Valve Cover Breathers

[Jim-ME]

I have what is registered as a 64 Series IIa Land Rover. It currently has a valve cover breather which is not connected to the elbow which runs from the carb to the air filter hose and the breather itself has no way to connect to the elbow . My current elbow must be from a Series III because it has two places to hook up rubber hose which I assume has something to do with 1973 - 1974 emission requirements . Currently the two "connectors" on the elbow have a rubber hose which runs in a U shape from one "connector" to the other. Is there any reason I should replace the carb elbow with one with a single connector and replace the breather with one which allows me to tie into the elbow? Thanks in advance for any insight.

[J!m]

One reason to connect the engine breather to the elbow is to reduce the chance of water ingress if you do any wading with your tuck.

Otherwise, no reason to connect them.

[yorker]

Since you don't need to have them hooked up I would not bother- less crap going into your carb and engine that way. My breather cover on my '65 was crushed somehow so I had to put a later one on. If you want to swap I'll send you mine.

Does yours have the breather on the oil fill as well? somehow mine got misplaced too.

[Jim-ME]

Yes I do have a breather on the oil fill. What you have said makes perfect sense to me. I just needed to ask the question. If you want to go back to the unconnected breathe and if RN doesn't stock it try RovahFarm.com as I know he lists both types.

[Les Parker]

Out of breath (er)

Hi there,
Ref the breather, is this the original engine, or has it been replaced over the years? Sounds to me like its a Series III engine, which RN can supply the correct PCV system to.
Please advise.

[greenmeanie]

The two connection elbow is present on the late SIIa's as well. One hose hooks up to the breather on the rocker cover. This may help your valve seals as there is less pressure in the cavity but I wouldn't get upset if it isn't there. The second hose hooks up to a charcoal canister for the fuel tank via a small tank under one of the rear wheel arches. Again it isn't really necessary for making your truck run well. I'd just leave them capped.

Cheers
Gregor

[TeriAnn]

Since you don't need to have them hooked up I would not bother- less crap going into your carb and engine that way.

But if you do connect the breather to the intake, your engine will have less sludge and water vapor build up, keeping the insides cleaner. The fine mist of oil emmited by the old style breather settles in your engine compartment giving trail dust a stickier place to settle. So your engine bay will stay cleaner too with the breather connected.

Besides it makes our world a little greener too.

My 1960 Land Rover has a valve cover breather and PCV because it is the right thing to do and it keeps the inside of my LR cleaner.

[KingSlug]

But I love the smell...

But TeriAnn, I love the open crank case breather on the rover. Mine has 2, 1 on the oil fill and 1 on the valve cover. I love the smell of the rover engine, smells like my families old tractors and cars. Maybe the fine oil mist is a Rover plan to reduce bulhead rust that wasn't well thought out, just like the dripping drivetrain protects the frame.

My rover is green too, how did you know? I think the argument over "green" cars is silly, most Rovers in this fourm are over 30 years old. Most people would have gone through 4+ cars in this time, our rover have less of a carbon footprint because of longevity and 90% of our rovers will be on the road in 10 years how many new cars could say the same thing (not to mention that well tuned old car put out just over the pollution of a newer vehicle)? If you really want to go green one should walk or get a ride on water buffalo, my wife says she would rather walk or ride the bike than drive the rover in town.

[yorker]

But if you do connect the breather to the intake, your engine will have less sludge and water vapor build up, keeping the insides cleaner. The fine mist of oil emmited by the old style breather settles in your engine compartment giving trail dust a stickier place to settle. So your engine bay will stay cleaner too with the breather connected.

Besides it makes our world a little greener too.

Meh...

My Rover has gone without them for it's first 41 years so I'm not going to worry about the cleanliness of the engine compartment now. Add to this the fact that there is a score in one cylinder that produces a prodigious amount of blow by and you can see why retrofitting to a pcv system is a useless source of aggravation. Thus I've had to modify what I have into a road draft tube system.

[jp-]

I love the smell of napal..., I mean Rover oil in the morning.

[TeriAnn]

My Rover has gone without them for it's first 41 years so I'm not going to worry about the cleanliness of the engine compartment now.

41 years ago there were less people in the world and less pressure on the environment. Things have changed and I for one prefer to tread a little more lightly on my way through the world. When I leave a camp site the only sign of my having been there is a set of tyre tracks and maybe a little gray water puddle. Everything else is packed out and the site is undisturbed beyond tyre and foot prints.

My Land Rover was built 47 years ago but it emits significantly fewer pollutants today than it did when it was new. Just an aspect of treading lightly.

Pressures on our ecosystems are too great not to take tread lightly seriously. Especially with groups like the Serria club looking over our shoulders wanting to close trails.

There is no excuse not to use simple SMOG equipment such as valve cover and crank case breathers.

[yorker]

TAW-
the hydrocarbons produced by one 2.25 pale in comparison to the 1000's of non compliant and pre OBDII cars on the road. An average 2 stroke motorcycle or chainsaw produces more. Nearly every diesel on the road today uses a road draft tube. I am not concerned with what little my Rover adds. If you think pandering to the Sierra Club crowd by adding a PCV system is going to have any impact of their view of 4x4's and trail use then you are delusional. If it makes you feel better then good for you.

[Tim Smith]

TAW-
the hydrocarbons produced by one 2.25 pale in comparison to the 1000's of non compliant and pre OBDII cars on the road. An average 2 stroke motorcycle or chainsaw produces more. Nearly every diesel on the road today uses a road draft tube. I am not concerned with what little my Rover adds. If you think pandering to the Sierra Club crowd by adding a PCV system is going to have any impact of their view of 4x4's and trail use then you are delusional. If it makes you feel better then good for you.

I agree with your points but I think TeriAnn is talking about what is actually the right thing to do. Not what is perceived by your average Joe sierra clubber.

In my opinion your average Joe (arm chair sierra club tree hugger) probably replaces their car every 3-5 years with the idea that they are helping the environment. However the downfall to thinking like that is that making a car produces more hydrocarbons and uses more natural resources than that car could ever produce in it's lifetime. Don't even get me started about hybrids...

If you ask me, the best thing you can do is keep your 2.25 in good tune. You will be getting the best performance out of it. You'll reduce the smog coming from it (even if it is just probably a small percentage). And you won't be wasting money on the latest in marketing strategies to drive the best perceived bling.

By the way before posting this I took a quick look at the Sierra club's website. Apparently the Sierra club is all about buying new cars too. Couldn't find anything about what goes into those hybrids they are touting. I guess they think the green life means "buy new."

http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2007/02/clean_green_mac.html

Cheers,
Tim

[jp-]

Is it getting hot in here? Or is it just me?

Let me throw a little ice on the fire.

http://newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/2/14/151325.shtml?s=lh

[TeriAnn]

TAW-
I am not concerned with what little my Rover adds.

As long as no body cares about what little they add, everyone will go on adding their bit onto the back of the camel. It is your choice up 'til a government body makes the choice for you.

If it makes you feel better then good for you.

Thank you. I'll continue packing out more trash than I produce while on the trail, reusing and recycling whenever I can. Because it does make me feel better.

As we used to say back on the commune in the late '60's "Whats good for the flower is good for the flower child."