Sprint cam cover breather

[Bish]

Hello all

I took the cam cover off today to clean out the gauze and breather. Trouble is I can’t get the little plate that covers the gauze to go back on and stay in place now I have released it from the little peened over tabs.

Can I just do away with the gauze and plate? I’m aware I could use a catch tank but would like to keep things looking original if possible. Does a catch tank even catch much at all? Does the breather really need a filter?

Cheers, Bish.

[xvivalve]

I believe it’s a fire trap rather than a filter; if you do away with it you’ll be well advised to fit an in line one externally. Readily available grey cylindrical canister as fitted to many Triumphs.

Alternatively, spare rocker covers are readily available and should be cheap (I weighed a dozen or so in not long ago as fed up tripping over them; kept a couple though, just in case!)

[Bish]

Thanks for the reply Alun.

I’ll fit a small external filter. I guess I need to block off the carb breather pipes also?

[xvivalve]

No, just put the flame trap in line between carb breather and cam cover

[new to this]

Ive used flame trap ( small grey filter type thing ) mine came from a Land Rover

Dave

[Bish]

Thanks both, I’ve ordered the Land Rover flame trap. Looks to be the simple solution.

Cheers.

[ham204]

I did away with the flame trap in my stag and fitted an external filter (as fitted to Land Rovers). The result was billowing smoke out of the exhaust, so much it was embarrassing to drive! I refitted the flame trap (by spotwelding the flame trap cover ) and the smoke went away. The gauze is there to prevent the oil that is flying about from exiting the engine via the breather. Once you remove it, the oil will not be trapped by the external unit.

[Bish]

Ok that’s interesting, although that engine must have been burning a fair amount of oil!?

I’ve run my engine with the breather uncovered and there’s no oil firing out so I think it will be fine.

[ham204]

Ok that’s interesting, although that engine must have been burning a fair amount of oil!?

I’ve run my engine with the breather uncovered and there’s no oil firing out so I think it will be fine.

Once the carbs start sucking on the breather pipe, it's a one-way road to the exhaust! If you disconnect the pipe, then yes, no oil should be coming out.