Brake Booster Vacuum Tube Oil

[Richard Madison]

Ok, since this holiday weekend (Labor Day in USA) is to take it easy, here are a few easy questions.

The inside of the manifold end of the Vacuum Tube is getting black with oil...and getting past the filter.

To clean the tube, can I pull the tube sections off the couplers, throw some cleaner into the tubes then swab them out?

Can I pull the tubes off the black filter, then soak the filter to clean it out?

Finally, what causes oil to get into the Intake Manifold? (Had a Top End Job recently with new valve guides, valves re-ground,  etc.)

Thanks,
Richard M, NYC

[wwheeler]

I would think too much combustion gas is getting past the piston rings, going into the oily crankcase and then into the intake via the valve cover breather. Might do a compression and leak-down cylinder test.

From what I hear, it is common after a valve job to see weaknesses in the bottom end. Is the block original or been rebuilt recently?     

[Richard Madison]

Original block, no rebuild as far as I know.

Richard M, NYC

[Richard Madison]

OK, today is holiday so I have some extra time. I'm going to remove the Vacuum Tube.
If the coupling points are not too tight, I'll take the tube apart. If tight, I'll just run some Simple Green and warm water down the tube, flush it out and hope that does the job without hurting the tube or the filter.

If it goes bad, I may be buying a new tube.

Richard M

[rogerh113]

Hello,

Is the line trap adjacent to the brake booster empty?  I would guess that is the trap is full, when you step on the brake the vacuum from the manifold will be pulling that stuff through the line and into the manifold.

regards -- Roger

[ja17]

Hello Richard,

Make sure that the breather tube between the valve cover and the intake venturi is clear.  If it is plugged for some reason, then engine pressure will build up in the crankcase and oil vapor will be forced into other areas like the booster vacuum tube.

What was your oil consumption like on the way back from PUB?

[glenn]

Brake booster diaphragm leak??

[Richard Madison]

Removed the Booster Vacuum Tube and saw that while the outside of the clear tube looked quite black, the inside had only a very thin coating of oil at the manifold end. I decided there was no danger of oil getting into the booster and no danger of having the tube clog up from the oil.

I was hoping to clean out the tube but the oil was quite stubborn and a filling and shake with Simple Green did little to clean the tube. The tube sections were too tight around the connectors for easy removal so I decided to do the best I could with the tube fully assembled.

I had some luck with a pipe cleaner but only a small area could be reached. Can't really get anything into the tube as the end connector has a 90 degree turn making it near impossible to get poking things into the tube. After swabbing as best I could, I re-installed the tube.

I also checked the oil breather tube on top of the valve cover to make sure it was clear.

Question: What is the purpose of the bolt on the intake manifold above the booster tube connector? (See photo.) Am I missing a part or what?

Request: If anyone has the clip (or has a source for the clip) that holds the brake booster tube above the valve cover, please let me know (See other photo for the upright that holds the tube clip.)

Thanks for all your help,

Richard M, NYC

[Raymond]

Hi Richard,
At the PUB, someone said the hose clip is still available from the Classic Center or a dealer. 

For future reference, if you don't want to use solvents to melt oil, use Dawn dish soap.  It's what the wildlife experts use to get oil off of birds in an oil spill.  They used cases of it on the bird victims of the BP gulf oil spill.  It is the best thing they have found to get oil to turn loose.  Works pretty well on my hands when I run out of Goop. 

[Raymond]

You aren't missing anything from the other hole in the manifold.  There is supposed to be a plug there.  I don't know why the hole is there.  It must be intended for an accessory on a different model.

[ja17]

Hello Richard,

The plug is used on standard transmission cars. A vacuum line going to the transmission is  fitted if your car is an automatic.