oil hose?

[andydavy]

I have a strange hose that comes from the top of cam cover as per first photo and goes to an old washer bottle

Its a 1.8 k series. Is it there for a purpose, should it really go to an oil catch tank

 

Any answers very welcome

[garybee]

It's an oil breather in place of the original PCV system.  The 'old washer bottle' is the catch tank.

[Drumster]

Caterham will charge you north of £25 for that 'old washer bottle'

[andydavy]

so just leave it alone or fit proper catch tank.

[garybee]

There's nothing functionally wrong with it as it is.  I see the options as follows:-

1) Return the system to as Rover intended and reinstate the PCV system.  Advantages...neater and keeps your engine oil cleaner for longer. Disadvantages...possible lowering of octane rating and det' as oil mist enters inlet.

2) Leave current slightly crappy looking catch tank (not a criticism, I have the same one) in place.  Advantages...cheap, no oil mist in inlet.  Didadvantages...poor oil life compared to above, engine bay not as blingy.

3) Replace catch tank with something nicer looking.  Same as (2) above except for looks/money.

As there's no oil in your catch tank (at least appears this way in the pictures), I would actually suggest option 1.  Your engine doesn't appear to be breathing any oil so you're giving up the advantages of a PCV system for no benefit.

[andydavy]

definitely no oil in catch tank. what would i need to reinstate pcv system?

[garybee]

Very little, you probably already have the bits looking at that picture.  Does your throttle body have a small hose blanked off on the side of it?  

Is your engine an EU3 140 Xpower?

[andydavy]

it does and yes its the 140 xpower. the wire mesh filter is in the cam cover

[garybee]

What does the hose that goes forward from the cam cover terminate at?  Does it go to the throttle body?

I can't see all the bits in your pictures to be sure but I expect all you need is to connect your cam cover to the inlet plenum.  There's usually a small S-shaped hose that does this in the Rover install (where your plenum is blanked off).  I'd need to see a little more to be sure though. 

The K-series system is simpler than most as it doesn't use a PCV valve, it has a restrictor instead to limit the vacuum draw on the crankcase at idle (when vacuum in the plenum is at its highest). Revilla posted a good diagram a few years ago that I can't find.  

 

[andydavy]

Do these help?

[andydavy]

Bump as it hasn't appeared as an updated post!!