Ok, What gives?

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plum70crazy

plum70crazy

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Last year, I picked up a sweet 74 Duster. This summer, I started getting an exhaust smell in the cabin, and the RIGHT exhaust pipe started smoking blue smoke. I did some poking around and found the Breather Cap was pretty dirty and had oil residue in and around it. Now this motor was a new rebuild two years ago (so the seller says and the way it looks and runs, I believe it), so I would think that the Breather would not be older than that. I swapped the breather out and the smell and blue tint to the exhaust both went away. Problem Solved. Here is what is bothering me.

1. How often should a breather be swapped out? PCV valves last for years.
2. Does anyone think the engine builder just reused the Breather? If so, man that is lazy.

Ok, rant over. Thanks for reading. :-k
 
Have you actually checked the PCV? If it's stuck it could be that the crankcase pressure was trying to blow out through the breather and clogged it up. Just thinking out loud here.
 
Are we talking about the breather element(small filter) in the air cleaner where the hose attaches or the breather cap? Like the type found on the older cars or, are you referring to the PCV valve itself? A clogged of disconnected PCV valve can cause oil to purge out due to higher than normal crankcase pressure. Another thing to look at would be make sure the valve cover baffles aren't clogged, damaged or sludged up & make sure the oil return holes in the head aren't restriced or clogged.
 
PCV valve and vacuum line were fine. The Breather is the push in type that goes in the passenger side valve cover. That is what was full of oil. Problem solved. I just never knew that they would either fill up, or fill so quickly. I just never heard of it, but for 6 bucks the problem was, fortunately, a cheap fix.
 
I doubt the engine builder had anything to do with the breather, and whoever pulled and replaced the engine reused it. and yes, people are lazy.

And there are lots of other shortcuts that may have taken place. Different people define "rebuild" in different ways.
 
It may have had extra oil in due to higher-than-normal blowby while the rings were seating.
 
I had considered something along these lines. The engine was fully torn down and rebuilt at a reputable shop, receipts in hand, so I am not concerned about shortcuts damnimcooltom is referring to. The engine runs as smooth as any I have ever heard around town and, on hard acceleration, pulls easily and solidly through the power band all the way to 70 mph. I will monitor the breather for the summer and check PCV to see if this is a fluke.

Thanks for everyone's two cents.
 
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