What's the design idea behind the inspection plate drain/vent tube on the 1098?
Mine has been dumping oil. Why would it do this?
Venting:
Currently I have a line from valve cover to the air filter housing on a Weber and I just this morning drilled a small hole through my oil filler cap as it was originally supposed to be vented (I think) and the one on my PO-added polished rocker cover isn't (wasn't, it is now).
So, why the tube and what does loosing oil through there tell me?

PS
sorry if any of you, like me, hang out at different forums where I've asked this same thing.

The tube is a "draft" tube and was designed to have fumes sucked out of the engine while the car was moving by creating a draft.
Of course this worked on paper but in the real world, it's an oil leak.
You may need a positive crankcase vent to ease the crank pressure and *slow* the tube leak.

I've got a hose from Weber's air filter to rocker cover. Is that positive enough? I swear it didn't use to leak from here (lots of other places yes). But now there's a 3 inch spot and I don't idle it over that spot either. Tube should turn up, then head down, and should have baffles to catch some oil. IMHO.

Think it just may be time to check compression and leak test.

Did compression test. Remember, I'm very amatuer at all this.
off it's own battery, warm engine, throttle held open, all plugs removed
Dry Wet
#1 180 235
#2 180 210
#3 160 175
#4 180 210

I don't think I have the stuff for a leak test (pressurizing the the engine, right?).
I must report this though:
There is a rather disturbing trail coming down the rear of the block from the head gasket. It was there when I pulled the motor, I cleaned the block and repainted and it slowly came back,I thought the paint just hadn't stuck well there but maybe the head gasket is bad. It's always dry to the touch though, I'd think if it were the source of oil it'd be oily since there's a fairly decent puddle down there. Hmmm
I did run her a tad harder tonight then I normally would, I think she liked it.

Compression is not great but just fine really.

I agree, I think I would order a new head gasket just in case.

Have you checked the torque on the head nuts, adjust the valves after of course.

I did not retorque the head nuts or check valve lash yet. I confess I'm putting it off a bit because the pretty polished valve cover leaked when I got the car and I struggled to seal it so I hesitate to disturb it but I know I got to get in there.
So those numbers aren't too bad? #3 disturbs me a bit being that much lower than the rest.
She's a sweet little car. Hoping to crash an MG club rally tomorrow, maybe pick some brains.
Tinkering around tonight, trying to kill an exhaust leak I'm pretty sure is at the header center pipe to manifold. Might need a shim or something. Rare evening of just me and the car, kids and wife are off camping, leaving me home with MG, dog and a few too many beers already!

Hehe, drive it. You arn't going to hurt anything.

Oh how I would love to see those kind of numbers.Take 75 lbs off of my 1098 in Bugsy and 50-60 off of the spare 1275 in the garage. But Bugsy is running and really feels pretty strong even with not stellar numbers. Go and drive.

Put a hose on it and ran it back up. Drove about 10 miles. Oil had been sprayed around the engine and when I pulled the hose back off a good amount of oil ran out. hmmmmmmm

You need a PCV 'Flying Saucer/GULP Valve" in there. Without that you'll have oil everywhere. On my 1098 without that in place I had the Exxon Valdez parked in my garage. The valve provide just the right amount of negative pressure in the crankcase. Not so much the engine is pulling oil out of the crankcase but justenough that there isn't poisitive pressure pushing in out the rear seal.

Oh and did I mention the DPO had vent cover blocked with a 3" 3/8 drive extenser crammed in there and a spark plug stuffed into the manifold intake. Oil and I mean oil everywhere. Adding the valve did the trick. Gotta have them plumbed correctly.

Added a bit of oil and put on 100 miles today. Other than the sudden return (about 2 miles from home) of the fuel starvation (I think) under high load issue, she ran great. I parked it and looked for oil droppings, none? Impossible, checked oil level, it was down a bit but still had oil. Very strange. Oh well, I'll just keep my eye on everything and see what transpires. I'm really perplexed, I've had oil from that tube consistently for quite a while and A LOT right before I left for the day and just now, nothing after 100 miles. Self healing? Sure, that's it.

