On the way home from work tonight. All things considered, apart from the mess I think I dodged a bullet. I realized what happened relatively quick and I shut it off before the oil light came on. My buddy was a lifesaver with his truck and trailer to get the car home. As long as I can get the gasket kit and cam plug it looks like a 10-minute job to replace. I see an IPD plug cover plate in my future.

Jim

 

Good catch mate.

Hope it is all good.

 

Nice catch. Was the flame trap or oil separator plugged up?

 

I didn't check either. I guess I should though. As it is replacing the seal took about 10 minutes and I only lost two quarts of oil so apart from the mess and a little expense, no harm, no foul.

Jim

 

as said above you have a plugged flame trap

 

Once I figured out where the flame trap was (hard to see and I didn't find much info about it in the Bentley) I pulled it out and cleaned it. Thing is, it wasn't plugged. At the most it was slightly restricted. Between half and three quarters of the holes were clear. Are they really that sensitive?

Jim

 

P.S, Since it is relatively warm today I was just outside tinkering around with the car and fixing a few minor issues (mainly lights not working). While looking around under the hood I found, of all things, the cam plug that popped out, laying on top of the A-arm on the passenger side of the car.

Weird.

Jim

 

Check for a plugged up oil separator (breather box). With the engine at idle there should be a slight suction at the oil filler cap. With the oil filler cap off, and the engine at idle, place your hand over the oil filler hole. It should suck a little. ;-)

Or if you have a Magnehelic pressure gauge, it should measure about 2"-3" of water at the oil filler cap.

 

Using the hand test, should there be enough suckage (suction) to be easily felt? I didn't feel... anything. No suction and no pressure.

Jim

 

No suction means the PCV is plugged up. Probably the oil separator box. You may be able to clean it in place. But usually you have to remove it to either clean it or replace it.

Cleaning the box in place: You're going to need to change the oil anyway so first drain the engine oil and leave the drain plug off. Remove the flame trap housing and attach a funnel to the hose going down to the separator box. A skinny tranny funnel works good. Pour in some engine cleaner, Gunk or whatever. See if it comes out the oil drain. Gently work a skinny wooden dowel in the hole of the box to break up the crud.

If you need to remove the box it's best to pull off the intake manifold. Undo the bolts and pull the manifold over toward the left fender. No need to disconnect everything. You should have a new intake manifold gasket handy. Also as long as you have the intake manifold off it's a good chance to replace the two small heater hoses that go to the firewall. You will also need a new rubber o-ring for the oil separator box. There's a hose that goes from the oil separator box down into the oil sump. When you pull the box make sure you do not disturb that hose. If it breaks or drops into the sump you're screwed. You then have to drop the oil pan to get at it. That's a big job.

Post back.

 

I have a new flame trap kit coming and I'll be due for an oil change by the time it gets here. Sounds like I have an extra thing to do when I do the oil change. I'll let you know what happens.

Thanks,
Jim

 

So, I just replaced the oil separator on my '85 245. I didn't pull off the intake manifold, or anything. I used 2 extensions and 2 wobblies and mu socket. I did pull off some of the vacuum hoses, but that was just to make it easier. The socket, and a headlamp, and I was done. Piece of cake. 45 minutes all said and done, with me having never replaced it before. That, and I'm not the smallest guy around, I just felt around under the manifold.

FYI, the flame trap mounts to the oil separator.