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Clean the breather tubes on your TO's

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Jerry/MT

09-26-2007 15:28:50

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I changed the oil and filter and put in new plugs on the TO-30. It was running a bit rough so I opened the distributor cap and cleaned the cap terminals and the rotor and then for the heckof it, I removed the dust cover. Holy Buckets! There was about a tablespoon of engine oil in the distributor. It hadn't touched the Pertronix parts but you all know it ain't supposed to be there. The only mechanism I could think of to cause that was a clogged breather tube. Sure enougn, when I ran a wire up the breather tube a griity bunch of crap and corruption came out. I removed the tube and sloshed it in some diesel fuel and there was a bunch of mud like substance that came out. I cleaned it up pretty well and reinsalled it. I sopped up the oil in the distributor with paper towels and put it back together. I ran it for about a half hour and there was no oil in the distributor. I'll keep checking it to make sure it stays oil free.
I cleaned it about 5 years ago(and it's are manufactured engine (Maybe 300 hrs total time)that's doesn't have much blowby and in summer you don't see the vapor coming out so there's no way to know if it clogged except by sticking your hand under the tube and feeling the pulses.

I'd recommend all you TO jockies check the breather regularly and cleanin out with a solvent at least once a year.

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Klaus

09-27-2007 20:24:01

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Re: Clean the breather tubes on your TO's in reply to Jerry/MT, 09-26-2007 15:28:50

Sorry for bringing a rookie question to the forum. But do I have to remove my fuel tank to clean this pipe out? I have a TEA-20. The breather pipe may be mounted in a different way than on your TO's.

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John (UK)

09-28-2007 10:47:32

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Re: Clean the breather tubes on your TO's in reply to Klaus, 09-27-2007 20:24:01

You do have to remove the Fuel Tank on a TEA to clean out the Manifold Breather Pipe. Don't forget the other one to the Air Cleaner...John

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Jerry/MT

09-28-2007 07:10:04

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Re: Clean the breather tubes on your TO's in reply to Klaus, 09-27-2007 20:24:01

If the breather tube doesn't disconnect from the valve cover assembly, you have to take the tank off to remove the valve cover. Make sure yours is not clogged by holding yur hand under it with the engine running. You feel the blowby etc coming out.

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gshadel

09-27-2007 15:39:19

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Re: Clean the breather tubes on your TO's in reply to Jerry/MT, 09-26-2007 15:28:50

Good advise there Jerry. I had a kind-of similar problem on my old Jeep Cherokee, had several oil leaks on the engine that just didn't seem to be reasonable that they would all start leaking at the same time. Just for the heck of it I pulled the PCV valve, it was clogged solid. Cleaned it out, no more oil leaks.

Yeah, I hate those mud daubers too, they always get into my weed wacker muffler hole every year! Gotta pull the muffler and clean them out to get my weed wacker running.... hate that!

George

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Jeff-oh

09-27-2007 14:38:22

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Re: Clean the breather tubes on your TO's in reply to Jerry/MT, 09-26-2007 15:28:50

Okay, I re-read your post and put my thunking cap on.

a) if the valve cover breather tube... the tube coming out of the left side of the valve cover. is blocked.

then

b) the engine case can become pressurized.

Thus

c) the resulting Delta P can drive oil from the case out any leakpath along the dist. shaft and deposit the oil into the lower section of the Dist.

Ahhh hawww.

Good Sluthing My Dear Dr. Jerry/MT

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Jeff-oh

09-27-2007 14:40:53

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Re: Clean the breather tubes on your TO's in reply to Jeff-oh, 09-27-2007 14:38:22

I guess if I read you reply below you already stated all this... :0

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Lance J.

09-27-2007 09:58:07

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Re: Clean the breather tubes on your TO's in reply to Jerry/MT, 09-26-2007 15:28:50

Hey guys, I have a '55 To35. Are we talking about the long metal pipe that comes out of the left side of the valve cover and points toward the ground? It looks like a couple of bolts or screws hold it on there, is that all? My tractor has a Z134 engine.

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John (UK)

09-28-2007 10:51:50

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Re: Clean the breather tubes on your TO's in reply to Lance J., 09-27-2007 09:58:07

Anyone with a 35 Tractor fitted with a Perkins Diesel should check the breather on that too, it runs down the front of the engine and has been known to get blocked in muddy conditions.

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Jerry/MT

09-27-2007 16:44:02

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Re: Clean the breather tubes on your TO's in reply to Lance J., 09-27-2007 09:58:07

Yep, that's the one!

