How2 - C18NZ, cleaing engine breather hoses

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Cavalier342
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How2 - C18NZ, cleaing engine breather hoses

Post by Cavalier342 »

Hey all :wave Just a general tip about the breather hoses that i have tried myself and found useful, and it will come in useful to anyone else who has a 1.8 liter block and havent checked the engine thoroughly. :)

Basically, after a while, the engine breather hoses will get clogged up with grubby oily grimey junk which not only looks nasty but prevents the engine block from breathing properly. Which in turn reduces efficiency...
So for anyone who's never looked at this and have a 1.8 block, this may come in useful if you're after getting slightly better fuel economy.
(sorry, no pics, due to my laptop having problems at the moment)

The top breather hose leads from the air distributor ( the plastic circle-ish round device with 2 large bolts securing it, toward the rear-centre of the engine bay, with a large air pipe leading from the air filter box (front left of the engine bay)
to the top of the engine block, into a square box.
That hose after several years will get clogged up with recycled oil, grime and fuel deposits left from everytime it runs. If you simply unscrew both the metal crimps on the hose with a flat blade screwdriver, then loosen and remove the hose, looking through it, you may find that its half blocked. Simply rinse water through it, pour a bit of washing up liquid into it, and use preferably a long thin soft wire brush, to scrub through the hose, rinsing it out periodically. NOTE... the grime is very very hard to get rid of, so wear rubber gloves and do not use anything you dont mean to ruin. Ideally, stick any waste in a container and go to your local tip for proper disposal.
Once cleaned, just dry off the outer bit with a tissue, or cloth, but leave the inner bit, otherwise you may find bits of tissue inside the hose. Remember, it has to be clean. Simply fit the hose back onto the fittings, and re-secure the metal rings. Tight but not too tight.
This is best done when removing the camshaft cover, as you may find, its easier to clean the part where the hose connects to the camshaft.

The lower breather hose goes from just under the upper hose, leading down to a metal tube, which leads down to the oil sump, right next to the engine oil dipstick. This hose is real short. but its worth cleaning this, and the tube as it will be just as clogged as the cam cover hose.
First, remove the engine oil dipstick. Then, unclip any HT leads that may be in the way from their plastic clips. Next, unscrew the 2 metal crimps with a flathead screwdriver until they are free to move about, and slide them over to the right out of the way of the small rubber hose. Now, the small rubber hose, use some kind of grips, and gently but firmly twist the hose back and forth, and slide it to the right, along the tube, exposing the gap. Have a tissue prepared, there may be grimy dirt waiting to fall out of the hose. twist and slide it until its out of the way, before the metal tube curves downward. Then, use a 13mm socket spanner, or a normal spanner to remove the 2 bolts, just above the sump, where the metal tube ends. there's also a 10mm bolt that needs removing from a little bracket just underneath the fuel distributor and the HT leads, that is attatched to the metal tube. When that 10mm bolt, and the other 2 are removed, the whole metal section will just simply move out of the place. Wipe any excess oil off, clean the area, then proceed to cleaning the tube and the hose, exactly the same as the cam cover breather method. Once the hose and tube are clear, simply refit the metal tube back on top of the sump, aligning the holes, and refit the bolts, with a bit of WD40 preferably. then refit the 10mm bolt back into the little bracket, and refit the oil dipstick. Slide the 2 metal crimps back onto the rubber hose, aligning them with the previously left indentations, then tighten the crimps until theyre secure and you're done.
Dont let this essay put you off, its not as hard as it sounds.
Tools needed....
WD-40..
Tissues or cloths..
flathead screwdriver, small/midsize..
10mm spanner..
13mm spanner..
:wave
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Envoy CDX
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Re: C18 NZ engine breather hoses

Post by Envoy CDX »

It's very worth while doing, I've also done this. Few tips though.

If you are removing the dipstick tube - be very careful as it can lead to issues when trying to reseal it (mine is still leaking now - I suspect I've cracked the weld on the tube.. :( )

And Carb cleaner will work better than water, but if you do use water - ensure they are fully dry before refitting the hoses as, if they are damp your just introducing moisture back into the system and it will be back to gooey in no time at all.
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