Omega Owners Forum
Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: astroblaster on 17 July 2012, 16:44:28
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How often should the breathers bee cleaned out :y
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How often should the breathers bee cleaned out :y
Depends on frequency of use of the car & quality/make of oil used. :y
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How often should the breathers bee cleaned out :y
Depends on frequency of use of the car & quality/make of oil used. :y
Car used eveyday for work and other stuff, oil is genuine vx 10/40
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i do mine with the oil/filter change @ 3000 miles :)
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Normal mileage and changing the oil every 5000 miles I would say yearly would be fine :y
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I find that a quick check/clean every oil change (5000 miles) keeps them in really good condition, and just needs a quick squirt of carb cleaner down each pipe/tube/bit. Far easier to do that then let the crud build up and have to spend 20 minutes cleaning each pipe/tube/bit IMHO
A little, often, is the best way I think .. but that is just my opinion and practice :)
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I find that a quick check/clean every oil change (5000 miles) keeps them in really good condition, and just needs a quick squirt of carb cleaner down each pipe/tube/bit. Far easier to do that then let the crud build up and have to spend 20 minutes cleaning each pipe/tube/bit IMHO
A little, often, is the best way I think .. but that is just my opinion and practice :)
+1 :y
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I find that a quick check/clean every oil change (5000 miles) keeps them in really good condition, and just needs a quick squirt of carb cleaner down each pipe/tube/bit. Far easier to do that then let the crud build up and have to spend 20 minutes cleaning each pipe/tube/bit IMHO
A little, often, is the best way I think .. but that is just my opinion and practice :)
+1 :y
Agreed - a little cleaning, often, is much better. Even if you're in the engine bay doing something else, spend ten minutes giving it a quick do :y
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and wear goggles and face mask when spraying the carb cleaner down the pipes.... last time i did it i stupidly didnt and the cleaner backsprayed and got me in the eye. a week of eye drops but taught me a valuable H&S lesson ::)
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Hello Entwood you say a quick squirt down the pipes does this mean just the pipes connected to the plenum and leave the pipes that dissappear into the back of the engine and the breather box, After your squirt I assume an oil change.I change my oil every 3000mls so hope that there is not o big build up , certainly the mayo in the filler tube does not appear with this routine
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Hello Entwood you say a quick squirt down the pipes does this mean just the pipes connected to the plenum and leave the pipes that dissappear into the back of the engine and the breather box, After your squirt I assume an oil change.I change my oil every 3000mls so hope that there is not o big build up , certainly the mayo in the filler tube does not appear with this routine
Nope .. do the job properly, as per the guide, but a small squirt of carb cleaner is all that is needed as the crud is fresh, loose, and small in volume. I do this then run the engine for 15 minutes before the oil change ... to ensure any crud is "in" the old oil, and warm oil is easier to change than cold oil ...
HTH :)
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Hello Entwood you say a quick squirt down the pipes does this mean just the pipes connected to the plenum and leave the pipes that dissappear into the back of the engine and the breather box, After your squirt I assume an oil change.I change my oil every 3000mls so hope that there is not o big build up , certainly the mayo in the filler tube does not appear with this routine
Nope .. do the job properly, as per the guide, but a small squirt of carb cleaner is all that is needed as the crud is fresh, loose, and small in volume. I do this then run the engine for 15 minutes before the oil change ... to ensure any crud is "in" the old oil, and warm oil is easier to change than cold oil ...
HTH :)
As Entwood says, take all the pipes off the back of the plenum... follow them down to the breather box and disconnect there. carb cleaner in all the pipes and get a drill bit to get the crap out of the big pipe in the breather box and a paper clip (opened out) down the two smaller pipes on the breather box. reconnect with cable ties in all 4 pipes at the end it attaches to th breather bridge.
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Thanks for the clarification
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Sorry but I am still not sure how far one goes on the breather cleaning Should you do the whole procedure as in the guide or just the pipes ie do you have to take the plenum off etc. surely this takes longer than 10 minutes suggested in earlier posts.
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Just my views .. but you don't need to take the whole plenum off .. but you do need to take the black central bit off.. the part that the breather pipes connect to. This needs cleaning out as it has some very small pipeways in it .. :)
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Just my views .. but you don't need to take the whole plenum off .. but you do need to take the black central bit off.. the part that the breather pipes connect to. This needs cleaning out as it has some very small pipeways in it .. :)
My view as well :y :y :y maintenance guide shows how black breather bridge comes off
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Unless I am missing something here,you can,t remove the black breather box from the plenum chamber without releasing the throttle bodies from the front of the plenum.
