Is the inside of the Oil Separator supposed to be empty?
Or is something supposed to be inside it, like a baffle or filter?

Background:
My USA 96 VDP apparently has the Breather Kit JLM 20709 installed…
…including the Oil Separator NNB 2102AA…
…as per Technical Bulletin 17-11 (Throttle Difficult to Open… …Modify Crankcase Breather System).

I had the separator and all three hoses out lately, as I was suspecting a breathing problem.
The Oil Separator is about the size/shape of a golf ball, that connects to three breather hoses. It can be pulled apart into two halves. I thought there should be something inside it, but it’s empty, except for a plastic ring that just sits inside it, and seems to have no purpose.

See attached pictures.

Am I missing something that should be inside?

Thanks,
George

 

Well, I happen to have have a brand new unit right here still sealed in its bag....

I can confirm two things:

1) You should not be able to pull it apart into two pieces, although it is well known that these tend to get loose and come apart over time. Perhaps the glue fails due to heat or age, but I'd recommend using some epoxy to hold the two halves together permanently.

2) There is nothing inside, it is empty as new.

.

 

How timely is this? I just installed the same kit on my 95 about 4 hours ago. I don't think the ball type breather is suppose to come apart, mine didn't. I did leave the updated dip stick tube off for now, I want to see how this thing works regarding whats coming out of that drain hose and going into my oil pan via the new dip stick tube.
Lawrence

 

Al,

Thanks so much for the response and the info!

OK, I'll glue my separator back together and re-install, rather than procure a new separator or whole kit!

The black plastic ring in there still puzzles me. It's not a seal between the inner and outer parts, as it's fully contained within the inner part.

But I suppose if there were meant to be a filter or baffle in there, there'd be instructions someplace to check it and clean it once in a while.

Thanks again,
George

 

Lawrence,

How interesting that you just installed that kit!

Depending on how many '96 x300's got the dealer kit installed, there might not be too many of us with this thing.

FYI, there was big hole in the side of my drain tube, about 2" down from the separator. I'm not sure if it's from abrasion or a burn or something else. See attached pictures.

So you might pay special attention to the routing of the drain hose when you install it (or hook it up to the dipstick tube).

The tech bulletin mentions that one of the hose clamps should be installed with the worm gear housing against the engine. I wonder if this is intended as spacing to protect from damage.

I don't know if that hole was causing my problem (missing), but I'm sure that it wasn't letting the kit function as intended.

Thanks again!
George

 

George
I don't know how that hole in the drain got there (looks like heat related) but I wouldn't think it will cause a problem on its related job, you're right though it shouldn't have happened.
Lawrence

 

There is nothing supposed to be inside the oil separator ball. To understand how this kit functions at separating the oil, get yourself a drinking straw, put one end about an inch from a window or mirror and blow slowly. see how the water vapor is condensing onto the window and running down? That's what happens inside this little plastic gray ball piece. There is a restrictor inside the tube where it comes out of the cam cover which focuses the hot oily air into a stream so that it blows into the separator ball the same way you would blow through the straw onto the glass. The oil vapor condenses and then runs down the tube back into the oil sump. My 1995 US VDP had it from the factory and when I discovered it and found out what it was I installed the same kit on my 1996 XJS.

 

There IS a steel restricter in the hose. I installed/modified dozens when this Service Action was issued.
Here is the TSB we got 'back-in-the-day.

bob

 

Timely discussion.

My “egg” oil separator came apart at the seams a long time ago. I installed a separate aftermarket oil catch can, which seems to do a good job.

I can seem to recall why I decided to cap off the hose connecting the camcover exhaust with the smaller 5/16” hose from that steel separator. I just took all of the camcover exhaust and pushed it to the aftermarket oil separator, using 5/8" hose, then to the intake elbow, staying with the 5/8" hose.

I am now revisiting that decision as I continue to blow through camcover gaskets. I am installing a tee from that camcover exhaust with one end going to the aftermarket oil separator and the other back to the 5/16” hose I capped off.

The egg shaped separator never did enough, if anything at all to reduce the sludge that builds up on the throttle body. The aftermarket can seems to have kept the butterfly in great shape, it has remained clean well after three years.

 

IMO the aftermarket "catch can" is the only way to go.

 

I've put a Jag oil separator on my 4.0 LWB, 2.5 years ago, had the throttle plastic elbow off the car a month or so ago and there was not a sign of sludge anywhere on the TB and I've done 30k+ miles in that time, so it definitely works well.
Previously I needed to clean the TB pretty much every year.