Oil Droplets Out of the Breather?

[Hudson29]

I changed out the fan hub to a ball bearing model because the hub was slinging grease out over the hood & wooden hood clash strips. It works great, no more messy grease. There are still deposits of oil on the wood. It looks like it might be coming from the oil breather/filler cap. My '23 with a fresh engine does not offer to lube the outside of the motor like this one does.

The motor in this '14 car is a '19 and possibly it is somewhat tired and allowing blowby, exhaust gases passing into the crankcase which might tend to force air & oil droplets out. If so, it hasn't shown up with dark oil in the 100 or so miles since the last oil change.

Are these oil droplets normal?

Paul

[TXGOAT2]

It's probably blowby escaping from the oil cap or the hole where the throttle rod goes through the block. But it could be a front seal leak or a pan leak. It's not exactly normal, but is not uncommon on engines with miles on them. I'd be sure the oil level is normal, and if the engine runs well I wouldn't worry about it. You might try running the car with the fan belt off for a while and see if you can get a better idea exactly where the oil is coming from. Could it be coming from the timer?

[Hudson29]

This engine runs sweetly but doesn't seem to have much pep. The only comparison I have is to the '23 Runabout which has a fresh engine with a Z head and a few other touring type modifications. On hills that the Runabout barely notices, the Touring bogs down and struggles. The car has been sitting and possibly might get more zest if the rings are stuck & loosen up with use & fresh oil.

I'll check for wetness around the front of the engine. The way this is right now I will not need to hit the throttle linkage with the oil can again . . .

Paul

[speedytinc]

If you want to know, do a compression test.

[Hudson29]

Yes, a compression test is in order. I just bought one of the adapters to use the tester in the Model T holes.

BTW, the oil level is about half-way between the taps. I put 3 1/2 quarts in it.

The pictures shown were taken after an easy run of 25 or so miles to get the cooling system flush good & warm. It did that in low 80s weather the motor got hot enough to split a little when I stopped to shoot some pictures.

Paul

[TXGOAT2]

It could leak at the generator, too, or the valve cover plates. The rings could be sticky. They're probably worn to some degree and may have lost tension. But I'd look carefully for leaks. If the rings are worn or sticky, the blowby will aggravate any leaks. Changing the oil won't hurt it, and it might help.

[Hudson29]

This motor has an original Ford Faithful oiler. That delivers a stream of oil pretty close to the breather. The oil was just changed a few weeks ago and now has around a 100 miles on it.

Paul

[Kerry]

I put this on a tired engine a few years ago, left it on even after a rebuild, it's made from an outer T speedo cable.

[TXGOAT2]

Be sure the new fan hub isn't leaking. It's unlikely, but possible. If the oil residue is caused by blowby, the primary cause is usually stuck or worn rings. However, loose bearings can contribute to blowby by creating more heavy oil mist. Loose exhaust valve guides might also help push oil mist out of the crankcase. Loose bearings might cause worn rings to perform less well. If the car has an auxilliary oiler you might try restricting or blocking the flow at one of the connections, as long as you're sure the stock oil pipe is in place and working.

[Mark Gregush]

You could look at this as a positive! You know you ARE getting oil to the front of the motor. If you take the breather cap off you will get some spray even with a good engine at speed. Between the pistons going up and down and the cam/generator gears spinning, some does come out.

[Hudson29]

Its really just an annoyance now, no more than another mess to clean up after each drive, I'm certainly loosing no sleep over it. Just the same, this T & I are just getting acquainted and I would like to know if there might be a problem. I have a list of things to check for other potential leaks & a compression test in the hopper for the next work session.

Paul

[Scott_Conger]

Paul

you have, by your description, an engine which lacks pep but runs sweetly.

So here goes: you're going to run a compression test and find out what? That the engine is low on compression and lacks pep? Then what?

A vacuum test will tell you everything you don't already know, and from that you can decide what you want to do, as it will actually diagnose the source/cause of the lack of pep.

I have an original '13 (1 of 4 cars) that still has CI pistons, and the whole gamut. It lacks pep. It is also the quietest and sweetest running T I own...just not the most powerful. My immediate plans for It are to leave it alone and enjoy it.

Too many times I've read on this forum, where someone did a compression test (and sometimes were themselves the cause of low readings, and not the engine) and the next thing you know, the head is ripped off and the owner discovers that, well, what can they discover? That it is black inside? Or that (purely on a guess) it needs a valve job...and the spiral goes down from there. Your choice, of course, but unless you're committing to do some repairs on a "sweet running engine", leave the compression tester in the tool box and enjoy the car.

[Hudson29]

Thanks Scott, my thoughts have been running along those lines also. This motor could run for years just like it is. Its pleasant to run, starts easily and sounds much happier than the peppy motor in the '23. In flat land driving by myself it would have no issues. But loaded with passengers or on a hill it would be into Ruckstell pretty quickly.

I think I have a vacuum gauge somewhere but have no experience using it.

One thought I have been rolling around would be to look for a rebuilt motor or build another one myself. If I did the latter, the motor could be built as a touring motor with the goodies. It could then be installed in either car as needed.

Right now I'll continue tinkering and see what improvement can be made by getting fuel supply & electrical systems up to standard.

Paul

[MichaelPawelek]

Cut a piece of real sponge large enough to fit into the breather cap that will not fall out on its own. It will slow down or completely stop the oil from coming out but still allow the crankcase to breath. I did this on one of my Model A’s some 20 years ago and it works just fine. Maybe time to change the sponge out!

[Hudson29]

That is a very practical solution. The '23 has a screen in the breather, I wonder if this one does? Another item to check!

Thanks for the suggestion!

Paul