had an oil sample recently and the fuel dilution was high..below the 6% max but still high. I pondered and decided I don’t need my old clogged up CCV filter trapping blow by and dropping unburnt fuel into my oil. Decided to change the filter…run oil for some miles…recheck the dilution rate.

So let me just say …yeah…someday CCV reroute to exhuast pipe …but in the mean while…I wanted to change my replaceable filter…I have kazillion tools and between the deep location of 4 of the 7 bolts and the very low clearance …I wasn’t equipped for the job.

I started looking for an extended reach m12 ratchet but the store couldn’t find the 3 inventory says they had…so…walked around the store and found this…extended reach ratchet…low profile….comes with sockets…bought it to try it.


i won’t say that pulling the CCV filter cover is easy…but..this tool made it doable.

filter had 19k miles on it and it wasn’t black…but..it must have absorbed a lot of moisture along with oil…filter looked like it would have trouble passing CCV gasses.


so now at least I have a new filter while I ponder the long term solution.

i had to remove my secondary filter and push the lines out of the way…also had to remove the S&S DPK return filter and mover those lines out of the way. Had to disconnect a ground strap from the firewall and push that out of the way.

 

Just emptied my catch can yesterday... It was just shy of 500 miles since last drain...

This doesn't smell like fuel at all. It smells burnt and Smokey... Kind of a unique smell to it, like some of the combustion chamber gases i would think smell like... I'm sure there's a little amount of fuel in there but that's what the soot is; the byproducts of incomplete combustion plus I'm thinking that's what the inside of a hot compression engine would smell like since it's coming from the driver's side valve cover.



With the flash... About 65 ml of water...


The water soaked oil left after dumping the water out.

After I wiped the can out with paper towels, the Smokey burnt smell was emanating from the garbage can. It's a real strong smell with no smell of fuel at all.

Personally I think your slightly elevated fuel dilution is from all the stop and go local driving you do...

If that filtered clogged, you'll possibly cause excessive pressure on the crank case possibly causing the infamous upper oil pan leak. So I'd change that filter sooner than later... You could do a sealed CCV box... W a catch can. You could extend the Mishimoto hoses like I did and have the can sitting on a piece of 2x6 on top of the driver's side fuse box.

As to you running a CCV reroute to the rear exhaust, don't you have the emissions testing down there?

 

I had the upper pan leak a few thousand miles ago and dealer fixed it under warranty.

 

I replaced my CCV ftet on my 17 F350 drw. I used a small stanley ratchet set. My old filter at 36k miles was pretty nasty with slimy oil/water vapor mix. I replaced my ccv filter as I hope to keep blowby gasses from building up psi and causing oil leaks. So far, my upper oil pan isn’t leaking.

At 7 years old but only 36k miles I also decided to replace my serpentine belt and tensioner. That wasn’t fun! More peace of mind progressive maintenance.

 

It seems the serviceable CCV box with filter catches the same crap that my Mishi catch can does... all I know is that if a CCV route is installed, it had better be at the rear of the truck, because cold that can and what's in it stinks to the high heavens... I cannot imagine what the steady stream of hot CCV gases smells like...

I have a serpentine belt/tensioner kit I bought on Rock Auto last year that should have been replaced at 100k miles... I will do it this spring...

 

I did the SPE CCV reroute with the "internal" catch can and the hose is right under the driver door. I have yet to notice any new smells, my truck idles a lot either to keep voltages up to various accessories, or to keep the climate good for the Poodles when they can't go inside with me or it is not safe for them to be out of the cab.

I do plan to add a secondary catch can if I start getting drips, most of my friends are not fond of oil spots on their driveways

 

I found that using a thin long handle serpentine belt tool, works like a charm on the 6.7. (There’s not a lot of room there.) Purchased mine off of amazon. Looping the new belt takes a little time, there’s a few really good youtube videos on tips for installing the new belt and where to leave it slack just before releasing the new tensioner. Mine has the dual alternators and i did not remove the passenger side battery, like i’ve seen some folks do. Definitely a warm weather job!

Here’s the serpintine tool I purchased.

 

I saw a ratchet version of that tool at harbor freight.

 

Thanks for the tip... yeah that's not expensive at all. I have the single alternator...

 

One on Amazon, Gear Wrench...

Limited-time deal: GEARWRENCH 15 Piece Ratcheting Serpentine Belt Tool Set - 3680D https://a.co/d/8zVA4u0

The Icon one Fritz?

https://www.harborfreight.com/extend...kit-58396.html

 

I opted to get the extra length of hose, so it exits behind the rear door. I do smell fumes occasionally when idling on hot days, if the rear window is open or I'm idling at a drive-through. But, no drips. However, there is a fine oil vapor residue starting to collect in the immediate area where the vapor exits the hose, so Dave (Overkill) has generously donated an unused catch can, and I'm going to try hooking that up to see if that hopefully keeps the oil residue at bay.

If you decide to go with a longer hose, buy a steel or brass coupler to connect the two hose pieces. I ended up doing that after the one supplied by SPE broke (nylon), likely due to vibration.

 

You could switch out to one of the new design 2023 CCV boxes that don't have the failure prone filter media...
2023 OEM Part