2.3L ('83-'97) 89 2.3 Can someone identify this for me please!

[MaD]

What is it and is it replaceable?

 

[scotts90ranger]

It is the oil separator, I think I've seen them but why do you want to replace it? It's just a can with some steel wool or screen stuff in it...

 

[racsan]

Basically its a crankcase breather. If its clogged you have some serious blowby and bigger problems to deal with.

 

[MaD]

It is the oil separator, I think I've seen them but why do you want to replace it? It's just a can with some steel wool or screen stuff in it...

I'ma replace the hose that was connected to it and decided I might as well as replace it too since I have everything off and it's most likely 30 years old. And there was a lot of gunk in the tip.

 

[MaD]

Basically its a crankcase breather. If its clogged you have some serious blowby and bigger problems to deal with.

The tip had some junk idk if it was from the hose which is falling apart of something else. I looked inside with an endoscope and didn't see much, just something that looked like a rod.

 

[RonD]

All piston engines have Blow-By, even when brand new

When a cylinder fires some of the HOT gases(exhaust) will "blow by" the piston and rings into the crank case
And the HOT gases WILL vaporize some of the oil coating the pistons and cylinder walls, this is the ONLY source of oil vapor in any engine, the blow-by
Nothing else inside the engine gets hot enough to vaporize oil

In the bad ol' days Blow-by gases(exhaust) and the oil vapor was just vented out thru a tube in lower block or upper oil pan

So the PCV(positive crankcase ventilation) system was added
This would pull out the Blow-by and oil vapor via vacuum in the intake so it could be burned in the engine
This would be a PCV Valve, usually on a valve cover, hooked with a hose to the intake for vacuum source
There is also a Breather hose hooked to air cleaner or its air tube that runs to the upper intake, Breather uses Ported vacuum, no valve, Ported vacuum is only present when throttle plate is open

That pictured device most likely uses a Breather connection, assuming there is a PCV Valve on this year/model engine
Residue is condensed and dried oil vapor

The exterior "can" would usually have multiple "layers" or as said a steel mesh inside, to cool/condense the oil vapor so it can drip back into the oil pan

Obviously as an engine gets older the Blow by increases and so would the oil vapor it generates
You can add Catch Can to PCV hose and Breather hose as well, to reduce the amount of oil vapor ending up inside the intake manifold and cylinders
Easy to add and you just dump out collected oil as needed

 

[Josh B]

If it was mine and I was looking at it I suppose I'd replace it along with the hose, thinking it should at least breathe easier like that

 

[MaD]

All piston engines have Blow-By, even when brand new

When a cylinder fires some of the HOT gases(exhaust) will "blow by" the piston and rings into the crank case
And the HOT gases WILL vaporize some of the oil coating the pistons and cylinder walls, this is the ONLY source of oil vapor in any engine, the blow-by
Nothing else inside the engine gets hot enough to vaporize oil

In the bad ol' days Blow-by gases(exhaust) and the oil vapor was just vented out thru a tube in lower block or upper oil pan

So the PCV(positive crankcase ventilation) system was added
This would pull out the Blow-by and oil vapor via vacuum in the intake so it could be burned in the engine
This would be a PCV Valve, usually on a valve cover, hooked with a hose to the intake for vacuum source
There is also a Breather hose hooked to air cleaner or its air tube that runs to the upper intake, Breather uses Ported vacuum, no valve, Ported vacuum is only present when throttle plate is open

That pictured device most likely uses a Breather connection, assuming there is a PCV Valve on this year/model engine
Residue is condensed and dried oil vapor

The exterior "can" would usually have multiple "layers" or as said a steel mesh inside, to cool/condense the oil vapor so it can drip back into the oil pan

Obviously as an engine gets older the Blow by increases and so would the oil vapor it generates
You can add Catch Can to PCV hose and Breather hose as well, to reduce the amount of oil vapor ending up inside the intake manifold and cylinders
Easy to add and you just dump out collected oil as needed

Ok! Thanks so much for the info! I'll probably look into a catch can.