Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) drips from breather tube, I know they are normal BUT. (sorry long)

[JCyrbok]

I know that the breather tube is supposed to drip and smoke alittle. I have mine extended down to about the front axle.



Up until about 2 weeks ago mine rarely dripped at all but did smoke a bit (but not all the time). Lately I am getting acouple of drips every couple of days from the tube, which is new for my truck. In the past if I got 1 drip a month that was alot, LOL.



Nothing has changed with the truck and it runs, sounds and performs as before. Fuel mileage is the same too.



Truck only has 81k fairly easy miles on it.



Only thing I though of was that it has gotten cooler here vs how it was about 2 weeks ago and was thinking maybe it is just condensation running out of the tube and picking up some of the oily residue. Ihave never noticed this in the past however.



Oil was about 1/2qt low when I checked it the other day and I topped it off and I'll check again to see if it is dropping (but that amount is pretty normal for my truck over 5k miles).



The other thing was that I run a by pass, use synthetic and run oil samples every 5k miles. They always come back good to keep using so I do (with regular filter changes). The oil right now has just short of 30K miles on it (which is about 2 years of service). Not sure if this has something to do with it, but I know others run their oil much longer with out problems.



What would cause more dripping from the tube all of a sudden (I have not been on any large incline either)? I would think that if it was something major like a bad piston and/or rings it would be obvious in loss of performance etc.



Also checked the coolant levels and they are normal with no oil in the resivior or the radiator.



Last thing I can think of would be a bad/leaking injector. All past oil analysis have come back negative for fuel in the oil so that may be the whole "new" part of this. Plus this would make the oil level read high.



Any other idea's?????



Thanks

J-

 

[Regcabguy]

I know that the breather tube is supposed to drip and smoke alittle. I have mine extended down to about the front axle.



Up until about 2 weeks ago mine rarely dripped at all but did smoke a bit (but not all the time). Lately I am getting acouple of drips every couple of days from the tube, which is new for my truck. In the past if I got 1 drip a month that was alot, LOL.



Nothing has changed with the truck and it runs, sounds and performs as before. Fuel mileage is the same too.



Truck only has 81k fairly easy miles on it.



Only thing I though of was that it has gotten cooler here vs how it was about 2 weeks ago and was thinking maybe it is just condensation running out of the tube and picking up some of the oily residue. Ihave never noticed this in the past however.



Oil was about 1/2qt low when I checked it the other day and I topped it off and I'll check again to see if it is dropping (but that amount is pretty normal for my truck over 5k miles).



The other thing was that I run a by pass, use synthetic and run oil samples every 5k miles. They always come back good to keep using so I do (with regular filter changes). The oil right now has just short of 30K miles on it (which is about 2 years of service). Not sure if this has something to do with it, but I know others run their oil much longer with out problems.



What would cause more dripping from the tube all of a sudden (I have not been on any large incline either)? I would think that if it was something major like a bad piston and/or rings it would be obvious in loss of performance etc.



Also checked the coolant levels and they are normal with no oil in the resivior or the radiator.



Last thing I can think of would be a bad/leaking injector. All past oil analysis have come back negative for fuel in the oil so that may be the whole "new" part of this. Plus this would make the oil level read high.



Any other idea's?????



Thanks

J-

My original "53" block dripped from day one and when it blew at 17,500 miles,the next "53" did the same thing. I never used oil@5,000 intervals either. In contrast ,my friend up the street with a '99 also has never had a drip problem. His driveway looks very clean. My '07 has yet to drip anything in 10,700 miles.

 

[DIESELWRKS]

mine has dripped ever since I had moved to a longer hose. my idea is the more hose I have the more collection area is there over time and gravity will naturally pull what ever has collected in the tube and send it out. (so once in a while I get a bigger puke than just a drop or so I did try this for a year a while back got old socks and doubled them up slid over hose and zip tied to hose to collect most of oil and to still allow vapors to exit. worked I just have gotten lazy and havent put on any socks back on. my hose is ran down along the fram to the front part of T-case...





