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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / Oil pan vent triangle.

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Posted By Discussion Topic: Oil pan vent triangle. -- page: 1 2     Gary M. 10-03-2012 @ 4:30 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 218 Joined: Oct 2009 Hi guys. My question is about the famous crankcase vent triangle on the front of the engine. Is it removable for cleaning ? I attempted to remove it but I dont want to break anything. I remoced 4 of the oil pan bolts but thats about all. If its not removable then how do you clean it? Thanks guys... kubes40 10-03-2012 @ 5:01 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 3401 Joined: Oct 2009 It is not removable. Clean it? Why? I have seen some pretty nasty engines and the vent (on the pan) was still able to breathe. Gary M. 10-03-2012 @ 5:44 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 218 Joined: Oct 2009 I am told that this opening is an important part of the crankcase breather system and can cause excessive blowby if it is clogged. ford38v8 10-03-2012 @ 6:41 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 2762 Joined: Oct 2009 Ya, so good reason to save your four-wheelin' to the mudders! Alan Old Henry 10-04-2012 @ 4:56 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 738 Joined: Apr 2010 The opening is pretty big and it's hard to imagine it actually being plugged up. But, if you want to clean it you could squirt some engine degreaser or carburetor cleaner up into it and swab it out with a rag. Don't know why you would though. That vent is to draw the blow by gases out of the crankcase and valve compartment to reduce contamination of the oil by the contaminants and moisture created by the blow by. It does not increase or decrease blow by, even if totally plugged. The more important part of that system to keep clean is the breather/oil filler cap where the air goes in. As the small draw of air out of the bottom vent does not create a great vacuum to suck air into that breather cap it is important to keep it clean to allow the fresh air to enter there for the ventilation system. Old Henry (The older I get, the better old looks.) Gary M. 10-05-2012 @ 6:28 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 218 Joined: Oct 2009 I would assume that with the pistons going up and down that air will be going both in and out of the top vent oil fill cap as well as the triangle vent on the oil pan. I know that on the older Fords there is an air scoop which I guess would catch air from the engine fan and push the crankcase fumes out of the bottom vent. I wonder why Ford did away with this scoop? Would cleaning that oil fill cap be part of regular maintenance back in the day ? Im just looking for a way to get that smoke out of the engine a bit quicker so that it doesnt stink up the car and my garage. aside from a ring job , any ideas guys ? Thanks.... supereal 10-05-2012 @ 7:19 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 Smoke and fumes have plagued old Fords almost from the beginning. That led to an aftermarket device that fit into the oil filler and had a long flexible metal tube that channeled the stuff under the car where the slipstream whisked it away. The oil pan vent was supposed to pull air into the oil filler cap and release it under the car. It didn't work really well, and was replaced by a vent tube in the last flatheads. You are correct that the fumes are largely blowby around the rings and valve guides. Fiddling with crankcase venting is a crutch, and the only sure cure is an overhaul or a gas mask. ford38v8 10-05-2012 @ 8:27 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 2762 Joined: Oct 2009 Gary, you can install a PCV valve. Draws the smoke into the air filter and to the carburetor. Benefits the air quality and give you a little better gas mileage. Alan This message was edited by ford38v8 on 10-5-12 @ 8:28 PM Stroker 10-06-2012 @ 7:52 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1460 Joined: Oct 2009 When we serviced our "fleet" of Flatheads in the Fifties, we always washed the oil filler cap in Stoddard solvent (very similar to today's "mineral spirits", followed by a light oiling with a pistol oiler of the mesh inside. The bottom vent was supposed to pull the fumes out the bottom, and fresh air was supposed to come in through the filler cap, with any dust or debris being filtered by the mesh in the cap. I say "supposed", because as Super has stated, it didn't work very well; and probably not at all on our stationary engines. We switched most over to Fram forced ventilation (which used a small heater type motor and blower) in the later years. The claim was that it kept the oil cleaner, since it forced the fumes out of the crankcase. I'd question whether adding a PCV valve would have any effect on fuel mileage, unless you consider crankcase fumes: (moisture, acids, and carbon particulates) to be a fuel source. MG 10-06-2012 @ 8:02 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1258 Joined: Nov 2009 Gary M., Click on this link: http://www.jamcosuspension.com/products/productID/1504 I'm sure this will be of interest to you and is probably what you are seeking......MG P.S. Be sure to click on the 'Downloads PCV4953 Install Instructions' at this site. Ooops - never mind. This kit is for an 8BA. But, maybe you could adapt it for your purpose..... This message was edited by MG on 10-6-12 @ 8:18 PM

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