3rd gen valve cover revisited

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Matt I would remove the fleetguard piece and save it, and try the new VC with it plumbed like I mentioned. If it doesn't work out then go from there.



All the piece on top does is try to condense the oil vapor to prevent drips on your driveway or on your trailer when towing. It will have negligible impact on oil consumption. All previous Cummins had no means to collect oil mist, it always went out the draft tube. My '01 never used any oil to speak of. I doubt you'll use much oil if you remove the fleetguard piece off the VC.



The baffle is to prevent oil splashed about by the valvetrain from running out the blowby exit. I would put a catch bottle on the end of your blowby hose like the 24v trucks do.



Vaughn

 

[Matt400]

Matt I would remove the fleetguard piece and save it, and try the new VC with it plumbed like I mentioned. If it doesn't work out then go from there.

You may be right there, I would like to see some wire mesh of some sort under the new baffle though to help wick the oil mist. There is hardly any room in the back for fittings.

I would put a catch bottle on the end of your blowby hose like the 24v trucks do.

Thats a good idea too but then also becomes another thing to deal with.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Maybe a couple layers of window screen under the baffle would do the trick. Vaughn

 

[Matt400]

Good idea Vaughn.



Update- The new VC is 1/2" taller than the OEM. What this means is that if you were to mount the Fleetguard breather on the back to hide it under the cowl you would never get the cover on because it wouldn't fit having to raise it up over the rockers.



You also can't mount it after putting the cover on because the Fleetgauard piece requires 3" of clearance due to part of the baffle that protrudes down into the cover.

This would just barely be possible with the 1/2" shorter cover and would be a tight fit but no way with the new one.



Vaughn's idea to use the new VC's baffle is looking best at the moment. Just have to find the right pieces and make sure the oil drain is a continued down slope to the OEM connection. Keeping the OEM VC and Fleetguard piece is a good idea for future smog testing.

 

[Matt400]

I bought a brass 90* plumbing piece that I popped into the blowby outlet at the back of this valve cover.

Popped?? do you mean press fit or did it have threads that grabbed the VC's machined bore?



How about that new covers oil drain thread??

Looks like 12mm with 1. 5 thread pitch, that should be fun to find a fitting for.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

As I recall I had to sand it down a bit before it would go in, then it was a pretty tight fit. I don't know what the piece was called, I found it browsing the plumbing fittings bins at a hardware store.



Vaughn

 

[nickleinonen]

Looks like 12mm with 1. 5 thread pitch, that should be fun to find a fitting for.

what do you want to adapt it to???



from a 12mmx1. 5 to a 7/16"-20tpi jic fitting is common... the metric side seals with an o-ring and the 7/16" jic is i think a -4 hose [gates P/N = 88031]



that might be a little on the small size for a return line to the crankcase but i really don't know how much oil will be flowing through there...



or if that doesn't work, you can bore out the hole and tap it with a 3/8"npt... those fittings are easier to get and you would get a little more flow.

 

[Matt400]

what do you want to adapt it to???

The oil drain hole machined into the VC looks like just under 1/4" and then exits out through a 12mmx1. 5 female hole.



I think it would be slick to use a 90* that would also adapt to a common brake line tube and fitting that could be shaped on around and down to the OEM plastic drain.

 

[Matt400]

from a 12mmx1. 5 to a 7/16"-20tpi jic fitting is common... the metric side seals with an o-ring and the 7/16" jic is i think a -4 hose [gates P/N = 88031]

Guess I need a class in custom plumbing, sheesh!



I can't find that fitting. I did find this 90 that would screw into the VC and seal with an “O” ring changing to a -6 male fitting. EAR-949092ERL



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Since the drain exits on the exhaust side I would like to go around the back side of the valve cover so another 90 like this EAR-923166ERL



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Then that could easily be converted to a barbed fitting from a hardware store. I measured the OEM plastic drain at . 400" OD so I am guessing thats pretty close to 3/8" to splice on another section from the back of the engine over to the OEM hose. Just those 2 pieces are $37. 00!

 

[nickleinonen]

from the online gates hydraulics catalog...



description-----part numbers------------------metric-------jic

12MM-6MJ90 ~ G63160-1206 ~ 7253-65625 ~ M12X1. 5 ~ 9/16–18



this is pretty much identical to the 90° except it is steel [probably cadnium plated] and probably much cheaper... AN fittings are identical to JIC hydraulic fittings. both share the same threads, and the same 37° taper on the flare. .



or you could use this...

description---part numbers-----------------metric------NPTF

12MM-6FP ~ G63120-1206 ~ 7253-62815 ~ M12X1. 5 ~ 3/8–18



this one converts your 12x1. 5mm into a 3/8" pipe thread... then you can put what ever fittings you like on it... [you can also get this fitting with 1/8" and 1/4" pipe theads]



link to gates page where you can download catalog [full cat is ±38mb]



i'm not trying to push gates, but their site is easier to navigate than the eaton/aeroquip site, and i have at home a print catalog of gates to quick reference against... with a gates number, you can cross reference the fittings against other hydraulic manufactures parts [parker, eaton-aeroquip... ]



or maybe a banjo fitting and some hard line that is silver soldered to the banjo fitting???



did a quick search on summit, and found a straight M12x1. 5 to -6[3/8"jic] for less than $5. 00



put that fitting on and then use one of these...



