Changing the Breather pipe Moss Part number 205020 and fitting a plug in its place Moss part number 132924

[Paul Garvey]

I have had my engine and gearbox out due to oil leak.

The Crankshaft rear seal showed no leakage and back of the flywheel was clean.

I changed all other gaskets.

The sump had no baffles.

The oil leak is now much better but when I put newspaper under the car after a long run the next day there is oil directly below the Breather pipe Moss part number 205020.

Moss show an alternative part number 132924, if I fit this plug how does the engine breath?

Do I need to fit an oil catcher of some description? If so what do you recommend and how and where is it fitted?

 

Regards Paul

[stuart]

If you remove the block snorkel pipe and fit a blank then you need a PCV valve fitting to the rocker cover and into the inlet manifold as fitted to a 4a and the right oil filler cap with a breather. Or you could fit a catch tank setup as a lot of us have, I have a Racetorations setup which I know is expensive but works very well and keeps all the oil in the engine and the fumes out.https://www.racetorations.co.uk/product/engine-breather-kit-tr4-4a/

Stuart.

[RogerH]

5 hours ago, Paul Garvey said:

I have had my engine and gearbox out due to oil leak.

The Crankshaft rear seal showed no leakage and back of the flywheel was clean.

I changed all other gaskets.

The sump had no baffles.

The oil leak is now much better but when I put newspaper under the car after a long run the next day there is oil directly below the Breather pipe Moss part number 205020.

Moss show an alternative part number 132924, if I fit this plug how does the engine breath?

Do I need to fit an oil catcher of some description? If so what do you recommend and how and where is it fitted?

 

Regards Paul

Hi Paul,

how old is the engine.?  The snorkel usually works well but if there is significant piston 'blow by' then oil will be forced around the snorkel - and then drip.

You could fit a small pot under the snorkel and drain it weekly/monthly.  Or improve the breathing around the rocker cover area.

You are lucky the rear seal is not leaking

Roger

[Paul Garvey]

5 hours ago, stuart said:

If you remove the block snorkel pipe and fit a blank then you need a PCV valve fitting to the rocker cover and into the inlet manifold as fitted to a 4a and the right oil filler cap with a breather. Or you could fit a catch tank setup as a lot of us have, I have a Racetorations setup which I know is expensive but works very well and keeps all the oil in the engine and the fumes out.https://www.racetorations.co.uk/product/engine-breather-kit-tr4-4a/

Stuart.

Hi Stuart 

Thank you once again for your help.

I am going ahead with an oil catcher

Do I then remover the breather pipe, fit the plug, drill and tap it first to take the hose from the oil catcher?

 

[Paul Garvey]

24 minutes ago, RogerH said:

Hi Paul,

how old is the engine.?  The snorkel usually works well but if there is significant piston 'blow by' then oil will be forced around the snorkel - and then drip.

You could fit a small pot under the snorkel and drain it weekly/monthly.  Or improve the breathing around the rocker cover area.

You are lucky the rear seal is not leaking

Roger

Hi Roger 

Thanks for your reply.

I'm going for an oil catcher.

I'm with LVG group and a couple of members have contacted me sent me photos and they fitted oil catchers which looks very neat 

Regards Paul 

 

[RogerH]

Hi Paul,

The PCV on my 4A was playing up and causing quite high oil consumption.  So after phaffing around  I fitted the TR4 snorkel and then ran a hose from the rocker covert (where the PCV came out) to a small catch tank.

The catch tank hasn't really captured that much at all.  But it did improve the oil consumption.

 

Roger

Edited January 20 by RogerH
Typo

[North London Mike]

3 hours ago, RogerH said:

Hi Paul,

The PCV on my 4A was playing up and causing quite high oil consumption.  So after phaffing around  I fitted the TR4 snorkel and then ran a hose from the rocker covert (where the PCV came out) to a small catch tank.

The catch tank hasn't really captured that much at all.  But it did improve the oil consumption.

 

Roger

+1, like Roger I have both the block and rocker feeding a catch tank. Engine breaths quite heavily (cam, twin 45's etc) and it does help oil use, exits under the car

 

[stuart]

On 1/20/2025 at 6:18 PM, Paul Garvey said:

Hi Stuart 

Thank you once again for your help.

I am going ahead with an oil catcher

Do I then remover the breather pipe, fit the plug, drill and tap it first to take the hose from the oil catcher?

 

The kit I referred you to has a spigot that is a direct replacement for the snorkel and is an interference fit so no need for tapping.

Stuart.

[Paul Garvey]

Thank you Stuart 

[Paul Garvey]

On 1/20/2025 at 9:44 PM, North London Mike said:

+1, like Roger I have both the block and rocker feeding a catch tank. Engine breaths quite heavily (cam, twin 45's etc) and it does help oil use, exits under the car

 

Hi North London Mike. I have ordered an oil catcher tank. You probably know Howard Pryor who was the group leader in North London a while back who is with LVG now. He has talked me through what I need to do. 

If you do remember him I'll give him your regards 

Thank you 

Paul 

[North London Mike]

1 hour ago, Paul Garvey said:

Hi North London Mike. I have ordered an oil catcher tank. You probably know Howard Pryor who was the group leader in North London a while back who is with LVG now. He has talked me through what I need to do. 

If you do remember him I'll give him your regards 

Thank you 

Paul 

Hi Paul

Yes, Howard was my group leader when I joined the NLG, knows his stuff

Good luck with the Catch Tank

[Paul Garvey]

On 1/27/2025 at 6:29 PM, Paul Garvey said:

Hi North London Mike. I have ordered an oil catcher tank. You probably know Howard Pryor who was the group leader in North London a while back who is with LVG now. He has talked me through what I need to do. 