I fixed it. Long distance. I knew you wanted to ride. LOL

Could you tell me what you did? This isn't working out as is, something weird is going on. Got the car back on the road today (brake work). And the "normal" oil leak was there. I drained and refilled the engine just so I knew exactly how much oil I had. Was very disturbed that I only drained out less then 2 quarts. Dipstick read on the low end of the scale, is that a normal "low" 2ish quarts?. Refilled with 3.5 qts and "calibrated dipstick" (moved the PO installed hose clamp on the diptstick tube until the stick read full).
So, I decided to retry my plug in the dipstick hole trick, expansion nut it was pretty snug, cruised around, took quite a long ride, check under and there's a ton of oil. The plug fell (or got blown?) out and oil is EVERYWHERE in the bay, all over the bottom of the hood too. I don't know if that's to be expected (if you removed the dipstick and tube) or if there is way too much pressure in the crankcase. Compression test as reported in earlier post.

Could you elaborate on what you did?

I run this by you, and I have no idea of the condition of your engne, but extreme crankcase pressure can be caused by rings that are not sealing. With the 1098 engine you should ave the can on the front lifter cvoer, they are form the factory packed with a brillo pad, stell wool type material, is it still in the can, evne so it sould pour out of there. Is your valve cover vented? What is the condition fo your motor?

My early 1098cg has no can. I think I decided it originally would have had; the vent tube from the inspection cover, open to the air down low, rocker cover hose to carbs (in my case the air filter on a Weber). And I believe a vented oil filler cap on the rocker cover. My aftermarket rocker cover had a non vented filler cap, I drilled a tiny hole in it. I don't know much about the motor. Compression seems okay as stated above. It could have a head gasket issue, there is a bit of a trail from right the right rear corner of head to block. Not sure if that could be a factor.
I know my (here) dipstick set up is goofy and some oil seems to sneak out there.
I haven't adjusted valves yet either...

Here's a photo of my 1098 with its original setup.....no can ever!

Yep, that's picture I used to check against mine. Little puddle under the tube every time I shut it down (and presumably as I drive down the road to, as per my earlier post where I put a hose on it and tied it up. Oil was sprayed around the engine bay and when I pulled the hose quite a bit of oil came out onto the ground.
So, yeah too much blow by for the "stock" vent system or something amiss with the "system" (if one hose from rocker cover to air cleaner and one open pipe can be called a "system").

Do you have a PCV valve on your intake manifold?
Might help if we could see a photo of your engine

No valve anywhere that I know of. Open hose from rocker into air cleaner.
http://gallery.me.com/jvandyke#100169

I dunno, but I thought all 1098/1275's had #70 on the intake manifold:

Don't know what #70 refers to. Intake is a Pierce.

I think #70 is a pcv valve that was fit to the original SU manifold. I have no idea where it is supposed to enter into the crankcase.

#70 is for a stock manifold...so, now you have to figure out how to do something similar with your manifold...if there's nothing wrong inside the engine, this might be the problem...where you're hooking up your hoses that should do what #70 did.....does that make sense?

Tony, where is yours going to be hooked if there is no timing chain cover vent? How did these things create crankcase vacuum?

Well I'm pretty confused. Surely someone has put a Pierce intake with Weber onto an early 1098 before? Maybe even more reason for me to get the SUs back on there! I don't think that whole PCV was ever on this 1098cg, later versions only perhaps?
BTW
Thanks again for all the patient input, great community here. The experience and advice making the whole MG adventure much more fun.

If I have the story straight. The vacuum from intake going to rocker cover drew during idle/high vacuum situation, the vent tube poked down into the slipstream to get a little vacuum at speed. That's it. Maybe I just need to tap into the intake, put a port on it for the rocker cover tube instead of having it go into the air cleaner where it "shares" the vacuum with all the other air coming into the carb.?

Going thru the same problems no vent on the timing cover. Someone has added a vent off the dip stick tube and rocker cover when you hook up # 70 pcv to both vents it pulls oil into the exhaust but she doesn't leak but smokes. So I hooked up one of these and stopped smoking.

http://www.pbase.com/rsrock/oil_catch_can

Lots off stuff on the web about this and it works well no more smoke and no more leaks.

Mark

Tony I could have saved you some money, I pretty much throw everything in parts drawing in the garbage can I have never liked the idea of pulling crankcase pressure thru my carbs, it's pressure, give it a path it will find it's way out.

Details?
Where exactly in the system did you put it?

Tony,
Originally the 948’s and early 1098cc (some cg's) did not have item #70. It wasn’t until the front cover “can” as added that they ran that valve.
The metal tube on your rocker cover shown in picture post #492415 would have simply gone over to the front tube sticking out of your air cleaner housing. 100% the same manor as a 948cc engine was. Once the front cover vent was added the remaining stock of rocker covers that had the tube receive a rounded end with a very small hole in the end. They then eliminated the tube all together

Dug

Hap, I understand your point about pressure, but if you can create a vacuum then you can slow the egress of oil around the rear scroll seal.

