Engine Leak - Dvr Side VC Breather Housing?
 

I have a slow, drip leak ... a drop or two per night. Started after my last oil change but I checked all the usual places for that and they're all dry (oil pan bolt, oil filter etc.) The drop accumulates at the the tranny inspection plate and then drops to the ground ... the drip is black so I'm confident it is engine oil and not tranny fluid.

On the driver's side valve cover, there is a "box" on top of it with what looks like a hose going into it from the front. The rear (firewall) end of this box is saturated with oil and it seems to be where the leak is originating and running down from, I looked in my factory service manuals and they don't even show this box on the blow out diagram nor can I find "breather housing" in the index. Is it called something else and could this be the problem? Also and probably unrelated, I posted elsewhere that the truck has developed a ticking sound ... like an exhaust leak or in the old days ... we'd sometimes call it a worn "tappet" noise.

If the breather housing is the problem for the oil leak, is it a simple matter of dismantling it and changing a gasket or am I into something much bigger? Not my picture below but it is the box the wrench is sitting on.

http://static.superdutypsd.com/image...er-housing.jpg

CCV or Crank Case Vent is the term you are looking for.

I do not recall someone else posting that they were seeing oil leak from there, but it is possible. If you remove the housing you will need to replace the o-rings because they swell up and will not go back in properly. You can get new o-rings from Bob at Diesel-o-rings or Clay at RiffRaff Diesel.

Couldn't find a reference to CCV or Crank Case Vent anywhere in the factory service manuals. Sheesh! However, your reference led me to this.
Welcome to guzzle's CCV mod web page

If I read it correctly, a good cleaning is in order. if that doesn't fix the leaking, then perhaps Guzzle's suggested mod. I'm surprised more people haven;'t had this problem with the 7.3

Thanks RigCity. It would be great of you could share how your replacement goes ... maybe even take a few pictures along the way and post them up in this thread. I'm sure we are not the only two with this oil leaking problem.

The more I read about performing a modification of this CCV (to reroute the gases into the atmosphere etc.) the more I am leaning against it. It seems like it can create more problems than it solves ... not for all but for some.

I'm using Buna70 218 sized o-rings under the doghouse to seal it. I actually bought a bunch of them as they came in a 20 pack. These aren't a perfect fit, but work. Somewhat. The doghouse is designed to vent crankcase fumes into the intake, while attempting to strain any oil and have it return back into the valve cover. Eventually all that hot oil breaks down the o-rings and they leak. So I turned the doghouse around, and routed the vent house to a catch can mounted the under cab with another hose to run the fumes - which stink - back to the turbo intake. I think this allows any oil in the fumes to run out of the doghouse and not ruin the o-rings, and so far so good.
The red circle shows the return vent line. Internally there's a bunch of SS mesh to act as a strainer and help condense the oil vapors. The clear tube in the pic serves as a sight tube, and can also be disconnected from the top to drain the can, eventually. It's been there almost three years now, maybe 20k miles, and it's about 2" full. I figure the tank will hold almost 3 gals.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...2d89e64f4c.png

Reluctantly, I removed my leaky dog house and mounted this thing from Racor on the valve cover instead. No more leaks.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...532dcbb982.jpg

That setup is nice looking, dare to share the price on it?

About 3 bones. :'(

Doesn't look like it recirculates ... just captures. Am I right? How do you service it?

How long have you had it and any problems with it or any other component or seals? Bill the diesel guy says the turbo seals will wear out quicker if the gases are not recirculated. I dunno. :confused:

I have had this exact leak ever since I removed the drivers valve cover years ago. I removed the doghouse for access to valve cover bolts. I have tried and allowed others to replace the o-rings, all to no joy. Mine drips in the same location, after pooling in the rear lower lip of the cover. Y2K, I'm very interested in your set-up and how it seals. If others have had better luck with other than factory o-rings, love to hear that also.

Here’s a pic of the proper shaped o ring with a bevel on both sides https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...0aa21a63cc.jpg
Double bevel on both sides

I rputed mine to a modified catch can. 3mon later, the doghouse was leaking. Removed the catch can and rerouted it back to factory. Orings were swelled so used some rings from my home depot oring kit😎..used the same orings in my other truck. Been installed for last 6yrs, no leaky

Thanks RigCity, is that a Motorcraft OEM O-ring?

Answers to questions above are annotated in the photo below:

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...e19ce18b74.jpg

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