Crankcase Breather Hose

[yap123]

Can someone tell me what the crankcase breather hose is for? I have moisture between the hoses and engine. I smell, what I think is gasoline, when I drive.

I don't see any fuel around the injectors. The 4 fuel injector hoses have been replaced. The fuel line going through the interior is dry. It's only when I drive that I smell fuel

Thanks,
Clint

[mbouse]

the crankcase breather assembly is basically four separate parts, which connect together between the bottom half of your engine and your air breather assembly. those parts are the short 90 degree hose, the oil vapor separator, the long hose, and the spark arrestor. of course, there are four hose clamps that hold the hoses in place.

no fuel is in this system. fuel odor is coming from another source.

this system allows the venting of gases from the bottom of your engine to the fuel/air intake as opposed to venting to the atmosphere.

[yap123]

Could a leak in one of the hoses create the fuel order?

Also, how do I insert a photo?

Thanks,
Clint

[Danno]

have you run the car, then when you smell the gasoline, pop the trunk and see if the smell is back there? Just one more place it could be coming from. easy enough to rule out.

[racydave]

What the system is designed to do is to pull the unburned vapors from the crankcase and re-cycle them thru the carb extending your oil life. If any hoses are cracked or split, Ive seen them displace oil .I dont think I have the backfire doingy, but its hooked up to the breather,the hole is smaller, but it seems to work good, and has a new 90 hose.

[baltobernie]

Clint,

Images are not contained in posts, they are linked. Google "Image Hosting" and pick one of the free services. Follow the instructions of the site you choose to upload photos to their site. To insert one of these photos into your post, click "Img" in the toolbar above the composition area. When you do so, "img" "img" is inserted into you text at the cursor point. Paste the link to your image inbetween the two "img" codes.

In the same fashion, the toolbar is also used to quote portions of an earlier post, hyperlink a URL, etc.

One of our resident experts can identify your particular crankcase ventilation system. This is an emission control item, implemented in the late 1960's or early 1970's, depending on where you live. American automakers call it "positive crancase ventilation" and the separator used on our engines performs the same function as the US PCV valve. The Fiat design is actually more elegant than the check-ball PCV valve, which requires routine replacement. In the long hose from the separator to the air cleaner, there should be a flame arrestor, a wire mesh insert that would prevent a carburetor backfire from igniting crankcase vapors.

[yap123]

Thanks for all your replies. I'll work on it over the next few days.

[yap123]

Howdy,

The fuel odor is intermittent. Sometimes it just a little odor and others it's quite noticeable. I'm at a loss.

It drives very well. I have my brother's RX8. It's fast and handles tightly. But, my Spider has a bigger fun factor. My kids also perfer the Spider.

On a different topic, when should an oxygen sensor be replaced?

Thanks,
Clint

[manoa matt]

Racedave wrote "What the system is designed to do is to pull the unburned vapors from the crankcase and re-cycle them thru the carb extending your oil life."

Ive' got an 1800 with a sprint/sport air cleaner. The crankcase breather is not hooked up to the air cleaner, it has its own seperate breather/mini filter. Looks like this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigtimes_f ... otostream/ By pulling small amounts of oil into the intake I can see that the oil might lubricate the carb throttle shafts, linkages and possibly the intake valves. How will pulling in crankcase vapors extend your oil life?

Matt

[mdrburchette]

What Dave is saying is by removing the crankcase vapors, (unburnt fuel), the vapors have no chance of diluting and contaminating the oil, which can cause sludge buildup and premature wear on internal engine parts. Also, venting the crankcase fumes will relieve excess pressure at high rpms. I don't believe he meant routing it back to the carb would necessarily extend oil life. Isn't that what you were saying Dave?

[racydave]

I know alot of people vent theirs to the atmosphere, and with the newer oils, and as often as we seem to change ours, it might not make alot of difference. Posative crankcase ventilation does require pulling a vaccum thru the crankcase. Matt, if yours is workin for you, then thats cool, it looks great! I liked your pics. My air breather had a spot good for hookin up. And when the short hose was cracked it displaced oil into my carb, messy! but hasnt a problem with the new hoses. But, mine isnt near a pretty as yours...yet. I keep Denises pic of her "gold" engine comp on my site, and act like its mine!