To answer everybody's question about what I'm gonna do:



I couldn't've explained it better...thanks, Dug.....I've got the air fliter can with the tube for the vent hose to attach to...got the valve cover....&, if you remember Hap, my intake had no holes for vacuum.

This subject has been covered many times before.
No, a hose to the air filter is not a pcv.
The idea of a pcv is to give POSITIVE crankcase ventalation.
That is, to actively remove air from the crankcase.
Allowing the air to vent into the air filter is not actively removing air.
Actively removing crankcase air is to allow a vacuum supply (restricted) access to the crankcase.
And then provide a restricted air inlet to the crankcase to create a flow-through system with slight negative crankcase pressure. This helps stop rear main bearing dribble.

I took the liberty of modifying your engine picture, placing the pcv valve where it should be.

Then after doing all that drawing on my portable pc with no mouse, I found another source describing the whole thing.

http://www.vicwhit.com/spitfire/spittech.html

P.S. I like your double heater valves.

We don't use crankcase vaccum on the race cars, just give them plenty of places to breath, and the crankcase pressures on the race cars due to the rpms involves is way greater than that on a street car. The main reason for crankcase vaccum thru the carbs was it was eco-friendly, or thought to be, if your engine is sealed good, then nothing much other than air is coming from there anyway. The engine is a big ole pump, it doesn't need vaccum to evacuate, just a path.

Donn - good explanation & great link...that may solve the problem...this thread now gets 5 stars!!

That's what I was thinking in post #492497. Thanks.
I did it this morning. Can't report much yet on effect on oil. Car runs different, as expected, hopefully I can tweak it without a rejet. Pulled the line off the intake and it had oil in it.
PS
Oh, and I didn't put in a PCV valve yet, just a "metered orifice" approach, the hole on the intake fitting is tiny, 1/8" or so.

My old Opel Rekord had a metered orifice. It worked ok. I think the hole was a little smaller than 1/8". The good old Chevy, Ford or Dodge pcv valves are really quite nice. I think it was Ford who had a threaded unit, which would screw right into a tapped hole in the manifold. I wish I could get one of those valves over here. The others fit into rubber grommets suitable for a valve cover. I think a certain Chevy unit could be put inline.

My Opel GT had a metered orifice too. PO had plugged the opening at the valve cover, it had oil leaks. I put it to rights, it helped. It was quite a bit smaller than 1/8", probably closer to 1/16"
The guy with the Spitfire in the above link tried a valve but it was too restrictive, I went straight to a small opening. At the moment all I did was snip the end off a vacuum cap, put it over the barbed fitting and clamp the hose over it all. Not very sophisticated but I can change the size easy enough to play with it.
I just got back from a run, not far, 5 miles maybe. Enough to get it all warm.
No oil from drain tube. Maybe a bit yet from the dipstick but it's the wrong tube and fitment is poor, or its still residual oil from the total oil soaking it got Thursday.

In other news:
Besides tapping the Pierce for the vacuum fitting I redid the manifold gasket to address an exhaust leak.
So, on this latest run: no oil drips (dropped off my son at a friends and though I only idled in the drive for 5 seconds: no drips on the guy's perfect driveway!) no decel backfires (exhaust leak) decent brakes and smooth running.
never better, good morning's work.

WHOO-HOO!!

Hate revisit this thread but I must.
Have reverted to SUs so no longer have the rocker cover vented straight to the Weber's Pierce intake. I went back to OEM routing of rocker cover to air filter housing. I now have more oil out of the vent tube. Wondering why still, too much blow-by I guess. Maybe a catch can on the vent tube? I could tap the SU's intake and introduce more vacuum but I hate to pull it all apart and the thought of "oil injection" into the intake doesn't really appeal to me very much.

Didn't I see someone offering a catch can kit? I swear I bookmarked it but well.....

I have a catch can that I'm not going to use. Brand new if you want it. Send me your info in a PM and you can have it.

It's a pretty blue too. It will match your engine nicely!

AS always late on the scene, sorry about the can, guys the later 1098s had a can on the lifter cover that looks just like the can on the timing cover of the 1275 timing cover, thats a way better set that the draft tube, it would be worth finding, maybe someone need to start making aluminum lifter cover for you guys like we do for the MGBs. That was dumb idea by the factory, but I still stand by the ring statement. maybe yoiu need to take leak down test on your engine, that will answer the questions of if the rings are sealing or not.

