My ProVent is leaking

nix · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 10:50 am

Hello all. I installed a ProVent about 4500 miles ago. The write-ups and pictures I found on this site helped tremendously. I noticed some oil on my driveway yesterday and became very worried. I popped the hood and noticed oil dripping from the lid of the ProVent and oil looked like it was leaking from the intake side of the ProVent. (Where the line from the CCV connects to the ProVent intake- there was oil around the hose and c-clamp) The ProVent was properly and totally closed, and I opened the ProVent and there was oily residue inside but not a whole lot. it was basically on all the walls but there wasn't a puddle of oil or whatever inside. I next checked my drain tube and it looks very clean. I then checked the cap at the end and it had some oil leaking out of it. I'm assuming this is where my puddle of oil came from. I used the same cap and barb as in this photo. My question is- why would oil be leaking out of the top and intake of my ProVent? I chose to connect the CCV to the ProVent by using different thicknesses of tubing like some have done on there.

Diagram of my problems:

This is how I routed my ProVent. I used the same Hose and similar "hose within a hose" method to connect to the ProVent. My installation only differs from this in that i used one long hose to connect the CCV to the Intake of th ProVent. I also connected the turbo to the 'exit port' of the ProVent in a straight shot- which crimps the hose very slightly. It's not completely shut but it's crimped slightly.

Thanks in advance!

Joe Romas · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 11:20 am

Remember when the plastic gets hot under the hood it will soften up :wink:

I used 90 two degree 3/4" hose barbed elbows on both lines where the original line was and have no little kinks. I cut the length of the barbed fittings to half their length to keep things compact. Next I see copper fittings on your pro-vent. You said you used hose within a hose :?:

At the filter I have a short pieces of a barbed fitting inside the 3/4" so the piece of 1" over it onto the provent does not colapse the 3/4" hose.
My provent took a while to build up enough sludge to get into the drain line.
If your slight kink is closing when hot it will cause pressure to build and there's a pressure relief valve on the provent that opens to prevent the engine from being over pressurized :shock:

I'm not sure from your wording "this is how" if the pictures are yours or what you used as a starting point.

My two cents.
Joe

nix · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 12:25 pm

The pictures that are in my thread are from other people's ProVent Installations. I couldn't find my camera this morning.. but I have it now. Maybe I will post up actual pics in a bit.

It makes sense that the "kinked" return line could cause the provent to get pressurized and blow the oil out the canister. It's difficult routing that return line with the big intercooler hose there and the coolant reservoir.

nix · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 1:29 pm

Here are the pics of my actual ProVent Installation. I think I need to fix the kinked return line. How does the release valve in the ProVent work? I've not yet figured that one out.

Overall setup:

Oil near "intake" of provent and the "tube within a tube" method of attachment:

the kinked line:

* all photos taken with car "off road" and not on a public road :lol:

No, I don't have a K&N.. just a sticker that was on the car when I bought it.

Joe Romas · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 1:58 pm

Yep, the return looks to be your problem

Your input hose looks fine even with no elbow in it. Get a 3/4" 90 degree plastic elbow and cut the barbed ends to half their length. There will be plenty left to fit tightly into the nylon reinforced hoses. Depending on the length of your present return hose you may need to get another piece. You run it stright over then stright down. Fits perfectly and the half sized fittings are just the right size and no bends:lol: Your return line should remain almost totally clear. Mine does after almost 10k miles

Re the relief vent. I found a good diagram on their site.

kb61751 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 2:20 pm

You can fix the kink by inserting a metal spring into the hose, this will allow it to bend without kinking.

Jeger · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 4:45 pm

kb61751 wrote:

You can fix the kink by inserting a metal spring into the hose, this will allow it to bend without kinking.

Excellent idea.....but make sure the spring wont fit inside of the turbo fitting, that could get ugly...and use stainless if you can find it. I dont know if regular spring steel would rust inside of there, but I would want to find out.

