Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Breather catch can

[pjhainer]

Has anyone come up with an ingenious way to solve the breather bottle oil leak problem? It's kind of embarassing to me to see a coating of oil over such a fine specimen of a power plant. I've been toying with the ideas of some type of foam in the catch can to contain the mist, or possibly a completely new type of can relocated somewhere else.

 

[lschultz]

You can either get some more hose and extend it back somewhere or extend it and take the bottle off. I had a piece of absorbent pad in the bottom of my bottle when it was still up front but it still got the oily film so I just took it off and extended the hose several feet back to the transfer case. No drips on driveway yet and dry underneath. Do a search about the breather bottle and you will find all you want to know about it.

 

[pcarlson]

Relocate

I saw this on a post and I did it myself. I bought the 3/4" fitting and 2 foot of 3/4" hose. Then I took the factory hose and bottle off, attached the fitting and hose to the factory hose, reattached the factory hose, routed the new extension behind the washer bottle, drilled a small hole on the outside of the left frame just on the opposite side of the steering box, attached the breather bottle here, cut off the elastic part of my sock and pulled it down over the bottle to cover the holes but still allow it to breath, cut the new hose to lenght and attached the lid, tie strap and screwed it together.



There has not been any blow by oil anywhere on the frame. This set up is out of the way of the fan, protected by the frame and the front wheel liner.



Like I said I didn't invent this idea I saw similar/identical setups on the site. Search for breather bottle and find other ideas people have used. I didn't like all the soot stuck to the fan and front of the engine, the hood and just all over. I believe fan longevity could be compromised if you were to let all that build up on the fan and not clean it off.



What ever you decide just make sure the hose doesn't kink and that it has a downward slope out of the way of moving parts and you will be fine.

 

[JHerrlich]

I just went and shelled the money for the Walker AirSep. I would've just extended the breather tube, but I go down too many steep hills and have lost about 2 quarts of oil out the breather. I don't need that.

 

[Crazy Horse]

pjhainer, this is what I've done on two trucks so far and it works good. The bottle is tucked up in front of the LF tire. Two 90's, 2 ft of hose and a little strap steel and clamps. Put a 90 in where the bottle used to be and run a hose downward above the frame, in front of the tire. Run the other 90 into the bottle. Slightly downhill all the way and no kinks. If you relocate the original bottle make sure you don't block the holes or you'll be building crankcase pressure. Pic #1

 

[Crazy Horse]

Pic #2

 

[dremelts]

Crazy Horse alluded to this in his response but if you live where the temperature gets below freezing and you are going to extend the hose just make sure that there are no low points in the hose where moisture could collect and freeze. If the breather is obstructed you risk blowing seals.

 

[TxDieselKid]

anybody ever thought about a true breather that would let some hot air get out, and let the oil then drain back to the pan? I saw something simular on a truck and liked the idea.



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Andrew

 

[dremelts]

TxDieselKid, that looks like a very cool setup. Better than the open hose dripping on the driveway but less expensive than the AirSep.



Do you have a source for the item you show in your post?

 

[Riflesmith]

I routed mine into 1" PVC pipe and piped it back to the area above the rear diff. I welded a 3/4" pipe elbow to my tailpipe just after it snakes over the axle. I used a pipe nipple and large heater hose to connect it to the tail pipe. I have a 4" system, so backpressure is not a problem. Totally eliminates the mess.

 

[TxDieselKid]

I got the pic from Jegs. I will put it on my truck one day, along with my other "to do" items. You know how it is.



It is a part number 861-5110. There is a smaller one also, but I like this one, and it is a $5 or $10 difference, so what the heck.



Riflesmith,

Sounds like a nice set up you have, but I don't like the idea of letting the oil leave the system. Just my own greadiness I guess.



Andrew