Oil Leaks

I had this trouble with a Polo and was told by two VW dealers that  the engine was worn, I knew that it wasn?t and in the end solved the problem myself. There is a replaceable oil separator where the breather pipe enters the block, I think that GSF sell them for about ?6. Take this off with a hammer and screwdriver or any other way you find easy and replace it. Before you fit the new one make sure that the drain hole to the sump is clear, I seem to remember using a length of welding rod to poke it clear. I fitted a plastic oil separator from a Mk2 1300 into the hose to make sure of it.

cedar said

I fitted a plastic oil separator from a Mk2 1300 into the hose to make sure of it.

There's a tip that I'd forgotten! - try to get a Mk2 pipe at the breakers, rather than a Mk1 version (maybe late Mk2 Polos had this separator too?), although you may need to buy a new separator part, as the old one may be clogged beyond use.

Great thanks, i'll find a mk2 pipe at a breakers. And if i do will get a mk2 1300cc oil seperator/breather.
Isnt it a very tricky job to get the new breather in though? is there a trick to it?

ps. type17 - nothing wrong with finding bits at the breakers, If i can save money on a part like that, i will!!

I did it with the car on ramps. The oil trap just fits in like a core plug, if you get a new one you will see how it fits. If you want to fit a plastic oil separator you will need to modify the pipe so get a few bits from the scrapyard. I get most of my spares from the scrapyard, I've just put a 2l tall block engine in mine, ?20, with a 9A gearbox from a Scirocco, another ?20. Cheers.

I went into GSF today and came out with a new oil breather tube @?3 and the dome shaped oil separator part too @?9. Even the bloke in there said it was a pig of a job to get the new one in. Could anyone run me thru the routine (in fairly simple terms!)? Also, will all the oil drop out of the lump, or will it be further down that the separator?

Lastly, he said that back when there were loads of these cars on the road, he used to sell these domed oil separators all day long, very commonly replaced part apparently.

Good weekend all

They sold a lot ?cause people smashed them to bits trying to hammer them in and had to buy another one?.. :twisted:

The only reliable way I found was to use a piece of metal tube that was the same diameter of the flange around the dome. I cut a notch out of the tube to accommodate the take off pipe that the rubber breather fits on. Then you could welly the tube and it pressed the breather in all the way around at once. Honestly I once tried to do one with the engine out and the floor (without the aforementioned diy tool). You tap the thing in on one side and then when to tap the other side the 1st side pops out?.. it?ll drive you round the bend. 8O

I would only replace it if it was blocked and oil was urinating out of the seals everywhere else. I can?t see how if oil fumes are come out now how a new one with stop them :?:  :?:  :?:

Early-1800 said

…You tap the thing in on one side and then when to tap the other side the 1st side pops out?.. it?ll drive you round the bend. 8O

- It did when I tried it, so I ended up using the car's jack (padded) between the bulkhead and the breather. Went in eventually, albeit with a bit of a flattened dome :roll:

Early-1800 said

 I would only replace it if it was blocked and oil was urinating out of the seals everywhere else. I can?t see how if oil fumes are coming out now how a new one with stop them :?:  :?:  :?:

True, the point of the breather is not to contain fumes, but to release the pressure (that's leaking past the piston rings).
The reason to replace the breather is that, if it's blocked, or partially blocked, the pressure will blow all the seals and gaskets.
A new (clear) breather allows the pressure to dissapate, whilst re-burning the fumes in the engine. The fact that you have a lot of fumes, and even oil coming up the breather pipe to the air filter just means that your engine is fairly worn - changing the breather won't change that fact.  

PS: A blocked breather on any engine can lead to exessive crankcase pressure pushing engine oil up past the piston rings, leading to lots of blue smoke, especially at higher revs. This means that an engine that smokes on acceleration may just have blocked breather, rather than being in need of a total rebuild - so it's worth changing the breather before starting other work!

One other thing, if oils coming up, make sure you haven?t simply over filled it. I once did do (don?t ask I was young and daft back then). Then a few days later I was caning it up a steep hill and a load of oil got sucked up the breather and into the carb and out the exhaust as clouds of blue smoke, they guy behind me must have thought he was following 007 on a mission.

Early-1800 said

One other thing, if oils coming up, make sure you haven?t simply over filled it. I once did do (don?t ask I was young and daft back then). Then a few days later I was caning it up a steep hill and a load of oil got sucked up the breather and into the carb and out the exhaust as clouds of blue smoke, they guy behind me must have thought he was following 007 on a mission.

This is the reason that cars with a Catalytic Converter have stickers on the engine warning you not to overfill the engine with oil - a big burst of partly burnt oil (blue smoke) like that will ruin a Cat - won't hurt a Mk1, except if you've over filled it by a mile, in which case the breather can't vent the excess oil fast enough, and you'll blow the gaskets anyway…

From memory :- Get the car up on ramps at the front and then remove the air filter and housing. From underneath prise off the oil trap and then clean out the recess, there is a duct from the bottom of the recess down to the sump for the oil to drain through, poke a piece of wire or something down this to check that it is clear. Carefully tap in the new trap and reconnect the pipe, refit the air filter. You may get a bit of oil spillage from the trap but there shouldn't be much. Cheers.

Right, thanks for all the replies ! I think in this case, i'll just replace the tube to start with. I'll blow down it to see if its blocked - which i guess it can't be fully. I just thought that due to my current pipe having a split and leaking a tiny bit, if i put a sealed one on there, i may get more oil shooting up the pipe. I'll see what happens. I have to go back to GSF anyway as i've noticed a split in the hose between the fuel filter and the top of the head (the silver short tube thing?). I thought i'd do this before taking the air filter housing off again to do the breather pipe, in case i rupture it.

Early-1800 said

they guy behind me must have thought he was following 007 on a mission

LOL !!!