Ramair + crankcase pressure = blown cam cover gasket?!

mully95 said:

"and the Ramair crankcase breather filter doesn't do anything to help relieve big crankcase pressures, and that unrelieved pressure is what's blowing out my cam cover gasket."

When the RamAir kit is purchased they send a filter to attach to the crankcase venting port of the engine.

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You can see below where the RamAir filter is attached to the crankcase venting port, and the hose that runs to the intake has just been set aside. That sucker is hard for big hands to maneuver...

Hi I don't believe the thread completely blaming the intake causing all the pressure. Personally I had three gaskets replaced by a tech before he ran a straight edge over the cam cover and found it was warped at the same place you said yours is leaking. Triumph replaced the cam cover and a new gasket and 20000ks later its still leak free....I realise your tech supposedly checked the cam cover for trueness but it wouldn't hurt to really look at this issue.

unless you have problem with your rings you should not be getting excessive crankcase pressure, maybe if you were running a Super Charger or Turbo some might be getting past the rings or even maybe high compression pistons a little might get by,
I actually blew my dipstick out once when I was allowing to breathe thru the original air box vent and I had wets and extra tools plus a rag shoved in there and something actual covered a blocked the little hole in the air box luckily I saw and felt (I was just speeding up as I was leaving the town speed limit) it come out so I was able to retrieve it with only a minor scuff mark on the end of the stick I had been advised that I should save my money as I didn't need the crankcase breather, that afternoon I ordered a filter especially as everything in the air box was also getting a soaking of oil from the oil mist I had been running that set up a few weeks before it blew out.
As I said in previous post I have been running the same Little K&N filter available from Flipmiester on the breather since with no issues and I take the revs up to over 7,000 rpm in between the hairpins up on the Clyde Mtn rather than change up a gear for the short run between corners, of course i only do this occasionally I dont ride like a mad man all the time

08nzrocket said:

Hi I don't believe the thread completely blaming the intake causing all the pressure. Personally I had three gaskets replaced by a tech before he ran a straight edge over the cam cover and found it was warped at the same place you said yours is leaking. Triumph replaced the cam cover and a new gasket and 20000ks later its still leak free....I realise your tech supposedly checked the cam cover for trueness but it wouldn't hurt to really look at this issue.

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I can't imagine how it's the crankcase vent. If there's that much pressure -- enough to blow out two gaskets -- then it would just be venting out the hole through the filter. I just checked the filter and it's in no way clogged. Why would you need vacuum suction to relieve pressure? That doesn't make any sense to me. I think the tech didn't know what he was doing.

alpental said:

I can't imagine how it's the crankcase vent. If there's that much pressure -- enough to blow out two gaskets -- then it would just be venting out the hole through the filter. I just checked the filter and it's in no way clogged. Why would you need vacuum suction to relieve pressure? That doesn't make any sense to me. I think the tech didn't know what he was doing.

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You do not need it but vacuum on the lower crank case in most cases increases horse power because you take away the restriction from the pumping action. I doubt it is the rear vent most likely it is the cam cover or the operator installing the gasket and cover. They can be finicky
Now I suppose while you have the filter off it would not hurt to hook a hose up on the back of the engine and blow air into it to make sure it is clear and not obstructed when you do this pull the oil cap so there is no restriction. you should be able to blow air thru the hose with just your lungs. If it is clear your mechanic needs to share the dope he is smoking

warp9.9 said:

AH the Detorat's

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You like that, don'tcha!!!!!

ruzzle said:

You like that, don'tcha!!!!!

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Nope Ruzz as you know they are expensive yet small when it comes to ashtrays Oh and I quit smoking

Drag racers attach the vents to the headers for 2 reasons. To alleviate crank case pressure and to promote better ring seal. This can only be done when running open header though. When mufflers are used, they install a vacuum pump to the vents.

juice_man_86 said:

Drag racers attach the vents to the headers for 2 reasons. To alleviate crank case pressure and to promote better ring seal. This can only be done when running open header though. When mufflers are used, they install a vacuum pump to the vents.

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Does it make any sense to put a filtered vent directly into the cam cover?

Yes it does. When a pcv doesn't exist, or at least enough vacuum for one, then yes it does. Your average daily driven car has a pcv valve installed into the cam or valve cover. A hose is run from this pcv valve to the intake manifold. Anywhere in the intake as long as it's after the throttle body. Anywhere before that wouldn't create enough vacuum. Then there is usually another line going before the throttle body. I would assume to alleviate the excess pressure of wide open throttle. But I've run breathers on race cars because of inadequate vacuum because of too large of a cam. Vacuum pumps are too expensive lol.