Pablo · **Joined:** Thu Feb 02, 2006 10:06 pm **Posts:** 1201

I have neglected mine since two weeks after I installed it. I just went and looked at mine... holy pee. There is a bunch of oil in the thing. A couple inches in the bottom drain... but a ton in the filter. I took out the filter and used paper towels to soak the oil out of it for around thirty minutes. It was saturated up to an inch from the top of the filter. I have some oil residue around where the hose leaves the CCV and around where it attaches to the provent... like in the picture above. The lower line going back to the motor is clean as a whistle.

Is the filter supposed to soak up all the oil like that or does that mean the filter is used up and I need a new one? What could cause it to get full of oil in 2500 miles? And why would the drain line have only a couple inches of oil in it, instead of being full and the filter dry?

I don't have any bends or sharp curves on my setup... slow lazy s curves. I have only had this on 2500 miles or so. I can't justify the cost of a new filter every 2500 miles, so I hope the answer lies somewhere.

I am going to let it warm up this weekend and let my friend get on the pedal while I see if the hose is restricting somehow.

At least all that oil is not getting into my CAC hose.

Jeger · **Posted:** Thu Aug 16, 2007 8:49 am

My understanding of a filter like this (coalescing) is that it slows down the air flow by directing it through a large surface area and the oil and water get trapped in the filter material then basically drip off the bottom. I think your filter is just doing its job....if the filter was clean then either you have nothing in the airflow to seperate or there is something else wrong.

Joe Romas · **Posted:** Thu Aug 16, 2007 10:00 am

Pablo wrote:

I have neglected mine since two weeks after I installed it. I just went and looked at mine... holy pee. There is a bunch of oil in the thing. A couple inches in the bottom drain... but a ton in the filter. I took out the filter and used paper towels to soak the oil out of it for around thirty minutes. It was saturated up to an inch from the top of the filter. I have some oil residue around where the hose leaves the CCV and around where it attaches to the provent... like in the picture above. The lower line going back to the motor is clean as a whistle.

Is the filter supposed to soak up all the oil like that or does that mean the filter is used up and I need a new one? What could cause it to get full of oil in 2500 miles? And why would the drain line have only a couple inches of oil in it, instead of being full and the filter dry?

I don't have any bends or sharp curves on my setup... slow lazy s curves. I have only had this on 2500 miles or so. I can't justify the cost of a new filter every 2500 miles, so I hope the answer lies somewhere.

I am going to let it warm up this weekend and let my friend get on the pedal while I see if the hose is restricting somehow.

At least all that oil is not getting into my CAC hose.

I suspect a problem with your drain line. It possibly has sludge in it at the provent blocking further drainage into it. Could have happened in cold weather.

retmil46 · **Posted:** Thu Aug 16, 2007 10:42 am

You're saying that the filter media was saturated with oil, and a couple inches of oil in the drain line itself? No liquid oil backed up in the bottom of the housing, or sitting in the center of the filter element?

That's normal operation. As described above, the filter media absorbs the oil out of the air passing thru it, and as it becomes saturated the oil will drip off the bottom of the filter element and run down into the drain line. If it's black and saturated with oil, it's doing it's job.

What you described sounds normal for 2500 miles - takes about 2000 to 3000 miles on mine with a new filter element for the element to become saturated with enough oil for anything to start showing up in the drain tube.

These filters were designed to last for a full year on a 500 HP diesel - the gents at AirNowSupply and Reliable Industries said it'd be 2 or 3 years before I needed to buy any replacement filters from them with our size engine.

Check your drain tube around once a month and drain it if necessary. As far as the filter element, changing it out once a year as part of wintertime prep or at the same time you replace fuel filters should be more than sufficient.

All that oil you found in the filter? That's what would have ended up going thru your intake system without the Provent. :shock:

Pablo · **Joined:** Thu Feb 02, 2006 10:06 pm **Posts:** 1201

retmil46 wrote:

You're saying that the filter media was saturated with oil, and a couple inches of oil in the drain line itself? No liquid oil backed up in the bottom of the housing, or sitting in the center of the filter element?

Yes. That is what I am saying. Thanks. no worries now. Just wanted to make sure that it was normal for the filter to saturate before draining off.

My ProVent is leaking

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