What does your breather setup look like?

[EarlyPorsche]

I have a catch can on a hose coming off my oil tank. This is because I have K&N's. There is then a breather valve on top of this. Recently I took the can out and it was full of water. I assume if this was recirculating through the engine the mist that turned into water in my catch can would burn off. So what do you guys do? I mean there was a bit of water in there and thats after 3 years so I am not too upset about that. However I was wondering what else I could do.

[911pcars]

Take a look at the bottom of the oil filler cap. Is it clean or do you see a milky mayonnaise-like sediment (often known as sludge)?

Water vapor is a by-product of combustion. That and unburned hydrocarbons blow past the rings to a degree (moreso in a worn engine). These gases should either evaporate (H20 and fuel) or vent out of the engine and back into the engine. A catch can helps separate fuel and oil vapors so only unburned hydrocarbons recirculate. If the engine is normally brought up to normal operating temperature, there should be minimal water vapor in the catch can. If not, water vapor will also collect in the crankcase and help form sludge.

If that's the case, either bring the engine up to operating temperature before shutdown or change the oil more frequently.

However, with a K&N-type breather terminating the vent side of the catch can instead of a complete recirculation path, it could just be normal condensation that collects.

Sherwood

[EarlyPorsche]

Thanks for the help. The engine is not worn and there is literally zero sludge in there as its been rebuilt not too long ago. I also looked through the sump plate and it was just nice oily metal in there. I think the water is just normal condensation. There was some milkyness to the oil as I had not driven her in a while but thats also why I changed the oil. All is well now I feel, I will just change the oil every 6 months instead of 1 year and it should be good from now on. Thanks again guys and I will continue to use my catch can.

[CurtEgerer]

This is the way Stoddard vented mine when they built my 2.5 some 28 years ago. Seems to have been working fine.

[911SCfanatic]

you just wanted to post a picture of your sparkling suspension.

[CurtEgerer]

Don't you have some patents to file or something?

[911SCfanatic]

who says I'm not working right now? I'm thinking...

[Type911]

Originally posted by CurtEgerer
This is the way Stoddard vented mine when they built my 2.5 some 28 years ago. Seems to have been working fine.

Good god man, that is sweet !

How will you ever keep it clean?

[EarlyPorsche]

Is that an open ended hose or is there a breather valve or one way flap somewhere? Mine is just a hose going into a catch can, its rather nice. I will take a picture of it and post it.

[CurtEgerer]

Yeah, just an open hose. I've debated on a catch can but this seems to work. I really haven't ever noticed any discharge to speak of.

[911pcars]

Curt,
Besides the shiny pieces (nice btw), what are we looking at? Is that a dump hose from the filler tube or something more elaborate?

One owner's crankcase breather (not mine). Not sure if he's using two, but the one on the left side looks like it's at my budget level:


Sherwood

[CurtEgerer]

Yeah, that's about it - a dump hose connected to the oil filler neck. A catch can is probably a tidier solution.

[randywebb]

Oil Breather Cans - Redux

may be of interest; as usual, pay close attention to Sherwood's comments re hose size & etc.