Oil Breather Hose Leak

[jsciullo]

Mine is leaking. What happens when the hose fully blows? Is the bike out of service or do I keep adding oil.

Thanks,

Jim

[Guest ratchethack]

Jim, it won't let go like a dam burst, it'll just gradually get worse. If you can stand the mess, it'll keep right on running. It's not likely to run out of oil very quickly, but you might get a little slippery in the process.

 

Best tend to it ASAP. Eventually the traffic behind you will start to get annoyed.

[richard100t]

Ok which hose is this? Is it the one that connects at the top of the spine? I cant imagine that one leaking as its not under any pressure. That one does seem to "breathe" though. I just replaced that hose with a longer one & routed it to the bottom of the bike.

[Guest ratchethack]

Ok which hose is this?

I b'lieve Jim refers to the breather hose (a #8, I think, or approx. 3/4") that runs from above and just forward of the flywheel housing to just aft and under the steering head. It's prone to let go at ~5 years or ~30K miles, whichever comes first. The ones they put on in Mandello 'r evidently made out of recycled tires collected from Siberian mining operations with used pencil erasers thrown in for heat resistance, strength and durability. It ain't under much of any pressure either, but it does vent a pretty fair volume of hot oil vapor/mist into the condenser/frame. As discussed in I think a few previous threads, a proper high-grade hose makes a more or less permanent replacement.

 

CROSS-THREAD CONTENT:

 

I'll bet a well-designed baffle plate would improve de-aeration of the oil effectively enough to all but eliminate the oil passing from the condenser through the small-diameter "relief vent" into the air box (or to the ground, for those who've eliminated the air box).

 

More incentive yet . . . . . . .

[dlaing]

Jim, it won't let go like a dam burst, snip

94739[/snapback]

Mine was dam messy when it went.

[callison]

Mine was dam messy when it went.

94761[/snapback]

 

Very messy indeed.

 

forum topic 1301

Pictured below is the Goodyear Ford hose #63318 compared to the EV hose

 

Here is the NAPAonline part number and description:

Item#: NBH10912

Price: $ 26.79

Attributes:

Attributes: Hose - Heater

I.D.(s): .62'' x .62'' x .62''

Length: 23.7''

 

 

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guzzitech article

EV Breather Hose

 

I was in urgent need of replacement of the crankcase breather hose on my 98EV. The hose I used was Dayco #80404. It's intended purpose was as a coolant hose, so I can give no promises on how it will hold up to oil. Therefore use at own risk. However one has been on my EV for over the last 10,000 miles and appears ok. I run with Mobil 1 15/50. Some stats taken with a caliper that has seen its better days. Guzzi hose ID 12mm, OD 23mm wall thickness 4mm - Dayco hose ID 10mm, OD 20mm, wall thickness 5mm. It will need to be trimmed on both ends. One trimmed it will fit the crucial bend under the frame and the other end is left long enough to gently bend to the crankcase. Cost was $8.97.

 

 

[Dr Gil]

Is the consequence of this "oil breather hose leak" failing that you find viscous fluid on the "under fairing splash?" I've got that.

 

Periodically I find "fluid" (I suspect oil) on the splash that you see when seated on your bike and peer downwards along the forks past the fuel tank. Sometimes a "lot" (dripping). Sometimes a "little." Sometimes "none."

 

I've removed the tank and tightened the bolt on the spine but the problem still persists. I was thinking that I need to remove the bolt and replace the washer...am I wrong? Is this a consequence of the hose itself and it should be replaced? I ride an '02 Le Mans with 17K on the odometer...seems a bit "young" for hose replacement.

[Guest ratchethack]

Gil, didn't you have this awhile back?

 

Should be easy enough to ID what the stuff is, eh? That should nail it f'er ya.

 

What color is it? Spot some on a white piece of paper.

 

Give it a feel, a good whiff, and if that fails, give it a taste.

 

Didn't MDs use this technique for urinalysis back in the day?

 

I know y'er an MD, but by y'er avatar, ain't you also a chef?!

 

In either case, I reckon y'got the buds!

 

I've removed the tank and tightened the bolt on the spine but the problem still persists.  I was thinking that I need to remove the bolt and replace the washer...am I wrong? 

Gil, this is a little vague. You might be talking about the 22 mm banjo bolt at the top of the spine just behind the steering head (visible in front of the tank)? The relief vent hose from this banjo goes to the airbox. As Richard mentioned above, this has next to zero pressure on it, and is unlikely to even weep, let alone leak. If it were weeping a bit, it should be obvious by the amount of oil around the crush washers under the banjo union. Similarly, the 22 mm banjo bolt on the left-hand side of the frame under the tank that has a oil return hose leading to the rear of the sump would have similar obvious signs of leakage. Myself and others have experienced minor seepage here and cured it with a little tightenting. In my case, this was accomplished with 100% effectiveness without replacing the crush washers.

 

Hope this helps.

[Dr Gil]

Gil, didn't you have this awhile back?

 

I know y'er an MD, but by y'er avatar, ain't you also a chef?!

 

 

We may have covered this before but I have no memory of it...alas, I am getting older and my second favorite organ (brain) sometimes fails me.

 

Also I should clear up any misconceptions about my being a "doctor" or a chef...my doctorate is from the Universal Life Church and it's a my "doctorate" is in "Divinity" (same as "Doctor" Hunter S. Thompson's)...and I can't cook at all, I actually only "heat" things.

 

The bolt I tightened was the one directly on top of the spine and is visible with the tank in place. I've resisted removing the tank again but can see I'm going to have to do so now and take another peek to see what's actually happening. I guess I'll just make a day of it and remove the front fairing as well...there are some other bits I need to tend to under there. It's just as well. It's been too long since I've seen my bike naked (4 months) and Guzzi's love that stuff...and so do I.

[Guest ratchethack]

We may have covered this before but I have no memory of it...alas, I am getting older and my second favorite organ (brain) sometimes fails me.     

It's the insidious, creeping dain bramage. It happens to the best of us.

Also I should clear up any misconceptions about my being a "doctor" or a chef...my doctorate is from the Universal Life Church and it's a my "doctorate" is in "Divinity" (same as "Doctor" Hunter S. Thompson's)...

Sorry. My mistake. Well, having actually been part of Hunter S's "extended entourage" in the early '70's and read all his stuff and heard him speak at his favorite campus (where he was revered as a living god), I seriously hope y'er Ph.D in Divinity doesn't quite put you in the "same" category as Hunter S, -- heaven forfend!

I'll just make a day of it and remove the front fairing as well...there are some other bits I need to tend to under there.  It's just as well.  It's been too long since I've seen my bike naked (4 months) and Guzzi's love that stuff...and so do I.    

Sounds like y'er properly hooked now. Somehow, back when you were trying to figure out if you could teach y'erself how to restore the LM from y'er crash, or stoop to have some unknown shop on the other side of the state work on it, I knew you'd make a first-rate do-it-y'erselfer. Of course, now you'll never go back. . . . . .

 

Congrat's on the transition!

 

Let us know what the mystery goop turns out to be.