Catch can is a bandaid used by DPO's!

Tony, I don't think you know what I speaking of, this is factory piece, get with the program man :), remember me, I'm the guy who told you about A series rod offsets The factory lifter can were just like the can on the factory 1275 timing cover, they had the brillo pad material in them. As far as pulling crankcase fume from the engine tru your fuel delivery, go ahead, I choose to take it it elsewhere, you see Tony I perfectly understand why the factory did what they did, I know these motors, MGBs too, it doesn't mean I have to follow the factory in thier mistakes.

All 10CC motors had the can on the lifter cover from the factory, you know Tony the 2" 1098s, like the race crank I working right this minute.

Oh, you're talking about that little can built onto it! Sorry...I was thinking about one of the racing-type catch cans as an add-on. My bad..

Thats the better set up of all (a vented catch tank), a place to deposit any dripping and still breath the secret is to make sure the catch is well vented, I noramlly built custom aluminum tanks, sometime use store bought, then vented with one of the SBC valve cover vents, no it not very stock looking,and something alot of Spridget folks would not want on their car, but sooooooooo much better than sucking fumes thru your fuel, the PVC system works fine as long as your engine is sealing good, but when it doesn't guess where that oil goes, that why racers don't use PVC systems, now exhaust crank case evacuation that another deal, not allowed in most road racing groups, but the drag racer love that, you get the best of both world, killer vaccum, and no chance of messing with the fuel charge.

So Hap, on the 1275, this would be redundant of the catch can on the timing cover? Also, I have an alloy valve cover. Should I tap and vent it? I want this engine to be fully aspirated!

Alot of the alloy valve cover have the venteed cap for street engine that is plenty fine, but you could pick your spot carefully, you may want to make a baffle on the inside of the cover, ofcourse make it has clearence. The breather can on the 1275 on the timing cover, is in a weird place, well no so good palce but it ok for a street car and the rpm it put out, I always gut the can n ym rebuilds, in otherwords remove the brillo material and wire clip. On the race car because of the increase rpms and the longer time period they run those rpms we vent the living crap out them, I use alot 1" hose, check out the black race car as for venting.

Great stuff.
I'm trying the after market add on can like this . Not sure exactly how to plumb it in. Was thinking cut the draft tube way short, hose from there to catch can mounted somewhere, other hose to atmosphere or maybe a vacuum source like the air filter? and maybe, just maybe I can come out of the bottom of the can and back in where the fuel pump used to be? So I don't have to empty it?
First thoughts, maybe stupid ones.

Yes, rings may need doing, compression was good but that only a dry test. Even if rings are bad, it's going to wait so catch can it is.....and looks like rear tranny seal now too.....
BTW my alloy rocker cover's chrome cap wasn't vented, I drilled it last year already, very tiny hole though. I could always put the OEM rocker cover on it, I have one, with VENTED cap.

Is it leaking from the rear scroll seal. ie driping from the bottom of the bellhousing hole?

No, that's the one place it isn't leaking! I get spots right beneath the draft tube and under the frame right behind it. I once put a hose on it and ran it up to see how much it caught, it filled up and blew all over the underside of my bonnet (this was while there wasn't any vacuum pulling on the valve cover) so yeah, I should probably rebuild it, but it's a 1098cg so I'd do better to throw in a 1275 I suspect.

Leak was horrible when the valve cover line wasn't hooked in (loose fitting)
Got better after that was tightened up and routed to Weber's intake but still leaked there a bit.
Weber is gone, SUs on now valve cover line goes to air filter housing (less pull I'd suspect) leak is a little worse again, thus my coming back to this thread.

You'd think the scroll seal would be one of the first places I'd see it leak wouldn't you? Don't jinx me, I don't need another leak.

When you need a rebuild the engine pumps oil out the draft tube. Plain and simple, rings and head rebuild along with bearings.

hmmmm, winter project then I guess, maybe I can carry the block down to my shop in the basement and have at it in piece and comfort all winter long

Should not take too long really.

One day pull engine and tranny.

one day disassemble engine.

Take to machine shop for boiling, rebuilding of head and such, have them check cylinders and hone or what ever. Polish or grind bearings. New freeze plugs of course.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Wait.

Paint all.

Order new parts and gaskets.

..................Wait.

One day assemble new engine.

One day to install engine and tranny.

