air cleaner identification

[henryh]

Does anyone know where the flex hose on the air cleaner attaches? It looks like it could be for a crankcase vent. This is on my 36 I'm not sure if it was original or came as part of the later engine that was installed... I believe that this is a rebuilt engine from Sears? that was once used on a boat, maybe...
I guess I could just remove it. It looks like some kind of add on.

 

[Andy]

Yes, Just remove it. It is an add-on.

 

[flatheadfan]

Henryh-

This was a popular add-on back in the thirties and forties. It was a primitive way to capture and burn crankcase fumes to keep them from working their way into the passenger compartment. It attaches to the oil fill cap.

Tom

 

[henryh]

That's what I figured, but there must have been a special oil filler cap that went with it. I have a standard one with no place to connect the flex. This engine runs really clean so far, so I'll remove that add on and put it in the spare parts bin for now.

 

[oldskool]

no special cap needed, put an original breather back on run engine until warm and see if smoke puffs out if it does you have blow by ie worn rings ect, if it does not smoke than you don't need it.

 

[henryh]

Yesterday I drove my 31 pickup to Maysville GA for Mike's annual grandfathers day barbique. You can just see the front of my pickup in front of the guy with the green shirt. There was a 1928 race car there (bottom image)that had the same kind of flex coming off the breather, just venting to the ground, not to the air cleaner. If I ever did need to use the adaptor I have for the air cleaner, I would have to braze a tee onto the breather cap for the flex to attach to. I'm not getting any blow by now but for those who do have that problem that would seem to elliminate the smell I see discussed in other posts... as long as it doesn't gum up the carb.