If you do remember him I'll give him your regards 

Thank you 

Paul 

Hi Is it OK to put a T piece between the rocker cover and PCV?  Would this compromise the PCV or should I drill and tap the rocker ?

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

The PCV is already compromised as you have the TR4 snorkel fitted to the left side of the block, which breathes directly to atmosphere.   Looks like you have a servo fitted too as there is a T piece in the inlet manifold for the PCV and another pipe. Is that correct?

If my car, I’d remove the PCV and send its pipe from the rocker cover into the catch tank collecting crankcase fumes from where the snorkel was.   That would ensure the brake servo gets full manifold vacuum. 

[stuart]

19 hours ago, BlueTR3A-5EKT said:

The PCV is already compromised as you have the TR4 snorkel fitted to the left side of the block, which breathes directly to atmosphere.   Looks like you have a servo fitted too as there is a T piece in the inlet manifold for the PCV and another pipe. Is that correct?

If my car, I’d remove the PCV and send its pipe from the rocker cover into the catch tank collecting crankcase fumes from where the snorkel was.   That would ensure the brake servo gets full manifold vacuum. 

Regarding the "T" piece and servo v PCV I have the same setup on my 250 and it works fine no problems with enough vacuum for both, obviously no snorkel though.

Stuart.

[Paul Garvey]

On 2/3/2025 at 4:09 PM, BlueTR3A-5EKT said:

The PCV is already compromised as you have the TR4 snorkel fitted to the left side of the block, which breathes directly to atmosphere.   Looks like you have a servo fitted too as there is a T piece in the inlet manifold for the PCV and another pipe. Is that correct?

If my car, I’d remove the PCV and send its pipe from the rocker cover into the catch tank collecting crankcase fumes from where the snorkel was.   That would ensure the brake servo gets full manifold vacuum. 

Thank you I do have a servo fitted so it looks like I'll remove the PCB

 

[Paul Garvey]

On 2/4/2025 at 11:40 AM, stuart said:

Regarding the "T" piece and servo v PCV I have the same setup on my 250 and it works fine no problems with enough vacuum for both, obviously no snorkel though.

Stuart.

Hi Stuart 

Not quite sure whether you are saying use a T piece and leave the PCV and servo in place?

I look forward to your reply.

[stuart]

7 minutes ago, Paul Garvey said:

Hi Stuart 

Not quite sure whether you are saying use a T piece and leave the PCV and servo in place?

I look forward to your reply.

If you still have engine block snorkel in place then as Pete says you could remove the PCV and run a pipe from the rocker cover into a catch tank or down to the chassis and to atmosphere and then connect the servo direct to the manifold.

Stuart.

[Paul Garvey]

43 minutes ago, stuart said:

If you still have engine block snorkel in place then as Pete says you could remove the PCV and run a pipe from the rocker cover into a catch tank or down to the chassis and to atmosphere and then connect the servo direct to the manifold.

Stuart.

Hi

I intend removing the snorkel and putting in a plug.

I am putting in an electric fuel pump. Then drill the blanking plate where the mechanical pump was and insert a hose fitting to run a pipe to the oil catcher and the other pipe to the oil catcher either direct from the rocket cover (removing the PCV) or via a T piece between rocker cover and PCV. Which do you recommend?

[Lebro]

The snorkel is designed to nly allow fumes out of the crankcase, & has barriers to prevent oil transfer. If you simply drill the blanking plate You might well get more coming out of that breather than you bargained for.

Bob

[Hamish]

Fuel pump opening is quite high on the block. I think Racetorations do a breather fitting for there. So it been done. 
I run separate pipes from the crank breather vertically in a big bore and a smaller bore from the rocker  works well even when I did a piston in and filled the catch tank - it did its job  

 

[Lebro]

I currently have the snorkel  plus a Pcv. Seems to work.

Bob

[stuart]

 

19 hours ago, Paul Garvey said:

Hi

I intend removing the snorkel and putting in a plug.

I am putting in an electric fuel pump. Then drill the blanking plate where the mechanical pump was and insert a hose fitting to run a pipe to the oil catcher and the other pipe to the oil catcher either direct from the rocket cover (removing the PCV) or via a T piece between rocker cover and PCV. Which do you recommend?

TBH I would stay with mechanical pump and use the snorkel hole for a fitting to go up to your catch tank. and if you have a proper sized catch tank then lose the PCV and run the rocker cover pipe into the catch tank as well. Thats what I have on my 4a with the Racetorations setup.

Stuart.

 

Edited February 11 by stuart

[TR NIALL]

20 hours ago, stuart said:

 

TBH I would stay with mechanical pump and use the snorkel hole for a fitting to go up to your catch tank. and if you have a proper sized catch tank then lose the PCV and run the rocker cover pipe into the catch tank as well. Thats what I have on my 4a with the Racetorations setup.

Stuart.

 

Hi Stu are you using Pipe Fittings on that CT or are you just pushing the rubber hose in through an appropriate size hole,Cheers.

[Paul Garvey]

21 hours ago, stuart said:

 

TBH I would stay with mechanical pump and use the snorkel hole for a fitting to go up to your catch tank. and if you have a proper sized catch tank then lose the PCV and run the rocker cover pipe into the catch tank as well. Thats what I have on my 4a with the Racetorations setup.

Stuart.

 

Thank you once again Stuart. Your knowledge is very much appreciated.

[stuart]

2 hours ago, TR NIALL said:

Hi Stu are you using Pipe Fittings on that CT or are you just pushing the rubber hose in through an appropriate size hole,Cheers.

They just push in but they are a very tight interference fit so no chance of them coming out if thats what you meant.

Stuart.