Hello Good People,
I am missing the little plastic tree like oil separator in my breather tube.
Before picking up one on eBay is there an alternative to one that can be picked up at a hardware store etc?

Also what are the negative effects of not having this little device missing in action. I want to know if I am already feeling the negative effects.

Thanks

 

This little squiggly thingy basically condenses oil vapor and leaves it in the valve cover instead of allowing it to pass to the plenum and soil what should be a relatively clean air intake. Your throttle body can get gummed up and eventually you loose air efficiency.

fyi, it is also known as an oil trap or oil separator.

 

You should be able to remove it and simply find an inline style PCV to put in the middle of the hose. Kinda like the PCV Upgrade I have for the D2.

 

Thanks for the response Walt and Best4X4,

Would you have an image so I can get my head around this PCV like upgrade. I will be at HomeDepot tomorrow so maybe I can find something similar.

Thanks

 

So I took a peek over on the DII forum and came across your creative work that was well received! Congrats!

Would you recommend a FV308 PCV Valve or would I need something smaller?

Thanks

 

I would probably opt for the separator (original) over the PCB to retain the designed function. The weighted, metered orifice design of a PCV is a more abrupt way of exhausting vapors, where the orig. trap design is a more even flow. If you could be sure it would stay in the hose, a piece of Brillo pad would be a closer function to orig. design.
I played with options on an old Chevy straight 6 in younger days and finally went back to orig design. My .03 cents... Russ

I'll bet the 2-3 days to get an original wouldn't gum things up enough to stress over. Russ

 

PCV valves vary in the diameter of the hole through the inside and the weight of the "valve" inside to match the breathing quirks of different engines. Just a little more to think about.... Russ

 

Thanks partsguru,
I recall replacing the hose after a head gasket job, and never put in that little oil separator back in 2018.

 

Yeah and usually the flow 0% as the OEM baffle can easily clog up.

I would go with a nipple style PCV which had a similar size opening to the OEM baffle/hose diameter.

Then install it with the proper flow direction and call it a day.

For the record I checked my 97 XD and that OEM baffle isn't even there. On GEMS engines you have two places that clog. The OEM baffle, and the much smaller diameter metal nipple at the intake. PCV size is really not a concern due to the small diameter at the intake. Don't over think it.

I'll see if I can find a suitable PCV and post it up when I can.

 

I appreciate the response.
I am over thinking it though I didn’t mean to. Such a visual creature I am.
The valve looks like something from off an air compressor hose.

Thanks