This then requires the plenum to be released so you can undo the 4 bolts holding the throttle body to plenum then you can pull the breather away.
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Thanks Entwood I thought that was the case. So its the plenum black cover off clean pipes in the cover and the 4 pipes out of the cover and the breather box?
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Unless I am missing something here,you can,t remove the black breather box from the plenum chamber without releasing the throttle bodies from the front of the plenum.
This then requires the plenum to be released so you can undo the 4 bolts holding the throttle body to plenum then you can pull the breather away.
You pop the top "Ecotec" cover off, this reveals the third of 3 Torx bolts to undo - the box then slides (gently) backwards out of the throttle body. :y
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Unless I am missing something here,you can,t remove the black breather box from the plenum chamber without releasing the throttle bodies from the front of the plenum.
This then requires the plenum to be released so you can undo the 4 bolts holding the throttle body to plenum then you can pull the breather away.
You pop the top "Ecotec" cover off, this reveals the third of 3 Torx bolts to undo - the box then slides (gently) backwards out of the throttle body. :y
Was fairly sure that I had removed it that way before ;)
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Doudt it would just slide backwards as you need to lift it clear of the circular section in the plenum that has the funny gasket seal .As the 2 ends of the breather box are a tight fit into the throttle body they need to be at an angle to pull clear..if my memory serves me correctly.
Not saying the breather can,t be removed but would be a struggle.
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There seems to be a lot of disagreement on this subject can anyone give a definitive answer before I start this job
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There seems to be a lot of disagreement on this subject can anyone give a definitive answer before I start this job
Throttle body categorically does not need to come off. The central black box is in two sections, they'll most likely come out together.
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two sections on your car,but not on all V 6,s. ;)
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Clip off the black " Eco" cover to reveal breather chamber fixing.With this undone it is only possible to pull the breather chamber away from the plenum with either the throttle bodies removed or atleast loosened enough to allow for the 2 tubes cleared from the throttle body.
If it is possible to do this any other way I have not found it yet,but am always willing to learn.
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I havnt undone throttle body to remove breather,just lift it up to clear the hole and gently wiggle it free :y
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Sure the angle it would need to be lifted to clear the center chamber would mean you cant pull the tubes free from the throttle body.
Well that is what I found the first time I tried that (several years ago) and ever since I have always removed the 4 bolts from the plenum chamber to allow access to the 4 throttle body bolts which then get undone then the breather chamber comes off without any problems .
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two sections on your car,but not on all V 6,s. ;)
Every day is a schoolday :y :D
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Possibly it can be removed with ease on the longer breather bodied models..3.0/3.2... but as mine is a 2.5 with just the shorter single section breather chamber that is why I have always had to remove or atleast undo the plenum and throttle dobies to get it apart ?
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To clarify the plenum bit...
Early 3.0 and all 2.5 have the shorter plenum. You cannot get the breather system above the plenum off without taking off the throttle bodies
Later 3.0 and all 2.6/3.2 have the longer plenum, and the breather system can come off without taking off throttle bodies. Though, TBH, ideally they need to come off to clean them.
I clean my breathers annually, and tend to change the oil every 3k
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I find it easier to remove the plenum. At first this is pretty daunting but I've now done it about 7 times and it really is a piece of piss
You could (I believe) remove the breather bridge seperately and clean the throttle plates without removing. HOWEVER when you remove the whole thing and dismantle it you'll see why it was a good idea to remove.... the crap at the front AND BACK of the throtle plates need to come out.
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and yes first time it's going to take a lot longer than 10 mins! have a whole day spare so you're not rushed ;)
cleaning breathers took me an hour and half last time. long time but that included tea breaks and just being careful :y
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Totally agree.
If you are going to clean it might as well do a proper job and for the small extra time you then know it is done .I tend to clean mine thoroughly every other oil change which for my mileage is about 3 times a year with 6 full oil changes.
In truth tend to find more muck on the throttle butterflies than inside the breather .
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And remove rubber seals on everything before getting carried away with carb cleaner - they don't like solvents...
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Thanks for all the advice will report back when job done