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Re: [Healeys] Keeping a Healey, and a hissing oil filler cap

To: James Sailer <bj8Healey@msn.com>
Subject: Re: [Healeys] Keeping a Healey, and a hissing oil filler cap
From: Alan Seigrist <healey.nut@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 9 Sep 2010 16:39:47 +0800
Hi Logan -

Welcome to the list.  It is nice to see you here.

There should be a "T" located on the back of the valve cover - this T
is the "breather" for the engine, allowing the crankcase to bleed off
excess pressure as it warms up.  You can see the T piece plus the hose
connections on the earlier tricarb motor here (the thing located just
behind the rear [second] valve cover bolt):

http://members.home.nl/rgubbels/engine3carb.jpg

The crankcase breather comes out of the rear tappet cover (on right
rear side of engine - you can see it in this picture) and connects to
the T piece on top of the valve cover, then connects by hose to the
rear carburettor on your BJ8.  It all is supposed to vent into the
rear carb air filter.

If your car has an aftermarket valve cover, check to see if it has the
T piece on the back like in the picture.  If it does not have this
piece, then that is your problem.

It's nothing to be too worried about, but is annoying and will result
in excessive oil usage and a very dirty oily engine.

Now your father may have installed a PCV valve on the crankcase, which
is a one way valve used on new cars to hold off excess pressure built
up in the crankcase.  If you see a round cylindrical can, about 2" in
diameter and 2" in length (most likely gold or silver colored) mounted
somewhere around the rear tappet cover, you may have a clogged PCV
valve.  In this case just remove it, take it to your local Napa auto
parts, and have them replace it with something similar.

Alan

On Thu, Sep 9, 2010 at 3:55 AM, James Sailer <bj8Healey@msn.com> wrote:
> Hello Team,
>
> I recently inherited maintenance-duty for my late father's '66 BJ8. By and
> large, it's in good enough condition to just require regular cleaning,
fluid
> checks & replacements, lubrication, etc, but I'm just starting to stumble
up
> the learning curve as to how to keep the beauty in tip-top shape. The
> ridiculous amount of Healey-maintenance literature my father amassed should
> probably help at least a little...
>
> However, recently there has been a hissing sound coming from the engine,
which
> builds up slowly after starting the engine, continues while running, and
> slowly dissipates after shut-down.  I've isolated it to the oil-filler cap,
> which is a quick-release style (opposed to the cable-attached cap), and
> pressing down on the cap while the engine's running dampens the sound a
> little; oil levels are perfect.  My question is what needs to be done about
> this: cap/seal replacement, or could this be a symptom of a deeper problem
> that needs to be checked up on?
>
> Best,
> Logan Sailer
>
>  '66 BJ8
>><((((:>   ><((((:> `7.88.74/`7.8.74/`7...  ><((((:>
>    ><((((:>   ><((((:>
>                ><((((:>
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