12 replies to this topic

[Jazzle]

Ok firstly im rebuilding a 1962 Morris Mini, on the back of the engine and under the exhaust manifold is a small breather looking pipe, i have a few photos of it not the best but might give you an idea. I need to know what it is, what should be on it and where it goes to.

I hope you can help thanks.



The pipe in question is the brightest green bit you can see just ever so slightly right of the second nut.





This picture is taken under the car looking up into it which is just underneath the exhaust bracket, as hopefully you can see. Its also looking a little bent.

Edited by Jazzle, 24 August 2010 - 09:10 AM.

[Ethel]

It's crank case ventilation & doesn't originate on a Mini as far as I'm aware, if it did there'd be an oil separator. I reckon it's also fitted upside down.

[clovus]

Yeah, crankcase closed circuit breather but bits are missing. Here's a Picture I scanned from my mini comprehensive workshop manual (1971) Sorry it's upside down, but it's the first thing I have ever scanned so am happy I even got it to work.

[Jazzle]

Thanks for getting back to me and also that attatchment, is it the same from a 71 mini as it would be a 62? also the diagram i cant really see where its going to or what parts it is missing.

[rwerry]

As already stated it is a crankcase or tappet chest breather. There were some wierd and wonderful versions of these used on A-Series engines around the world, often curled like pigtails with or without the ends pinched off. These reflected various theories on improving breathing and preventing of too much pollution escaping from the engine! You can see a few here:

http://www.somerford...x...page&id=107

Your Mini has one of the early type and, although it is not obvious from the photo, I suspect the pipe is just a plain downward curve similar to what was used on Morris Minors. Unlike Minors, however, which had an all-metal downpipe, early Minis had what I believe was a piece of plastic pipe attached to a short metal curved piece, as can be seen in the photo below:

 848.jpg   133.66K   33 downloads[quote name='Jazzle' date='Aug 24 2010, 07:09 PM' post='1913804']

I believe this is what yours originally looked like.

[rwerry]

Thanks for getting back to me and also that attatchment, is it the same from a 71 mini as it would be a 62? also the diagram i cant really see where its going to or what parts it is missing.

Yours is not "closed circuit". That appeared on later models. You have a breather pipe in the rocker cover (just visible in your photo), that should be attached by a piece of neoprene piping to the air cleaner. You should also have a non-vented oil filler cap (metal if the car is early 62, plastic if it is later). Your system breathes straight into the atmosphere. The only piece you are missing is the downpipe.

[Jazzle]

So all im missing is a downpipe from that crankcase breather? the picture you posted before the downpipe does that connect to anything as i just looked and couldnt see anything that it could

[Ethel]

Different systems - It looks like yours is just a plain vent to let the crankcase pressure out. Later cars use the inlet manifold to suck the fumes out. Worth looking at if you suffer from oil leaks.

[Jazzle]

So is there supposed to be nothing there atall and just the little pipe hanging out the back? I saw images of some different types but mine is not like others i have seen mine doesn't swirl or bend around and up and down it just comes out slightly then downwards. The car is 1962

[rwerry]

So all im missing is a downpipe from that crankcase breather? the picture you posted before the downpipe does that connect to anything as i just looked and couldnt see anything that it could

As I said before, there were many variations of the tappet breather and, as you have observed, the ones shown on Somerford Mini's site are by no means all of them. If you have a look at the 1959 one on the following web page, you will see that it has no downpipe. So, if you can't see any sort of clip or bracket on the transmission housing, yours may not have had one, either:

http://www.miniworld...cle_288319.html

I understand one reason for the curly pigtailing, pinching and/or fitting a downpipe was to stop oil that might escape through the breather from dripping down and finding its way onto the rubber universal joints.

I have a 1961/62 Australian Morris 850 that has the pigtail type (not the same as the ones in Somerford's diagram, though). It never had a downpipe. The dealer who originally sold it told me that very early in its life the pipe was pinched to a narrow slit following a directive from the BMC factory.

[Jazzle]

Nope, i cant see anything like a bracket etc. and mine is pretty much as it is in that picture. So its not missing anything then?

[rwerry]

Nope, i cant see anything like a bracket etc. and mine is pretty much as it is in that picture. So its not missing anything then?

Seems that way... It's incredibly confusing when there are so many variations on the theme.

Icidentally, does yours have the metal oil filler cap? If it does, hang onto it. They are becoming quite a rarity.

[Rosslin Racing]

did the Cooper S engines not have this with a metal pipe that bolted to the stud fitted where the petrol pump would be?