Help! - Oil in Air Filter

Post by **wedgeywesty** » 19 Apr 2006, 20:34

Hi

Noticed an oil leak on the van this morning. Checked it out tonight and it appears to be running down the outside of the offside rocker cover. Couldn't see how it was getting there so had a look in the air filter housing and it seems to be faily full of oil!! The oil is then coming out of the rubber drain thingy and then down over the rocker covers.

I had it serviced last week and the guy put in a new filter and didn't mention any problems.

Any ideas??!

(1984 water cooled 1.9)

Cheers

Andrew

Post by **Hacksawbob** » 19 Apr 2006, 21:12

The oil is then coming out of the rubber drain thingy

not sure what you mean there, there is a rubber hose that goes from the breather tower (black plastic vertical round thing about 15 cm tall on top of engine) to the air filter. This recycles engine gasses back through the carb and oil can come up through it and deposit itself in the air filter housing, I'm not aware of a drain tube though, maybe a previous owner has added one?

Post by **andysimpson** » 19 Apr 2006, 21:18

If its come up from breather it could be too much oil in engine being blown out or piston blow by which means engine is dying.

Post by **kevtherev** » 19 Apr 2006, 21:28

Nah!..My breather came off and I lost half a litre from southhampton to wolves, all over the engine bay.
There's oil in my air intake pipe but it doesnt burn it.
I think it just condenses there as its a cool spot

Post by **wedgeywesty** » 19 Apr 2006, 21:38

Thanks for your super quick posts - very kind!

The oil is actually in the bottom of the air filter housing underneath and partly soaked up by 1/3 of the air filter itself.

"The oil is then coming out of the rubber drain thingy" - I think this normally collects condensation etc and is mounted underneath the air filter.

If the oil was coming from the breather, would it be fed into the carb air intake, after the filter??

Post by **Mocki** » 20 Apr 2006, 09:07

all filter housings have the rubber one way drain on them, at the bottom.....

sounds like your breather tower need taking to bits and cleaning.......

Post by **wedgeywesty** » 20 Apr 2006, 21:27

Thanks for everyone's advice.

Got home in the light and had a good tinker. It seems the garage who serviced her last week over filled the oil... couple of cm higher on the dipstick.

Let out some oil from the drain, cleaned the air filter housing and fitted a new filter.

Travelling to Bus types tom so fingers crossed it's not more serious.

Cheers and hopefully see you there!

Post by **stuckin88** » 21 Apr 2006, 17:22

Its worth experimenting with the amout of oil you engine actually needs--I find if you fill it to the full dipstick mark when cold the level will go down quickly-a little-then no more-suggesting excess is being blown out of the breather--the oil expands when hot-check your level a few minutes after a run-have it on the full mark----when cold the level will be 2 thirds way up--doing this I find I have no more oil in the airintake--

Post by **HarryMann** » 21 Apr 2006, 17:34

Small correction there - oil itself doesn't expand when its hot, to any extent you could ever measure. Whatever is happening is something else, possibly aeration, which is what windage trays help to prevent, amongst other things.

Post by **stuckin88** » 22 Apr 2006, 06:43

windage trays?--yool have to help me there, Clive!---

Post by **Louey** » 22 Apr 2006, 07:47

stuckin88 wrote:windage trays?--yool have to help me there, Clive!---

I think Matt and me have them - Parp!!!!

I'm just as confused Billy, but then I'm in a diesel

Post by **HarryMann** » 22 Apr 2006, 09:49

Those baffles/shields/trays that are fitted under the crankshaft between it and the sump oil. The Subarus seem to have two, the VW diesels have them , or at least the AAZ does. They damp out the pumping airflow pulses from beneath the pistons, and the lower Subaru one would presumably act as a surge baffle to some extent. In fact most modern engines have them now I expect.

Post by **wedgeywesty** » 24 Apr 2006, 16:55

Oh dear.

Bus made it to and from bus types ok. BUT - checked the air filter and oil level when I got home and the filter housing is again contaminated and the oil level has risen...

I think petrol is topping up the sump and the oil is being forced out via the breather into the filter. Will be doing a chuff test later on, if so its cheque book time...