Jathro Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Help!! I need to fit an oil catch tank to a 1600 xflow. Trawling back through the years’ posts, it looks like I have one of the later engine set-ups; the crank breathing hole under the carbs and behind the fuel pump is blanked off and there is no rocker breathing other than through the oil filler cap. How I interpret POBC suggests removing the crank blanking plug and fitting the Burton jam-fit adapter, running a pipe from here to an inlet drilled into rocker cover and another pipe from an outlet in the rocker cover to a catch tank. Can anyone help with a few numpty questions.... Have I understood this correct? How do I remove the crank blanking plug without too many tears? Does anyone have suitable part numbers/source for the rocker inlet and outlets? Does anyone have any pictures of this set-up? Cheers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James-Seven Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 When I had a x flow instead of using the rubber type I went to ford garage and they supplied a breather, think it was from a fiesta pricey at £26 but easy push fit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalongbloke Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Hi Jathro... my Xflow is a mid 90s AX block. I don't know if its standard or not, but My breather exits where yours is blanked (behind the carbs), and goes directly into a tank. There is no other breather. I don't see why you could not run your filler cap breather directly to a tank. No doubt other, wiser heads will be along to explain! Good luck with the mods.... Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveMorris Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 I don't think that you'd want an oil catch tank attached to that breather point. Most that I have seen are attached using an alloy hose connector attached to the rocker cover. There is generally a pipe from the breather point that you are referring to, to the middle of the rocker cover (sort of between 2 and 3 cyls, pointing towards the air filters). The "vent" to the oil catch tank is normally taken from the rear of the rocker cover. I've seen pictures of the set-up in the past) so someone may post a link to one for you. If you have an alloy rocker cover these can be tapped and the connector screwed in, if tin rocker cover then you can drill a hole and use a thin nut on the inside of the rocker cover (make sure that the nut can't come off and do any damage). The straight connector is (I think) Ford part number 6148087 .. .. .. infact see here for more details, Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger King Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Your description of what you need is good. The engines with just a filler cap breather are "under breathered". Not only is it trying to breathe through a restricted outlet, but the pressure has to make its way up from the crankcase along the pushrod holes, which is against the flow of oil returning to the sump. All in all it's really not very satisfactory. Fit the Burton breather to the block and lead this via an oil hose to a union in the side of the rocker cover. You will have to drill and tap the cover to take this union, but you now have a free breathing bypass around the pushrod holes. It's a long time since I bought one, but the Ford part number for a 90 degree union with a 3/8"BSP thread used to be 1592026. I have no idea if this is still correct or if the part is even available. There is often a 3/8"BSP threaded outlet at the rear of the rocker cover. If there is you simply have to remove the plug; if not, you'll have to drill and tap a hole. You can then use a straight union to take the breather hose to a catch tank. Ford part number used to be 6148087, but the same caveat applies I'm afraid. Finally, don't forget to either plug the breather holes in the cap with silicone or even better, get a solid cap. Oh, I forgot. You can sometimes remove the block breather plug by taking off the fuel pump and drifting it out from underneath. To be honest I can't remember if they used a core plug or a heavier solid aluminium plug. If it's a core plug you might be able to use a small drift to knock one side of it down - it will usually then pivot so the the other side come up and can be grabbed with a pair of pliers. Edited by - Roger King on 12 Apr 2013 10:13:04 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalongbloke Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Looks like you've got it right Jathro and I have a little work to do!! POBC.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jathro Posted February 22, 2012 Author Share Posted February 22, 2012 Thanks for the replies. Sounds fairly straight forward although I would anticipate a little trouble removing the crank blanking cover! With my cars the words 'drift','prise' and 'ease' normally follow the Haynes definitions and end up involving hours of intense swearing and increasingly larger hammers...! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveMorris Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Jathro, if it is the aluminium plug in the breather hole, you can blind-drill this and then tap it, put in a bolt and pull it out (or prise it out as Roger says). I would recommend an alloy, dry sump rocker cover (from somewhere like Burtons) which has no filler cap, and is also easy to drill and tap for the hose unions. I've got a picture of the set-up that I could send to you if you blatmail me your e-mail address, Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalongbloke Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 If you did that Dave, and don't have a dry sump (like Jathro and I), then how do you top up the oil ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baz Hemsley Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Dave where do you then put the oil in. It's not dry sump. Just fitted new alloy catch to my rebuilt xflo, got it off ebay from 800bhp del. next day inc.postage £24.48 in black looks good and works a treat. Engine breaths from side of crank case into rocker cover one end and out tother to catch tank. Burtons cat. gives good advice on where to tap-off the rocker cover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveMorris Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Silly old me. Trying to be helpful. Assumed dry sumped. Oeps 😳 Not stated either way in original post - and I obviously guessed wrongly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalongbloke Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 And theres me thinking I had missed something! Great minds think alike Baz.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy couchman Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Why would you need to fill a crossflow up with oil? It's not as though they ever leak oil... Andy (fellow leaky crossflow-er) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McBreadhead Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Do you have to have a catch tank for track days? I am thinking of venturing onto 1 or 2 for the first time this year...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie_pank Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 No, you don't need a catch tank for trackdays. You could always top the oil up by pouring it down your new breather, then you wouldn't need the filler cap... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baz Hemsley Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Properly maintained, THEY DO NOT LEAK well not a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jathro Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 It's not a leak, it's a rear chassis corrosion prevention system! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalongbloke Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 My crossflow does not leak. Except from the breather. Which it should. How did this legend/myth start??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bstark Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Surprisingly mine doesn't leak either, and since going to 3D ignition it doesn't breathe as heavily on track either (no idea why). I'd still recommend a catch tank for track work though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
virden Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 Re the Burton block breather, is it possible to fit this with the engine in situ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy couchman Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 Yes, quite a simple change from memory, but it does sit under the carbs/TBs so may be a bit tricky to get to. Long time since I did mine though so may be worth phoning Burtons. Andy Edited by - andy couchman on 12 Apr 2013 10:39:15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Field Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 Roger has the 'proper' solution, but for what it is worth I went to a local engineering company who drilled a hole in the rocker cover. I then screwed a simple union joint into the hole and connected the oil hose between that and a catch tank on the bulkhead. Not pretty, but it has worked for 10 years. Happy to send you some pics if you are interested. Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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