One day to adjust whatever.

Enjoy for a long time

If you want to just get thru the summer with less oil leakage then hook a hose between the fuel pump vent and the rocker cover vent and "T" off a hose from near the bottom of the hose up to the aircleaner intake. This will allow most of the oil in the connector hose to drain back into the fuelpump hole but still vent into the aircleaner.
It would be a cheap and easy experiment, I did it to a 1098 CG motor a long time ago (punched a hole in the pan for the lower vent) and it helped a lot.
---This is not intended as a permanant fix! but it won't hurt anything either.
BillM

Sorry to be so late to this question, but I don't agree that the compression
is fine. I was taught that if compression is off by more than 5 lbs between cylinders, check it out. Your #3 is WAAY off.
I'd guess #3 has a burnt exhaust valve and/or bad rings or worse. One or two broken rings, a damaged piston, or a head gasket leak each will increase crankcase blowby to unmanageable levels.
If you go with the gulp valve, remember to use a proper vented cap, seal the dipstick with a rubber o-ring. You can collect fumes from the timing cover, the valve cover, an added fue pump vent or all of the above "t"ed together before the valve. Plug up the rocker chest vent or replace with another ventless one. Done right, you get an A-series engine that doesn't mark its territory.
Dealing with the turbocharger and the damage they can do to rings and pistons has taught me a bit about crankcase ventilation.

Good luck with it.

Glen Byrns

Again cheap and dirty!! I currently have a worn 1275 in my "driver". No vent or PCV to carbs. Heater hose looped up and vented to air from timing gear cover. Heater hose from late model emission valve cover vent tube that has been drilled out and vents to air under car. I'm with Hap, if it can get rid of leaked pressure it won't push oil out.( Quallify that, its british!!!). I'd try a late valve cover with drilled out vent till you can get around to an overhaul.
KA

Good, you found my compression numbers back, guess I did drizzle some oil in there. Yep, #3 was off. Maybe that's my culprit. I can put on a new headgasket for fun before I get too crazy.

I do have discoloration down the side of the block but no water in oil or weird exhaust, too much to hope that it's just a head gasket? Is the $10 version from Moss adequate for a "test" or do I really need the $40 one (Payen)? I should probably try a leak down test first, pressurize #3 and see that happens?
An overhaul is not on the agenda until things get markedly worse.

okay, have acquired a catch can (thanks Edward!) Now how to plumb it in. I realize it's likely a band-aid. I'm thinking of coming off the vent tube into the can, back out of the can to tie in with valve cover line to air cleaner, drain back to sump via fuel pump blanking plate. I could forgo the tie in with the valve cover/air cleaner line and just vent the catch can to atmosphere otherwise.
Thoughts?

Anyone have a tappet cover plate they would be willing to part with?
I hate hacking up original pieces of the car, I'd rather experiment on a scrap part if I can.

or

Yo, Jeff....here is the thread that prompted me to buy the catch-can.... I was in a similar position as you. But, my problem was much worse (bad motor). Lots of good ideas and feedback regarding proper crank-case venting.

http://www.britishcarforum.com/bcforum/ubbthreads.php/topics/556825/1

I remember that thread now too. I don't have a timing chain cover can though, early 1098's had the draft tube straight to under the car, open to atmosphere, and a line from rocker cover to air filter housing, that's it (I believe). If I do the second picture it wouldn't get any "draft" but I don't know that it really needs it. If I do the first picture I'd still get some oil in my intake (I see evidence of it no on the air filter and oiliness where tube enters the filter housing).
Here's another way, both rocker cover and crankcase lines go to can, other line from can goes to air filter to get a bit of "pull", bottom of can drains back to crank via fuel pump plate.

This might help...don't have time to make the URL Tiny... gotta work!


http://books.google.com/books?id=V3STrys...lt&resnum=3

alright, maybe this:
cut the tub (I don't think you can separate the long portion from the elbow but maybe?)
and rotate the cover (can you do that?)
then the rocker cover line and the now relocated cover line T together than to one of the can's inputs
the other input on the top of the can (the red line in picture) goes to the air cleaner housing for a bit of vacuum and the bottom of the can goes to the fuel pump plate to drain back in.

maybe even stuff the can with stainless steel wool to help collect the oil out of the air?

I did a test today. Put a hose on the end of the draft tube, curled it up. Drove about 15 miles. Checked tube: dry. So I guess I won't go nuts with a catch can just yet. Better look harder for the source of that oil, might be further back, maybe out rear scroll seal after all but it doesn't look like it's coming out of the cotter pin hole but on the edge of the black before the flywheel.

