I recently started the task of cleaning the throttle body and in dismantling the air intake gear I found a heap of oil in the bellows adjoining the TB. I cleaned this out and decided to fit an OEM oil separator to the engine breather pipe. What I can't figure out is the purpose of the machined steel restrictor which came with the oil separator kit. I installed it exactly as specified, it fits tightly inside the cam cover end of the breather pipe finishing just before the join where the small pipe to the inlet manifold is located.
Can anyone shed any light on the purpose of restricting the flow through the breather pipe? The restrictor runs for about 2 inches and reduces the breather pipe bore in that section to approx 1/4 inch. By my logic it would seem to impede than improve the "breathing" or relief of pressure, but there has to be reason for it??

 

Tony,

Never used that thing.

I agree with your thoughts on restricting the breathing of the engine, and that could lead to seals etc weeping.

My 3.2 had heaps of oil in there when I first got it, so, like you I cleaned it out. Removed the cam cover and cleaned the fixed filter fiasco inside that thing as best you can without ripping it out of the cover innards.

I have noted a small mist in that bellows at each oil change, as I do the filter from the top, that bellows is removeved 4 times a year.

The amount of oil in there has reduced to the mist I mentioned over the 3 years I have owned it. I run 10W/40 Synthetic in it, and it is a significantly better engine now at 210000kms than it was when I got it at 115000kms. Obviously it had elcheapo oil used in it in Canberra.

 

Thanks Grant, appreciate your thoughts. Really makes you wonder who dreams these things up and why they thought a restrictor would be a good thing. Now that I've irreversibly cut the breather pipe, do you reckon it would be reasonable to stay with the oil separator and just remove the restrictor? At least the original pipe bore would be restored. It will take some effort to extract the restrictor from the pipe, but the only alternative is a new breather pipe and then trash the oil sep. kit. Maybe I should have left well alone!

 

I see no harm in the seperator, but lose the restrictor.

I use to be Parts Manager for Jaguar a long time ago, and some of the part number upgrades were dumb at best.

 

I wonder if a "better" aftermarket oil separator would just be better.... cut the hose and run it to an outboard separator and back?

Jegs, Summit, and others sell plenty.

.

 

Can't help thinking you're right Al. I fitted the (what appears to be plastic) Jag item and it is designed to be a snug fit between the inlet manifold vanes. Very neat, but hugs up against the cyl head, therefore in direct contact it must get extremely hot. If, as you say, a unit was devised to be fitted outboard it may be less susceptible to the ravages of this direct contact heat. If/when mine ever gives way, I'll think about such a set up.

 

Would there be a downside to using something aftermarket?

For example, would a longer hose run introduce any issues with oil vapor condensing before it ever got to the separator as it cooled? Not sure if that is even an issue. Just brainstorming any reason why an aftermarket separator wouldn't be a good idea

.

 

If you want an After-market oil air separator get your hands on a provent 200 by Mann Hummel Just type in provent 200 to google there are lots of pages on them

I use them on all my diesel vehicles haven't needed to use them on my Previous XJR6 or my current X350

I did go up in oil viscosity though in both those cars as well as my diesels

Diesels went from 5W30 synthetic to 15W40 mineral but all my disels have the EGR removed and run a performance tune air cleaner and exhaust system

The Jags also run air cleaner mods performance tunes and exhaust mods

In the XJR6 I run 25W70mineral 248,000 k,s on the clock going strong no oil mist or blow by
The X350 4.2 I run 10W50 PAO type synthetic I also live in a subtropical climate does not get under 10c in winter and that is only at 2 am by the time I use the car already 20c in winter
It's late spring at the moment 9 30 am and its 28c 77% humidity already yesterday it was 41 degrees coming back from Maleny in the sunshine coast hinterland driving back in my X350
Looks like summer is going to be a very hot one this year

 

I get increasingly confused about which is the most suitable oil to use.

Have always used Penrite 20W 50 mineral in my 3.2 Sport and for my next oil change (due right now) I have decided to use a FS. Trouble is, what viscosity? 10W 40/50 seems fairly popular which also happens to be the spec for my Mazda SP23. Here in the south our summers are hot (regularly in the 30's & 40's C) and we've already had several days well over 30C still in Spring. Contrary to popular folklore winter is not cold when compared to the northern climes of the northern hemisphere. I can't remember driving in temps much lower than 10C, we never get snow or ice, and the occasional frosty night (counted 3 this year) aren't in my driving time.

I'm thinking 10W 40 FS still seems most logical, but still a bit unsure...

 

I run 10W40 FS in all the older Jags, inc the V12's,and always have.

The 2 S Types run 5W30 Nulon FS.

 

Grant just wondering why you use a different spec for your S types?

 

My X350 runs sweet on the 10W50 Synthetic

I order it from HI-TEC oils Performance Oils | Hi-Tec Oils
and use there heavy duty super 70 Mineral Oils | Hi-Tec Oils its a 25W70 mineral in my XJR6 both cars no rattle on start-up I don't like hearing rattle on start-up

I live where its hot most of the year and my cars don't do short trips if I was doing short trips where the engine and oil probbaly never got on temp I would go for a lighter weight oil

If I was doing short trips that involved lots of stop start trafic I would take that into consideration as well
Oil technology has changed a lot there is so much to read and a lot of so called synthetics are actually not real synthetic oils they are based on much higher grades of mineral oil do some research
The 10W50 from Hi-Tec is actual a PAO type synthetic which is a true synthetic
There is a lot of marketing involved Synthetic oil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Thanks Doc. So advice is getting a bit more consistent now in pointing towards 10W40/50. My driving is a fairly balanced mix of urban & highway, shortest trips would be approx. 18km's. Grant tells me he uses Nulon in his S Types, and I assume the 10W40 he uses in his XJ's is also Nulon. I've always used Penrite. Anyhow I'm now curious about your comments on "genuine" FS, so I'll check out the Hi-Tec product as well.

Cheers,

 

I use the Hi-Tec because my mate is the distributor for my area

I recently tried the Penrite 10W50 syn in my water cooled scooter engine now that may sound not much of a test but I ride it all the time round the coast and flog the daylights out of it and the trips are all small I even take it out on the highway and hold it wide open for 15 minutes at a time

I have borrowed it to a couple mates that have ridden it all the way to Ipswich and Brisbane and back of course they where not heavy weights like me
I am also 6,3 tall and 125 kg and only change the oil every 7000 the same time it needs a tyre a lot of other oils just evaporated it only holds 900ml oil so its a pretty good test in my opinion
I think the Penrite has discoloured slightly but smells good still and feels good next time I will take it to get an analysis on the oil see how its going (LOL)

 

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/m...h-can-4027.jpg
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/m...inlet-4029.jpg

 

I have an extra Jaguar OE Oil Breather Kit for sale. I would like to get 25.00 for it plus shipping in the USA.
John

 

I will buy if it has the modified oil filler dipstick tube is included, did not see in the pics.
Send me PM if so and will make arrangements.
Thanks!

 

After market catch can fitted and ready for the hoses to be attached

 

The finished catch can project

 

Finally took the time to take some photos of the finished installation. You can see on the closeup of the cam cover breather connection where the secondary small breather hose that goes directly to throttle body has been blocked off with a brass plug.

The catch can is a cheap knock off of a popular BMW can originally marketed by "BMS, Burger Motorsports" and is held on with some random black anodized bracket for a camera mount that bolts to the top of the can and the traction control mounting bracket.