Hey everyone! Hope all is well. I own a 2003 E450 (transit bus conversion) with a 7.3L w/ California emissions. I recently noticed I have a considerable amount of oil in my air intake going back all the way to my turbo starting where the crank case breather tube attached to the air tube. The breather seems to have some sort of filter housing that is attached to the top of the valve cover. I removed it and it appears to be fairly heavy as in if it's a filter, perhaps it's full. If I'm getting oil into my air intake from where the breather tube comes off that housing and joins in my air tube back to the turbo, could that filter or housing have gone bad? It appears to be a dealer stock item only for 225. I've saw on the web people posting "reroute kits" for the 6.0L but nothing for the 7.3. Does this part simply need replaced or could I be facing a separate issue as to why I'm getting oil in my air tube? Thanks in advance for sny and all replies and feedback!

 

Some oil in the intake is normal and harmless. All you need is a set of o-rings for that and you can put it back on.

 

Nope, as Pocket stated, It's doing what it's supposed to, Reburning the Blowby.....Some folks are slightly retentive and can't stand the thought of messing up their shiny new turbo wheel and bypass it. Oh, and that part is commonly referred to as the "Doghouse" Carry on......

 

LOL like me wife.

 

The "filter" inside isn't a filter, but an oil separator. It's just steel mesh that's there to aid in trapping oil droplets and allowing them to drain back into the valve cover. Over time, it gets saturated with oil which in turn tends to build up like sludge, preventing the oil from draining and instead it gets blown into the air intake.

Once you have it off you can clean it by spraying something like brake cleaner inside to clean the mesh. But whatever you use to clean it, make sure you let it dry completely, if those fumes are flammable they could have an adverse effect, like starter fluid. Let it bake in the hot sun for a bit.

 

Just like saintltc said or leave it soaking in gasoline for a couple of hours so it can break any sludge in there.

 

If tired of the oily mess on the cac boots, turbo getn oil and the oily fumes entering the IC, you can always reroute it to open air, plugging up the hole within the air intake

 

For the 7.3L PSD: Riffraff Diesel CCV Crankcase Vent Kit for Ford 7.3L 99-03

This is called the CCV Mod.

Also, as others have already posted, that part is called the doghouse.

Stewart

 

Essentially it hurts nothing, but like said before, some guys are retentive. Most just reroute the vapors to the atmosphere, but then you have the added benefit of smelling the foul oily odors from the crankcase. And you said this was a California emissions package, dont know if you are still in Cali, but from what I understand would most likely not pass emissions testing. I recently ordered another kit that found from a google search that serves to both eliminate the oily vapors from the intake but not have the smell and it reroutes back to your intake for emissions purposes. He doesnt show any pictures and doesnt really explain it much on his website, but i took a shot in the dark and laid down a goggle-eye for this kit. This kit is a robust catch canister with additional filter media to catch the oily residue and it is mounted to a steel plate and the whole thing mounts on the frame rail under the truck. Where this one differs from others ive seen is that after the hose is routed up over the brake master cylinder (high point catch) it then enters into the bottom of this catch canister. The hose then exits the top of the canister which forces the vapors and oil particles to travel upwards thru the filter media taking advantage of gravity to help separate the oil from the vapors. There is a threaded drain on the bottom of canister that is recommended to drain each time you change your engine oil. The hose then returns back to the air intake, up over the brake master cylinder again (another high point) and then re-attaches back to the original tie-in point on the air intake, only now it is free of oily residue particles with no external odor and clean air returning to the intake and should not impact any emissions restrictions for the engine, even by california standards.

Like I said, he doenst offer much by way of info on his site, I took a shot in the dark for $100, and I am pleasantly surprised so far. Crankcase Ventilation Mod

 

I build my own for a lot less than $100 with the added benefit of running it to atmosphere or closed post #9.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...catch-can.html

 

Was bs-Ing with a guy at dealership when picking v up clutch pedal bushing. Afterwards, caught him at his truck so we popped the hood. He had a factory but aftermarket doghouse atop the VC. Craziest crap I've seen, but its legal, since from factory...

 

While you would think that a setup like that wouldn't impact California emissions standards, it's still not legal to have and would fail a smog check.

Anything that modifies the emissions system must be approved by CARB. When CARB approves a modification it receives a CARB exemption number allowing it to be sold and installed on a vehicle.

Stewart

 

Get the kit from RiffRaff and route that to atmosphere and be done with it.

 

I wouldn't reroute it. I'm no expert on this, so it warrants further study: I've been informed serious car folk want slightly negative pressure in the crankcase - and the turbo intake is a perfect way to do this. I've even heard of race car drivers installing vacuums on the crankcase.

I could never understand why people freak out that their engine breathing system is getting a nice fog for lubrication.

 

Tear down one of these engines it is alot more than a fog. To each his own.