Where is the oil supply for the rockers come through the head gasket from the block to the head? Might be a bad head gasket allowing the 20-50 psi oil to leak out of the edge of the head gasket. Clean the suspected area and check to see if this is the problem.

This is still driving me nuts, after resealing the spin on filter adapter and my fuel pump blanking plate breather.. I'm beginning to suspect that it is really only under higher revs (normal driving) that my draft tube sees oil discharge, which collects on the bottom of the bell housing, the sump drain plug and (and this is wild) inside the drive shaft tunnel, where it collects and drips out the back end of the tunnel after a while, or when I park on an uphill grade. Yes I know it may be symptom of a tired motor.
Should I:
A) stop up the draft tube, drive around and see if the leaks are gone
B) replumb the draft tube into a existing breather line
C) tear down the draft tube and replumb it so it won't "fill up" and connect with existing breather line
I'd upload a picture but I'm behind a firewall and can't.
At one point when I first got the car, I put a hose on the draft tube and ran it up, it filled up pretty fast and blew oil EVERYWHERE. But I've fiddled much since. I'm 90% sure if can stop or reroute the draft tube concept, I'd be leak free.........yeah right.

This looks nice. Did you do it?

I would only make a couple suggestions.
Get a PCV valve from your local auto parts (something for an old Dodge). Connect the manifold end to your inlet manifold and the other end to the "red air cleaner" hose.
Then completely remove the hose from the valve cover (and the "Y" fitting) placing instead a small crankcase air filter on the valve cover pipe.

The 1275 on my BE is from a '66 Midget. The PO filled the port for the PCV valve (that flying saucer looking thing) with solder and oil came out of every orifice imaginable. I drilled that out and put in a new PCV valve and that pretty well fixed it. It still leaks oil but no more than any other LBC.

That's Tony Barnhill's 1098, it was good profile shot of an early 1098 with a draft tube. I'm not sure where you're telling me to put the PVC. What would it help to have this? I used to have my head around it I thought.
So, this afternoon I put a hunk of hose on the draft tube and stuffed the end with paper towel, wiped down the bottom and went for a ride. Still had drips, must not be the draft tube after all, will keep looking. Might just be the PO made blanking plate after all, might not be sealing up well.

PCV valve goes to the inlet manifold from where it receives inlet vacuum. The vacuum is regulated by the valve to provide a slight under-pressure in the crankcase. The filter on the valve cover allows outside air in, therefore a slight flow of air into the valve cover, through the engine and out the side cover and into the inlet manifold. Any liquids passing through should fall into the canister and into the drain tube thereafter back into the engine.

Jeff the drawing you made of the draft tube altered is only taking crankcase pressure back to the crankcase (via the mech. fuel pump plate), it's pressure to have to release it, not contain it. If crankcase pressure does not have an escape route then it continues to build and will relieve itself whereever it can find, on A series engine this will most likely be at the rear scroll. The earlier systems on our car was to just relieve the crankcase pressure to the open air, the draft tube job as design was hang down low catch the under car air flow which would work as vaccum to draw out the pressure, later on car factories where mandated to catch crankcase pressure and burn them with the fuel/air mixture. Bottom line Jeff you have to evacuate the pressure not recirculate it.

I thought I had it that in each situation, all lines are open to atmosphere via the catch can line to the air filter housing (which really isn't "atmosphere" in the strict sense I suppose). In other words, everything leads to a catch can, which itself goes to the air filter housing to see some vacuum (which may not be necessary). But, after yesterday's experiment (see above post) I'm not so sure I'm loosing it out of the draft tube after all. The paper towel plug showed no signs of oil saturation after a short speedy run but I still had the drips. I'm turning my attention back to the fuel cover blanking plate. I'm starting to suspect that despite a gasket and permatex, it's getting out there somehow. I should just buy this (as hap suggested on another thread).

Assuming it is mostly a good old fashioned leak, then this should be fine, and the catch only maybe prevents a bit of oily mist from going into the intake and is likely not worth the effort. I most closely examine that blanking plate, maybe it's slightly warped or something.

I'll stop wasting time on internet conjecture and just work on it for awhile (I wish I had 1/2 the time to wrench for real, that I have to waste thinking about wrenching at work......)

WOW! My engine is becoming an internet star - might have to get it its own facebook page!

Hope you don't mind!

Not at all!