2002 HO 6-SPD LB 4X4 QC HTT 62/14 SB-FE TST PM3/*REVO-BETA*SMARTY MACH 4'S, RINGED AND STUDS, AFE/2 " 4"EXHAUST D/PRICOL GAUGES, FASS 150, VULCAN 1/2 DRAW-STRAW, 3/8 FUEL LINE, DSS-TRAC-BAR STEER-BOX, AIR BAGS,17'' KMC BLACK HOSS, 315/70/17 MICKTHOM MTZ'S 6" RCD LONG ARM LIFT AND DE-BADGED FOR FUEL MILEAGE. :-laf... THANKS RIP Source Automotive Performance Diesel - Home

 

[MA2LA]

what if it blows out like crazy. My buddie with an 01 was over the other day and he was leaking oil like crazy on my driveway and the front axle is just coated with oil

 

[DIESELWRKS]

make sure it is coming from the breather tube and not another source the power stee/vacumm pump seal leaks bad common in the same area. also does he still have the the fill bottle or just a tube. how much are we talking drip drip as it idles or what . if its drip drip as it idles how much oil is in the truck. clean all the area really good including the pan and under the engine to see where its coming from. if it just recently started could of been a blockage and finally is puking out alot fo build up in the hose does he tow alot with alot of grades in his area.

 

[DWeiler]

mine has dripped ever since I had moved to a longer hose. my idea is the more hose I have the more collection area is there over time and gravity will naturally pull what ever has collected in the tube and send it out. (so once in a while I get a bigger puke than just a drop or so I did try this for a year a while back got old socks and doubled them up slid over hose and zip tied to hose to collect most of oil and to still allow vapors to exit. worked I just have gotten lazy and havent put on any socks back on. my hose is ran down along the fram to the front part of T-case...





2002 HO 6-SPD LB 4X4 QC HTT 62/14 SB-FE TST PM3/*REVO-BETA*SMARTY MACH 4'S, RINGED AND STUDS, AFE/2 " 4"EXHAUST D/PRICOL GAUGES, FASS 150, VULCAN 1/2 DRAW-STRAW, 3/8 FUEL LINE, DSS-TRAC-BAR STEER-BOX, AIR BAGS,17'' KMC BLACK HOSS, 315/70/17 MICKTHOM MTZ'S 6" RCD LONG ARM LIFT AND DE-BADGED FOR FUEL MILEAGE. :-laf... THANKS RIP Source Automotive Performance Diesel - Home

Just thinking about this today---mine has started to do the same thing as well when i did my pre-winter inspection etc,not a constant drip but a few after a good 3-4 hour run. It never did this before i relocated down on the front fender/frame. I recently installed a FS 2500 bypass system when i extended the breather/puke bottle,my return line dumps the filtered /clean oil back into the top of the valve cover at the oil filler and run down the front onto the timing gears(i think). Any members---COULD THIS MORE OIL FLOWING DOWN THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE BY THE "'ORIGINAL BREATHER/PUKE BOTTLE" OPENING POSSIBLY BE A FACTOR. Just a thought,i really don't know what would all of a sudden start this--- this is the only mod i have done since this has started. Truck runs great/never abused/less than 30,000 miles---mostly a toy hauler for all my crap. Any thoughts,hopefully nothing to worry about, ---THANKS DW

 

[jeepit]

I noticed mine seems to do it when my oil level is at the top of full line on dipstick. If I run it more at the 3/4 mark on the dipstick it will not drip at all.

 

[AABEN]

Check the breather on top of eng. remove it wash it out with gas or a cleaner of some kind. Then blow it dry and spray it a light oil and put it back see if that will help it out.

 

[JCyrbok]

Just thinking about this today---mine has started to do the same thing as well when i did my pre-winter inspection etc,not a constant drip but a few after a good 3-4 hour run. It never did this before i relocated down on the front fender/frame. I recently installed a FS 2500 bypass system when i extended the breather/puke bottle,my return line dumps the filtered /clean oil back into the top of the valve cover at the oil filler and run down the front onto the timing gears(i think). Any members---COULD THIS MORE OIL FLOWING DOWN THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE BY THE "'ORIGINAL BREATHER/PUKE BOTTLE" OPENING POSSIBLY BE A FACTOR. Just a thought,i really don't know what would all of a sudden start this--- this is the only mod i have done since this has started. Truck runs great/never abused/less than 30,000 miles---mostly a toy hauler for all my crap. Any thoughts,hopefully nothing to worry about, ---THANKS DW

Thats where my By PAss return is too, but it has been there for 5 years and the extra drips off my breather tube just started. I will take the breather off and give a cleaning.



I'm guessing that with no other symptoms of something wrong it may just be how my truck is.



J-