breather modification

I drive a peugeot 205 1.6 gti.

I do a lot of town driving and the breather is always getting clogged.
Hence I need to clean it every few days.

Recently, I noticed that the breather was much cleaner, and noticed
that there was a small split in the narrow pipe that connects the oil
filler cap to the throttle housing. The car runs well.

I was thinking of repairing the split, then making a hole a bit further
down in this pipe to a more convenient point, then connecting this hole
to a new pipe and hang it close to the bottom of the engine (to vent
the gas to the atmosphere - rather than the engine compartment).

Do you think this will work alright.

I want to do this because at the moment some gas must be vented into
the engine compartment and might leak into the cab (although the cab is
isolated from the engine, and the bottom of the engine is open to the
atmosphere.)

thanks

sp

If I am not mistaken, that hose with the split is a part of the positive
crankcase ventilation , or PVC, system. Fumes from the crankcase are
recycled through the intake system of the engine.

In some places, it would be illegal to make a modification such as the one
you describe.

What do you mean, exactly, by your breather getting clogged?

Here in America we used to use the term 'breather' to mean the vented oil
filler cap, often fitted with a 'draft tube' which vented the fumes near
road level. The draft tube was replaced with a hose and PCV valve which
allows fumes to be drawn into the air filter plenum (messy, if you have an
oil burner) or directly into the manifold (which can be really nasty).

If you live somewhere that environmental issues are not an issue, you can
draft the engine fumes straight to the atmosphere. If you live in a strictly
enforced area, you
might be better off repairing the Peugeot so it will run as the
manufacturers intended.

By the way, Renault and Peugeot, were once some of the lousiest cars that
were brought to the Americas (Italians offering somewhat better competition
for last place). Now, those cars can be wonderfully smooth, quiet,
economical, and rather dependable.. Unfortunately, they are not, as far as
I know, available here..

See what Renault has managed to accomplish in Formula I in just a couple of
years, making Ferrari look bad, and Mercedes look worse. Renault has the
ability,
if they wish to flog it.

Thanks for the response.

'What do you mean, exactly, by your breather ge'tting clogged? '

I mean that the oil filler cap get clogged with greasy deposits quite
quickly. This is due to the fact that I do a lot of town driving.
Evidently this is a common problem with gti's

Do you think that the split in the hose could lead to fumes within the
cab. I haven't noticed as yet. In addition, the base of the engine is
open to the road, so under the bonnet ventillation should not be a
problem.

The car runs well. Do you thin my plan is workable. The ammount of
emmision to the new pipe should be quite low. I can't even see the gas
emitting from the split. But the engine runs a lot cleaner (cleaner oil
filler cap).

I do not live in the US - don't know the rules there

Best wishes

sp

ps. there is no fault with the car - it is just my driving pattern that
causes the problem

> wrote in message
oups.com...

> I mean that the oil filler cap get clogged with greasy deposits quite
> quickly. This is due to the fact that I do a lot of town driving.
> Evidently this is a common problem with gti's
>
> Do you think that the split in the hose could lead to fumes within the
> cab. I haven't noticed as yet. In addition, the base of the engine is
> open to the road, so under the bonnet ventillation should not be a
> problem.
>
> The car runs well. Do you thin my plan is workable. The ammount of
> emmision to the new pipe should be quite low. I can't even see the gas
> emitting from the split. But the engine runs a lot cleaner (cleaner oil
> filler cap).
>
> I do not live in the US - don't know the rules there
>
> Best wishes

Okay, now I am clear on it.
The split in the hose will allow some crankcase fumes out into the engine
compartment, but this is usually minor. In cases where there is a lot of
cylinder wall leakage (blowby), the engine compartment can become oily, the
windshield can
become oil streaked, etc. It is normally not dangerous. BUT....

Have you cleaned or replaced your PVC valve? This is usually cheap to do,
and can solve a couple of problems, like excessive oil consumption caused by
excessive pressure in the crankcase, buildup of emulsion/gunk in the engine
and breather, etc. If the PVC valve is stuck open, excessive air can enter
the system, and the car will idle poorly.

If your laws do not prevent it, you can extend a draft tube from your
breather cap
so that fumes exit to a more or less safe area. You should plug the PVC
hose if you plan to do this.

Okay, now I am clear on it.
The split in the hose will allow some crankcase fumes out into the
engine
compartment, but this is usually minor. In cases where there is a lot
of
cylinder wall leakage (blowby), the engine compartment can become
oily, the
windshield can
become oil streaked, etc. It is normally not dangerous.


The engine compartment is clean, the windscreen is fine



BUT....

Have you cleaned or replaced your PVC valve?

No - don't know where it is

This is usually cheap to do,
and can solve a couple of problems, like excessive oil consumption
caused by
excessive pressure in the crankcase, buildup of emulsion/gunk in the
engine
and breather, etc. If the PVC valve is stuck open, excessive air can
enter
the system, and the car will idle poorly.


Oil consumption seems alright. The car idles very well about 900 rpm
(recommended)

If your laws do not prevent it, you can extend a draft tube from your
breather cap
so that fumes exit to a more or less safe area. You should plug the
PVC
hose if you plan to do this.


I presume that plugging the small hose from the oil filler cap to the
throttle housing (I presume that this is the PVC hose) will force all
the emissions down the new hose to the atmosphere. Why is the plug
important

Since what appears to be leaking to the engine compartment is enough to
keep the breather clear, I am wondering if my initial plan to connect a
pipe to the PVC pipe will serve. In other words, some emissions will
burn, and some will vent. I would prefer this because the engine will
then be running more or less as it was intended.

I get the impression that you don't think this modifivcation is a good
idea.
I also get the impression that the emission under the bonnet is not
really a problem. I was concerned about possible leakage into the cab
(but cab is sealed from the engine, and the bottom of the engine is
open to the road.

Thanks for responding

Best wishes

Sp.

The PCV system is a controlled 'leakage' concept. Fumes from the crankcase
are leaked into the intake manifold and go through the engine, giving
treatment through the catalytic converter.

The PCV valve allows only a little leakage at idle, so that the smoothness
of the engine is not compromised. At hhigher RPM, the leakage can be
higher and you will not feel the effect. This is more or less how the
system should function. If it is working as it should, and you dont have a
lot of oil fumes entering the PCV system
then fouling should be minimal. It should help keep the breather clean, in
most instances.

If you decide to vent your crankcase fumes to the road, there is normally no
need to be leaking fresh air into the PCV hose going to the manifold. That
was my point.

You will usually find the PCV valve (1) where the hose goes into the valve
cover, or (2) inline in the hose to the manifold, or (3) perhaps at the
manifold end of the hose. It may look like a small pipe fitting or filter.

I feel it is usually a good idea to have automobile systems working as the
manufacture intended, but there are exceptions where one has to rig a
repair, and the modification may work better -under the circumstances- than
the original.

Than you

Thank you