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that should clear the valve cover from over top or behind...

 

[lmills]

that 12mm fitting can also be found on the summit web site by doing a search for webber fittings. they are commonly used on these trucks for the fuel supply and oil line fittings for some turbos.

 

[Matt400]

AN fittings are identical to JIC hydraulic fittings. both share the same threads, and the same 37° taper on the flare.

Thanks, thats good to know also.

or maybe a banjo fitting and some hard line that is silver soldered to the banjo fitting???

Good idea too. I have on order a Scotty fuel line that replaces the banjo on my CP3 so maybe I can use that.

 

[Matt400]

lmills - thanks for that tip, I will take a look at my CP3 fitting when I pull the line on that.

 

[rbattelle]

Sure would be nice to be able to continue to use the Fleetguard breather. Where are you with regard to that, Matt?



Also, I used the Weber fittings to replace the banjo's at the CP-3 and the filter canister when I made my fuel system (thanks lmills).



I'm not really following Nick's suggestion to use a hard line soldered into a spare banjo... seems like it would be too much of a fabrication job. It would be really cool (I think) to run a braided stainless -6AN line from the M12x1. 5 - -6AN adaptor fitting over to a canister that feeds the Fleetguard breather. But I'm not sure the breather will work as a remote-mount (plus the fabrication required may be a big headache).



-Ryan

 

[nickleinonen]

I'm not really following Nick's suggestion to use a hard line soldered into a spare banjo... seems like it would be too much of a fabrication job.

if you can get a blank banjo fitting, and the necessary hollow bolt to attach it to the valve cover, you can hard pipe it pretty easially... some steel pipe and a basic tubing bender will be enough... mold it to go around the back of the valve cover and then follow the side of the valve cover coming around the drivers side and then just plumb it back into the sump... once you have the piping formed, and you mark how it would attack to the banjo fitting, grab a torch and some silver solder and get to work joining the pieces... i have attached an image as to how i think it could be done at the valve cover end...



another option could be to use a M12x1. 5 to -6/3/8"jic 90° adapter then a 90° jic field serviceable fitting on hose. that would get you the same angles as a 180° fitting, but cheaper and maybe easier to get from a hydraulics shop, and it should clear the valve cover and firewall. .

 

[Matt400]

Sure would be nice to be able to continue to use the Fleetguard breather. Where are you with regard to that, Matt?

Hi Ryan,

Its interesting you brought that up because I havent totally dropped that idea, I think the Fleeguard piece would keep the draft pipe cleaner than the new covers baffle.



Brandon stopped by the other day and his 04 ISB powered tool truck uses this valve cover. He popped open the hood so I could take a look at what was up with this cover and found this:



The oil drain on his is just an 18" (estimated) hose with banjo that goes straight down to the side of the engine block. I looked at my truck and there is a plug screwed in by the turbo that looks to be where that oil line may go.



Next, I noted the breather in the back goes straight down into the rear mounted timing case/cover. His has the injection pump in the back.



This brings question as to the intended flow and venting with this cover. I couldn't see what dumping the blow by back into that area would do. I looked for a draft tube and didn't see one.

 

[Matt400]

Hey Nick,

Good idea with that one too, simple to undo the banjo for cover removal.

After looking at Brandons Med Duty ISB I may take a look at just going straight down behind the turbo and blocking off the other line.



I would like to confirm Cummins intended use of the larger breather port before i get this thing all cleaned up nice.

 

[rbattelle]

Now I understand what Nick was getting at. A picture is worth 1000 words. That could look really nice with some polished stainless tubing.



That plugged port right next to the turbo oil drain line certainly would make a nice place to route the breather line, but it might be difficult finding a fitting that will go into that port (I don't think it's threaded).



-Ryan

 

[Matt400]

I learned a little more about this new VC today.

I signed up for Cummins Quick Serve and was able to view figures of the med duty ISB.

As I mentioned above they dump the V/C's vent into the rear timing cover, then from there the timing cover has another breather attached to it.



This VC is on EGR equipped motors and marine applications.

On the marine motor a tube runs to an Airsep unit and is a closed system.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Matt another thing I was considering was adding a vent outlet at the front of the timing cover like the 24v has but unfortunately the serpentine belt runs right in front of the hole where the piece would go. It has a flat circular cap there.



Looks like you're making some progress though . How much did it cost to join Quick Serve?



Vaughn