Oil Everywhere!

[Greg Williams]

So I recently acquired a 73 TCS that a friend was restoring when he died.  The car is 95% done, engine professionally built, etc.  Took it for a drive around the neighborhood with my wife and she commented on the smoking and asked very calmly if I had a fire extinguisher on board.  Got back to the house and had a plentiful quantity of oil on the right side of the motor above the fuel pump.  Finally figured out that there should be a vent line going into the rubber gromit on the right side of the head near the rear.  I can fabricate a line if I need to but I'm curious as to where to route it.

 Does it vent to atmosphere?  Anyone have a used one that they would like to sell?

[BDA]

It sounds like you're talking about the breather in the head. There used to be a tube that goes from the head to the air box. It's not uncommon to replace the air box with a different air filter setup and in that case, you'll have to connect to breather port in the head to a similar port in that filter setup or to a catch tank. The idea is for the engine to suck up the oil that leaves the breather burning it in the cylinders with the gas.


Another possibility is the drain between the head and the block. They can get distorted when installed, cracked, or broken. It's made of rubber and if I remember correctly, one end is threaded. It's normally installed when the engine is built but I am led to believe that it can be replaced without removing the head.

[Lou Drozdowski]

Greg, As BDA stated...the rear breather line can be vented back to the carbs to re-burned. Another solution is to install the breather hose to a small catch tank and add a separator line to the air box or filter. This will collect the oil (fluid )...while the fumes are carried to the intake cycle.

There are many oil catch tank versions...Ebay

 

[BDA]

You have to wear sunglasses to look at that engine!

[Bainford]

A crankcase vent shouldn't expel a significant quantity of oil on a short drive. I have mine dumping into a very small container, and over thousands of miles there is barely enough liquid oil in the container to wet the bottom.

I am more inclined to think the problem is BDA's second suggestion; the plastic/rubber tube between the cylinder head and block at the right rear. This tube can be difficult to get situated properly if one is not paying proper attention when the head is installed.

In either event, the issue is easily investigated.

[Bainford]

You have to wear sunglasses to look at that engine!

Ain't that the truth. Lou, that thing is CLEAN!