Breather tube

[Lwells]

My boat sets all summer under a canopy and when I got it out this fall I went over it real good(i thought) and took it to the lake. Run it about three miles and then idled down for a short distance and looked back and the engine was smoking out the exhaust like a worn out engine, although this one had recently been rebuilt, so I got stupid and said what the hell , I will open it up and either blow it or clean it out, so I did and after about a mile it cleaned up and no more smoke. When I took it out of the water I checked the engine and all looked fine except for 3 of the rocker covers had leaked at the bottom and a plate leaked a little near the blow by tube. So my guess was that muddobbers or whatever is down here had blocked my hose coming out of the blow by vent tube and had built up pressure and caused the problem for exhaust pipes are white as snow inside again now and I have a slight bit of oil inside the end of the hose which I never had that before but I figured the pressure buildup and then the release of pressure when blockage let go caused that. My hose runs up on top of cage from engine so its usually clean in the end. So the morale of this story I guess is I should have took breather hose off and checked it and that was only thing I didn't check.lol. Oh , and this is a 6 cylinder continental aircraft engine. Does anyone have a suggestion as to what to do to eliminate this problem. My thought was some kind of screen type filter on end of hose or wrap a piece of screen door screen over the end and tie it.

[Capt steve]

Maybe a piece of steel wool stuffed in the top of the tube. Let pressure out not let bugs in.

[Lwells]

They won't build up in the steel wool?

[mojoe]

An airless paint sprayer uses a rock catcher that is about the right size to slip in/on the tube. Different sizes for different rigs so lots of choices. Might be worth checking.

Typical rock catcher

[SWAMPHUNTER45]

A piece of womens nylon pantyhose works too

[Lwells]

Mojo, I like that paint spray screen and on the pantyhose, we use to use pantyhose when we thru a fan belt years ago, they would get you home if you could talk a girl out of hers so you could tie them around the pulleys so you had a water pump and generator.lol

[helicsher]

I run a clear hose so you can see if anything is in it

[kwanjangnihm]

A piece of womens nylon pantyhose works too

swamp I tried your suggestion but for whatever reason still getting dobbers

[Deano]

Ah, Grasshopper . . .

A wise man will find over time, seeking smaller holes will provide a more effective means of arriving at the desired end. . .

[mojoe]

Ah, Grasshopper . . .

A wise man will find over time, seeking smaller holes will provide a more effective means of arriving at the desired end. . .

No, think Kwan pretty much nailed it!

[SWAMPHUNTER45]

I have seen the girls riding in Kwans boat! mighty fine young ladies

[Deano]

[GMAC 76]

just remember one thing mr wells....if ya run that breather tube over the top of the cage ALL THE MOISTURE that gathers in it will eventually run right back into the engine and contaminate the oil...better to run the hose down so that moisture cant get into the engine...I have seen that little bit of moisture drip down and over time ruin the impulse coupling on a Lycoming engine...just a thought for ya

[kwanjangnihm]

I run 1" ID clear tubing (see link below) from Lowe's and run it down, not up.

Like GMAC 76 stated, I found moisture in my tube that ran up to the top of my cage, and depending on which vent tube fitting you have installed, it will pit and rust on the inside of the fitting itself. I swap the tubing out once a year.

EASTMAN 1-1/4-in x 1-ft Pvc Reinforced Braided Vinyl Tubing



link: https://www.lowes.com/pd/EASTMAN-1-1-4- ... 1000180575

[Lwells]

GMAC: your right and I should have changed it for I know better but didn't think about it since that was the way it was when I bought it. On my other engine I made a canister that I mounted on the engine mounting frame, I made it out of plastic pipe about the size of a bean can and about 8 inches tall, blocked the top and bottom and put a drain valve in the bottom, drilled two holes in the side of it ,one about 3 inches from bottom and installed a fitting for engine hose put other hole about inch from top with fitting for breather tube going over to lower corner of cage where cage bolts to boat and it worked great, moisture and any oil went to can and stayed till you drained it. Guess I need to do this to this engine only put clear hose from canister so I can see whether its clear. Thanks for bringing this to my attention