Perhaps find a used one and try it ? (and let us know )

[edoh]

ello senor

https://club8090.co.uk/wiki/Pe ... ather_hose(1.9" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)
make sure it's not the hose to the breather tower?

similar problem?
https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.p ... r#p7779371" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

the 'how to'
https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.p ... r#p7825826" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

map from vagcat
http://www.vagcat.com/epc/cat/vw/T2/1990/78/49/880776/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ghost123uk]

ello senor

Hiya

https://club8090.co.uk/wiki/Pe ... _hose(1.9)
make sure it's not the hose to the breather tower?

Linky no go anywhere but that one ^^^ does

similar problem?
https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.p ... r#p7779371" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yep

the 'how to'
https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.p ... r#p7825826" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

4 10mm bolts and an "O" ring gets it on and off

map from vagcat
http://www.vagcat.com/epc/cat/vw/T2/1990/78/49/880776/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Oh heck, you have to login

And what's with the RED text

Bored

[edoh]

must be the repressed teacher in me!
ta for the corrections -

[itchyfeet]

what should I look for if I check mine? Is the mesh inside or do I need to take it apart?

"Is the mesh inside ?" err yes

never found any mesh in the two I took appart.

[ghost123uk]

what should I look for if I check mine? Is the mesh inside or do I need to take it apart?

"Is the mesh inside ?" err yes

never found any mesh in the two I took appart.

Just guessing, is it just empty then ?

I have never tried to take one to bits as I ain't had the need to

[itchyfeet]

a plastic part is inside which presumably helps condense the oil

I take alot of pics but I didn't take one of this.

[itchyfeet]

come on Mitch fess up to the reason why your air filter is full of oil and the LPG system does not( or didn't) work

who would have thought they were related

[what2do]

Oh lordy, if I don't fess up then Paul will only speak up and paint my scenario blacker than it really is. Although to be fair, it truly is a monumental "cock"-up on my behalf that ought to be shared so that others can learn from it or more likely wet their pants in a hysterical manner at my expense!!!!!

Where to start? Well as we are on the oily filter post, that's as good a place as any. Here goes.

Whilst driving the short distance to Paul's (in order for him to take another look at my poorly lpg system) I was afforded the time to think about this post and my filter situation. Whilst driving, it occurred to me that maybe, just maybe these symptoms are somehow linked to a moment of idiocy that I can committed a couple of months ago.

My van, since purchased last summer has had an oil leak, in fact there are always 2 puddles of oil beneath the engine but due to the cruddy underside, it wasn't obvious where these were coming from. Anyways, whilst topping up with oil I overfilled by a 'small' amount and thought it'd be alright and soon drip away on her majesty's highway.........

The next morning, 15 or so minutes into my journet to work on a particulary lovely tree lined part of the A10, my exhaust began to belch volumous amounts of smoke into the space behind me. The cloud was soooooooooo bad that it filled both lanes and reached the tree tops. At the time I was worried to death about the other road users, the police and also the effect on my engine!!!!!!!!!!!11 After a few minutes of this, it stopped as suddenly as it had started and my rear view mirror showed a wall of smoke but no cars exiting it - for as long as I could see behind me (easy now that the smoke had ceased)! Hells bells, it was as bad as you can imagine but fortunately, it didn't occur again to quite the same effect which was a relief as I Was then on the M11.

[what2do]

Whilst on the way to Paul's, I pondered over this and thought that this may be the reason for all the oil in the filter - it seemed to make sense. Earlier this week I steamed the underside and discovered the 2 leaks are from the sump plug (bizarre, it's been helicoiled and a new copper washer with every oil change), which can be cured with a turn or 2 of ptfe and a very wet bottom of the air filter housing. With a thorough clean of the housing and a new filter - this ought to be cured also. It's been losing about a litre a month (at a guess), due to me doing approx. 600 - 700 miles a week.

I didn't think it would be due to the rings as this thing starts on the button which pleases me beyond belief.


There's a much bigger part to this tale and those of you with an interest in lpg will find a write up about it very shortly - be prepared!!!!!