Re: [alfa] GTV oil vapor separator plumbing (carbs)

["Tina Rubie" <rubies@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 13:15:35 -0400
> From: Jeff Matson <jsm8@domain.elided>
> Subject: [alfa] GTV oil vapor separator plumbing (carbs)
>
> OK, since nobody knows where to get replacement phenolic blocks for my
> bumper overriders, I'm moving on to another project.  My '74 GTV has
> been converted from Spica to Webers (previous owner, sometime in the
> early '80s).  I've got the oil vapor separator on the right inner
> fender, and it's collecting vapors from the engine and has a drain hose
> connected back to the oil pan.

The European carburettor cars had a pipe that was elbowed off the
front/top of the cam cover.  This led to a small oil separator/condensor
which was attached directly to the big, barrel shaped air filter housing.
There isn't much room for oil drain-back (the whole thing is horizontal)
although I think some oil would drain back if you parked facing
downhill :-)

Having an oil separator on the fender may be somewhat of an improvement
to the "stock" carb design.

[deleted]
> but the large 3/4" diameter outlet on the bottom is open.  This would
> have been connected to the Spica air cleaner.  Anyone have this plumbed
> up to a set of dual Weber air cleaners, and would care to explain to me
> how they did it?
If you've got dual air cleaners, you need to run the vapour into each
air cleaner separately.  Most of the air cleaners have a small hole
on the back for this purpose with a couple of plastic elbows with
barbed fittings ready to take a hose.  Almost nobody hooks them
up or discards the plastic fittings.

I had a setup like this on my Alfetta GTV for a while (now sold),
and eventually switched back to the barrel shaped air filter and
aluminium intake plenum.  Much quieter for starters, plus it offers
a much more solid platform for tying the carbs to each other and
back to the engine mount so they don't shake out of tune with
each other.

In addition to that, the plenum chamber acts as a balance of sort
that helps to equalize pressure between the carb throats.  Get one,
and you will (for free!) get a single fitting to hook your vapour
separator up to.  Any Australian/South African or European breaker
will have the plenum, mounting brackets and air cleaner for very cheap.
You definitely need the support bracket that runs from the carbs down
to the engine mount - it helps a lot.  Make sure you get the brackets
that hold the air filter to the plenum.

> I smell a lot of oily stench when engine braking from
> high speeds, and I think this might be part of the cause.
> My Lynx/RamFlo air filters have holes in the back and little plastic
> hose barbs for this oil vapor hose connection, I think (they are plugged
> now).
You have to hook up the oil outlet hose to something, or run a pipe
and leave the outlet as low in the engine bay as you can.  The oily air
should really be being consumed by the engine though (not very air
friendly if you don't do that).

As for the Ramflo filters: Ditch 'em.  Save your ears :-)  Hook them up if
you really want
to but the plastic elbows on those types of filters are so weak
that they usually fall out of the holes in the metal backing of
the air filter, making them useless, about 5 minutes after you
hook up the oil hose.

dave.
1975 Alfa Spider Veloce "Rusty"
1983 Jeep Cherokee "Gaston"
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