Oil breather kits

I used the Gene Berg breather for years on Beetle sedans and dune buggies and always liked them.  Well made, assemble easily and.....they work.

On Pearl, I wanted something a little "classier" so I went with the CB Performance box-type that mounts on top of the filler pedestal.  It looks nice, and finally stays put once I got the gland nut sealed and tight, but I think the Berg was easier to live with....but that's just me.

I've never run hoses from the valve covers, instead just getting the breather style that mounts to the top of the filler (generator) stand.  I figured that there was a HUGE hole coming up the filler from the crankcase to vent with, and the valve covers are going to vent via the pushrod tubes back to the crankcase so why bother with hoses to them, anyway?  I vent the breather I have with two 5/8" ID hoses, one to each carb air cleaner and it seems to vent my 2,110 just fine.  I get a little wetness from the rear of the crank pulley (better blowing out there, than in!) which I consider normal - never enough to even drip on the floor unless I've been hammering it on the interstates for several hours straight. 

Others on here have gone with the CB-style box that mounts on the firewall behind the fan housing with hoses running to the valve covers, to the filler stand and a drain into the case where the mechanical fuel pump normally goes (if they have an electric pump) and some work better than others, depending on the installation.

Finally, there is a throw-back to the heydays of 356 racing with what Danny Piperato has, which is a 18"-22" long aluminum pipe, about 2-1/2" in diameter with a vent hose at the top and a drain hose at the bottom and they are sometimes finned within and sometimes have something similar to a Chore-girl scrubber inside to cause the oil to condense and return via the drain to the sump.  Those, or simply a large juice can full of chore-girl scrubbers) worked very well back in the day, but people back then seldom ran displacements larger than 2,110cc's

I'll let others comment on their favorites.

GordonGirded in - thanks for the reply.  You have a pic you can snap of what tTFT looks like?

Wtf is gordongirdedin?  Friggin I pad!

This is what I did when I thought (mistakenly) that I had an overpressure problem.  I may simplify things a bit at some point.  The two hoses in front go to the air filters while the two on the bottom go to the valve covers.

So what happens if you don't vent the air cleaners?  Do you just plug the extra holes on the box?

No need to loop the current breather hose down - pointed up fumes will escape and condensed oil will run back into engine.  I've seen them plumbed into the top of one of the air cleaners.  Seems all the metal valve covers aren't pre-drilled with breather holes - only the cast ones.  A normal electric drill and round file can be used to drill holes in the current valve covers for the breather tubes.

http://www2.cip1.com/ProductDe...uctCode=ACC-C10-5652

Todd, the box came with only three holes.  I drilled all the others.

Here's some breather boxes from CB: 

http://www.cbperformance.com/S...?Search=breather+box

I have a CSP breather box on mine, but it's pricy.  I like the Berg breather box. It is very similar to my CSP box, but cheaper.

You could buy the breather tubes and drill the valve covers. (That's what I did), or buy valve covers with the tubes already installed.

Berg sells them:   http://www.geneberg.com/produc...&products_id=360

I would assume that those valve covers only work with berg breather box?  I have been looking for those all day.  That's what I want so I don't have to do the drilling but will those work with say a bugpack box or empi?  Is there a special hose those have to be used with?

Here's a shot of my breather box, FWIW.  Carey installed it for me this past winter.  I had already added tubes to my valve covers a couple of years ago and was running dual road tubes up and over the rear axles but got tired of the oil spots on the floor.  Also, the stock Beck configuration had a hose running from oil fill tube to the right carb.  I didn't like that either due to the gunk and added richness going into the right carb.  Now, the valve cover tubes vent to the breather box which is vented through a filter to the atmosphere and the dump tube runs from that back to the oil filler neck.

Drilling 'em yourself is easy peasy.

I put the IMPI box in.  Had a problem with the oil seeping everywhere.  Got rid of the foam they use and put stainless steel wool in.  No more oil splatter in engine bay.

Stephen

The Berg vented valve covers work with any breather box.

TDR, think about drilling your own.  Hopefully, you have a drill, but you will probably need to by a drill bit large enough for the breather tubes.

You can do it.  The only difficult part is finding the proper spot to drill the holes.

i agree with Ron.  on my other T4, i vented the covers, but couldnt get s solid seal because of the curve, so on my current T4, when i was building the heads, i drilled/tapped in a barbed fitting.  much easier overall and not a drop of oil

Thanks Gordon, for the mention. My tube is a piece of exhaust tubing, and is steel. I welded it up myself, along with a couple of baffles with swiss-cheese holes drilled in them. TDR, what do you have, a 1915?? If so, I would do a setup like Gordon's. If it works, fine, if it still blows oil, then vent the valve covers.

BTW, that is the madness: find a problem, think about it, try to solve it, then repeat until you actually DO solve it! It is all fun and for me satisfying to solve the riddles......

FYI, I have seen bolt-through fittings(they ALL leak), drilled and tapped in ALU works well, and welded in ALU and steel, both fine.

iHey I think I a, going with a gene berg set up.  They have valve covers already fitted, welded and powder coated and a breather box that is perfect.  More expensive but I like the idea of having tubes welded on the valve covers so no leaks or fittings to worry about...

Sounds good!

Great choice. I have the Berg box in my car and it works great. I actually drilled the valve covers and installed those adapters with the seals but also used silicone and haven't had a leak on any of them.