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John (UK)

09-27-2007 09:37:41

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Re: Clean the breather tubes on your TO's in reply to Jerry/MT, 09-26-2007 15:28:50

For anyone who has the Standard Engine in a TEA or a 35 tractor, these engines have an automatic air bleed to the Air Cleaner from the Crankcase and another from the Valve Cover to the Inlet Manifold even these should be taken off and cleaned out, they can start to block when the engine is getting past its best and there is some blow-by on the Pistons.This is something that is always neglected...John

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Jeff-oh

09-27-2007 07:11:40

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Re: Clean the breather tubes on your TO's in reply to Jerry/MT, 09-26-2007 15:28:50

Okay I'm confused. Where is the oil comming from to get in a distributer? And are you talking about the Valve cover breather tube?

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Jerry/MT

09-27-2007 16:41:55

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Re: Clean the breather tubes on your TO's in reply to Jeff-oh, 09-27-2007 07:11:40

Jeff, the crank case vents through the pushrod holes up into the head and the breather directs that vent flow downward through a tube attached to the valve cover. (Not as sophisticated as the sump vents on the CFM56 or the GE90 but similar in principal.)On the TO-20, it's welded to the valve cover and there's a baffle in it to prven oil spash from blowing out. In the TO-30, the breather has a an orifice in it and is held on by four nuts that atach to four studs welded to the valve cover. I don't know what the TE-20 has but I would think it may have the TO-30 breather. Be that as it may, if the breather gets clogged, then the only way for the gases to escape is up the distributor shaft. Since the crankcase is fiull of oil mist from all the splash in there, the breather gas will also contain oil droplets. Thus the oil in my distributor.

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Jack in NB

09-27-2007 18:10:19

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Re: Clean the breather tubes on your TO's in reply to Jerry/MT, 09-27-2007 16:41:55

CFM56 or GE90 designations are rare in this group!

You clearly have broader interests!

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Jerry/MT

09-30-2007 15:32:37

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Re: Clean the breather tubes on your TO's in reply to Jack in NB, 09-27-2007 18:10:19

I used to for about 34 + years. Now I ranch!

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Steve (PA)

09-26-2007 19:21:25

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Re: Clean the breather tubes on your TO's in reply to Jerry/MT, 09-26-2007 15:28:50

That blowby pipe is the perfect place for mud daubers to build in. After you've done the roto rooter job with a speedometer cable, stuff a wad of extra coarse steel wool up the pipe.

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Ed H.-OH

09-26-2007 17:59:11

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Re: Clean the breather tubes on your TO's in reply to Jerry/MT, 09-26-2007 15:28:50

Jerry, Hello, Thanks for the tip, my 35 has been seeping around the distributor when it's working hard. I think you solved the problem for me. many thanks!-ed

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Melville Will

09-26-2007 17:20:48

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Re: Clean the breather tubes on your TO's in reply to Jerry/MT, 09-26-2007 15:28:50

Jerry,

I suppose that much oil in a distributor isn't so great, but those bushings should last forever, right? heh. So are you saying crankcase pressure was driving oil up in there? I'm surprised the tube can get so clogged in so little running time. When re-assembling my engine I went to install a new gasket on the breather tube and was amazed at how much crud was stuffed up in there. I cleaned it out the exact same way you did. What a mess.

Bill

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Jerry/MT

09-26-2007 18:59:03

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Re: Clean the breather tubes on your TO's in reply to Melville Will, 09-26-2007 17:20:48

Yes that's the only mechanism I can think of to cause the problem. The oil fill cap seals the crankcase and the only way vapors can escape from the crankcase is up through the pushrod passags to the top the head and out the breather pipe. If that's clogged then the crankcase gets pressurized and the weakest seal will relieve the pressure. Since the crankcase is full of oil mist from all the splash, it ends up going out with the breather gases. The stuff that was in the brether tube was like a gritty sandy type substance and flakes of rust from the tube itself. Nasty looking stuff. I'd like to know what it is. It's interesting to note that the breather has a orifice to restict the flow so evidently the engine design needs a tiny amount of pressure in the crankcase. I suspect it's for pressurizing the crankcase side of the end main bearing seals but not knowing what they actually look like, it's just a guess.

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GrampaJack

09-27-2007 04:43:43

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Re: Clean the breather tubes on your TO's in reply to Jerry/MT, 09-26-2007 18:59:03

Just be glad you don't have one of the early TO20s. You can't take the tube off at the valve cover and there is a baffle plate on the inside that prevents getting at that end of the tube. I spent way too much time attempting to get that area clean. One of these days I'll find a cheap one from a late 20 or 30 and that will get replaced. Best Regards. Jack

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