Little black bottle above the steering box

[Jim Ross]

Hi Guys,

Got a question for you all.

I was changing oil and filter and fuel filter today and while I was finishing up I noticed some oil and grunge on the front of the oil pan. With a little more looking I discovered the source. It was coming from a black plastic bottle mounted to the front of the engine just above the steering box. Well, being the fastidious type, I decided to remove the bottle and clean it and the mess it had made. All went well and it is all back in place. My question is: what the heck is this bottle and why it is collecting oil that blows all over the front of the engine? The bottle was simply an empty plastic bottle with no filter or anything in it, just holes in its body about half way up from its bottom. The bottle is about

2 " diameter and about 4" tall. It contained about 1 tablespoon of oil, which I dumped out when I cleaned it.

Maybe it doesn't matter, but my truck has 8,200 miles on it and this is the first time (after 3 oil changes) that I noticed this little black bottle. The hose that feeds it seems to come from the front (fan side) of the injector pump.

I know one or more of you will know the answer to my question, so thanks in advance for your response!

 

[SEmerson]

It is a breather bottle. Every one complains about this. It is a poor design. Alot of people remove it and run a longer hose away from the engine.

 

[Bob Wagner]

Jim, Its the crankcase blow by bottle



if you want all the dirty facts how and why to relocate the bottle

check the archive for all the details

 

[Jim Ross]

Thanks Guys. I knew you'd have the answer. My very first guess was that it was a "blow-by" container. I just needed reassurance from someone else! I will definitely be changing its location soon... and maybe I will add some sort of sponge or cotton to the inside of the bottle to help contain some of the oil and keep it from going all over the place.

Thanks, again. This site is the BEST!!

 

[D White]

It's a 2 minute fix. Go to your local auto parts store and get 2 feet of 3/4 inch radiator hose and a barbed connector. Ditch the bottle, connect the 2 hoses together, drop it straight down and zip-tie it to the stabilizer bar. Your done, and no more mess. Some people run it back a ways, be careful not to have any sags if you decide to. Don't want anything pooling in that hose. That's the reason I dropped mine straight down.



Hope this helps,

Doug

 

[lschultz]

I got some absorbent rags from work and cut me a piece and put in the bottle. It helps but oil will still get on the front of oil pan and fan blades. So I did like everbody else and got me some 3/4" hose and extended it back to my transfer case. No oil on oil pan and fan blades now and no drips on driveway. Still want to meet that halfa-- engineer that come up with this.

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

Just make SURE that you do not kink that hose anywhere! If you do crankcase pressures will build up and you will blow at least one seal out of the engine. This happened to me on my first roadrace bike when I rerouted the crankcase breather to a catch tank (required by the rules) and pinched off the hose, pushed the seal at the transmission output shaft and was leaking oil. Missed my first weekend of racing because of it .

 

[MikeR]

I second the caution on kinks or sags in the hose. One local TDR member was very careful in not leaving any sags in the hose,but it did it anyway,and moisture from condensation collected with the oil pool creating a nasty mess.



I just simply pitched the bottle in the trash and attached a 2 ft longer hose straight down and zip tied it to the sway bar. It's easier and faster for me to steam clean the front differential than it is the fan,and entire front engine,and steering box.



-Mike

 

[Jim Ross]

Thanks Guys!

I will be double sure not to kink or create a place for the longer hose to sag. I frequently go off road in the Nevada sage brush, so I need to make sure I pick a place for the extended hose that is safe from being snagged.