Oil breathers. Which ones do you use. Pics please.

[steve_pugh]

I need to sort a breather for my engine. 2276.
I like the look of the ones from CB etc that replace the oil filler.
But I'm concerned that some of them are either too small. (Need a min of 1ltr) or too big to clear a cross bar linkage.

I'm also not a huge fan of the breather box bolting to the firewall. It's not often the engine is in and out, but when it is, it's a pain to remove.

I was thinking perhaps a long thin breather bolted to the top of the fanhousing.

Anyway. Be interested in what you have, and where you got it from, and what it looks like. :-)
Need to know what my options are.

Thanks.

[Matt H]

Stocker with the breather line hooked up to a breather mounted on the  fire wall. Cleared my taco linkage and 48's no problem

[Donny B.]

I've been using a Sil Modesti breather for years now.  It probably won't clear a cross-bar linkage, but it works fine with my Berg linkage.  It is vented to the air cleaners on my DCNFs.

[rick m]

I use the same one Don uses.  Works like a charm. Plus the Sil, the fabricator who made them, is about the best welder of aluminum I have ever met.  Used to do most of the work on Ron Davis aluminum radiators for years.

Rick M

[pupjoint]

i use Berg breather tower.

the Sil Modesti is made to order only, correct? is it aluminium or stainless? any idea what it costs now?

[Donny B.]

The Sil Modesti is made to order and made of aluminum.  The price last time I checked was $250-$300.  He hasn't made a lot lately...

[BeetleBug]

Where does the Sil Modesto actually breath?

[Zach Gomulka]

Where does the Sil Modesto actually breath?

About 2 miles down the road from me

That's a good question though. Looks like a sealed cap in the picture. I've never looked at one very closely.

[Tourist]

Where does the Sil Modesto actually breath?

About 2 miles down the road from me.

Zach you naughty person you....


Martin.

[richie]

  It is vented to the air cleaners on my DCNFs.

Where does the Sil Modesto actually breath?

I have a similar breather box[made by someone else though] here and cant see any other way for it to breath/vent than that Donny wrote

cheers Richie

[BeetleBug]

In others words, it is just another shiny, expensive piece of a kit that actually have absolutely no actual benefit. An original, late model VW breather box offer more breathing capacity compared to the Modesti one (and most other aftermarket boxes)

-BB-

[Donny B.]

In others words, it is just another shiny, expensive piece of a kit that actually have absolutely no actual benefit. An original, late model VW breather box offer more breathing capacity compared to the Modesti one (and most other aftermarket boxes)

Wrong!  the valve covers vent into the bottom of it.  There are two baffles in the middle.  The carbs draw off the top of the breather.  If you remove the cap and hold your hand over the opening you can feel the puffs from the engine and when you rev the engine you can feel it suck you hand to the opening.  Believe me it works.  Larger displacement engines might need more volume but it works just fine on my 2165.

[BeetleBug]

In others words, it is just another shiny, expensive piece of a kit that actually have absolutely no actual benefit. An original, late model VW breather box offer more breathing capacity compared to the Modesti one (and most other aftermarket boxes)

Wrong!  the valve covers vent into the bottom of it.  There are two baffles in the middle.  The carbs draw off the top of the breather.  If you remove the cap and hold your hand over the opening you can feel the puffs from the engine and when you rev the engine you can feel it suck you hand to the opening.  Believe me it works.  Larger displacement engines might need more volume but it works just fine on my 2165.

Here we go again... Why vent your valve covers when the pressure is created inside your crank case? Hence why you should went it instead of your valve covers. The original VW box have over 4 times the breathing capacity compared to the Modesti design.

[pupjoint]

In others words, it is just another shiny, expensive piece of a kit that actually have absolutely no actual benefit. An original, late model VW breather box offer more breathing capacity compared to the Modesti one (and most other aftermarket boxes)

Wrong!  the valve covers vent into the bottom of it.  There are two baffles in the middle.  The carbs draw off the top of the breather.  If you remove the cap and hold your hand over the opening you can feel the puffs from the engine and when you rev the engine you can feel it suck you hand to the opening.  Believe me it works.  Larger displacement engines might need more volume but it works just fine on my 2165.

Here we go again... Why vent your valve covers when the pressure is created inside your crank case? Hence why you should went it instead of your valve covers. The original VW box have over 4 times the breathing capacity compared to the Modesti design.

hi, which original vw box breather you referring to? is it the oil filler? if yes, how much volume is there?

[Erlend / bug66]

Volume of the box does not give you squat if its sealed or have a -8 to "free air"..

BeetleBug and I have and other solution with a 30-35mm hole out of the filler.

[Svwerker]

In others words, it is just another shiny, expensive piece of a kit that actually have absolutely no actual benefit. An original, late model VW breather box offer more breathing capacity compared to the Modesti one (and most other aftermarket boxes)

Wrong!  the valve covers vent into the bottom of it.  There are two baffles in the middle.  The carbs draw off the top of the breather.  If you remove the cap and hold your hand over the opening you can feel the puffs from the engine and when you rev the engine you can feel it suck you hand to the opening.  Believe me it works.  Larger displacement engines might need more volume but it works just fine on my 2165.

Here we go again... Why vent your valve covers when the pressure is created inside your crank case? Hence why you should went it instead of your valve covers. The original VW box have over 4 times the breathing capacity compared to the Modesti design.

 

[Donny B.]

Okay I must be stupid or something and that is just fine with me.  The crank case also vents into the bottom and it is not sealed with the lines going to the aircleaners.  I am still free to live in ignorance and bliss...!

[Erlend / bug66]

Vents to the bottom of what?

[Donny B.]

The breather is bolted to the modified stock filler stand allowing the crank case to vent into it at the bottom of the breather tank.  It has approx 25 mm hole that is sealed with an o-ring.

[Erlend / bug66]

Does not matter. It's just a extra volume to fill with air. The engine needs more area out to free air. Even if it has a 25mm hole to the crankcase it's only got a AN-8 out of the tank. Massive, massive bottleneck..

[Jon]

The AN-8 should not be treated just as a passage to free atmosphere. In reality it will generate negative pressure in the breather, not a bad thing, and it weighs up for the size in a big way.

[Erlend / bug66]

All I know is that my engine puked oil out the engine pulley with only a AN -8 sized outlet..

[Jim Ratto]

With all due respect, Don B drives his car as a real car, and I know he's proud of how well his car runs and works. Let's not beat up on which parts he selects and likes. His posts here are always respectful and helpful.
His breather, as far as I can tell, works the same way the 356 SC and 912 Porsche setup works. I'm not debating the claims that other breathers might work better, I'm just asking you guys are a little easier on fellow Lounge guys.

Thanks

[Taylor]

All I know is that my engine puked oil out the engine pulley with only a AN -8 sized outlet..

Was it hooked to the air cleaner pulling vacuum?   

[Erlend / bug66]

No. I could not get to much "vacuum" through the top of the cleaner. Seemed that the area of airfilter was to big to make vacuum.

[BeetleBug]

With all due respect, Don B drives his car as a real car, and I know he's proud of how well his car runs and works. Let's not beat up on which parts he selects and likes. His posts here are always respectful and helpful.
His breather, as far as I can tell, works the same way the 356 SC and 912 Porsche setup works. I'm not debating the claims that other breathers might work better, I'm just asking you guys are a little easier on fellow Lounge guys.

Thanks

Jim, I feel this is directed toward me? If Donny feel that I have been disrespectful then I hope he will PM me and we can take it from there. Donny is able to get his box to work and that is fine, absolutely no problem. But calling it a breather... that is what I tried to discuss. Take a look at a original 912 breather box, do you notice the difference:



It has a 25 (1") and a 10mm outlet.

-BB-

[steve_pugh]

In others words, it is just another shiny, expensive piece of a kit that actually have absolutely no actual benefit. An original, late model VW breather box offer more breathing capacity compared to the Modesti one (and most other aftermarket boxes)

Wrong!  the valve covers vent into the bottom of it.  There are two baffles in the middle.  The carbs draw off the top of the breather.  If you remove the cap and hold your hand over the opening you can feel the puffs from the engine and when you rev the engine you can feel it suck you hand to the opening.  Believe me it works.  Larger displacement engines might need more volume but it works just fine on my 2165.

Here we go again... Why vent your valve covers when the pressure is created inside your crank case? Hence why you should went it instead of your valve covers. The original VW box have over 4 times the breathing capacity compared to the Modesti design.

Can we expand on this?

Where are the best places to Vent from?   My type4 had outlets in the heads, but this would do the same job as the valve covers surely as both are on the side of the rockers..

I will be venting from the oil filler, from the Fuel pump block off and I was going to also vent from each valve cover.     (Only because I'd prefer not to weld bungs into the heads as Valve covers are expendable, and heads are not...)

[BeetleBug]

Can we expand on this?

Where are the best places to Vent from?   My type4 had outlets in the heads, but this would do the same job as the valve covers surely as both are on the side of the rockers..

I will be venting from the oil filler, from the Fuel pump block off and I was going to also vent from each valve cover.     (Only because I'd prefer not to weld bungs into the heads as Valve covers are expendable, and heads are not...)

Steve, search the forum and you will find plenty of info regarding venting from the valve covers. Here is a picture of my turbo engine at the dyno. I replaced the filter with a see through hose so that I could check if the engine puked anything. At 30 psi I did see some condensation and a few drops of alcohol mix but that was it. I do not have any additional breathing hoses other than what you see in the picture.

[pupjoint]

Volume of the box does not give you squat if its sealed or have a -8 to "free air"..

BeetleBug and I have and other solution with a 30-35mm hole out of the filler.

any pics?

what if the fittings changed to AN10 or AN12 and cap replaced with a breathing cap?

[pupjoint]

Volume of the box does not give you squat if its sealed or have a -8 to "free air"..

BeetleBug and I have and other solution with a 30-35mm hole out of the filler.

i was asking beetle bug what original vw box he was referring to.  any pics of your solution?