Newbie question - oil cap

[Dauntless]

I can't get the oil cap off my IIA 2.25P... what the? How is it meant to come off?

[Dauntless]

I'm completely serious. It is meant to unscrew, right? Because it's stuck solid.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2008/03/202.jpg

[dandlandyman]

No, not that one. To remove that, undo the 7/16" bolt in the rocker cover underneath the cap. There should be a similar cap on a 'spout' near the distributor, which is where you're supposed to pour oil in, put maybe some bright spark has removed it. That one just pulls out.
The only 4cyl cap I've seen that screws off is the orange one with paddle on top (identical to Range Rover V8 one) which was fitted to later engines.
The system shown on your engine is meant to be a flow-through crank case vent system. When travelling forwards, air enters through the forward-facing slots, moves down through the engine and exits through the rearward-facing slots in the other cap. In series 3, that system was replaced by venting the crankcase into the induction airstream. When I rebuilt my 2a 4cyl I fitted the side cover, rocker cover (with the orange screw cap) and air inlet elbow from an '83 5 bearing. It works well.
Hope this helps. Happy Easter.

[JDNSW]

I'm completely serious. It is meant to unscrew, right? Because it's stuck solid.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2008/03/202.jpg

As Dandylandyman says - the oil cap is actually the other breather in the top LH corner of the picture. Just pulls off.

Later models of the engine had a closed system where this cap was replaced with a sealed one looking rather like a radiator cap, with a pipe off it to the Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) valve and into the manifold and the one in the centre was vented into the elbow above the carburetter.

John

[Dauntless]

Yeah thanks for that. Is it ok to replace those caps with filter type clamp-on breathers? If so, how do I remove the one on the rocker cover?

[dandlandyman]

G'day again dauntless. I'm not sure about what you mean by clamp on breathers, but to take off the rocker-cover breather look for a bolt-head under the breather cap on the manifold side. This must be completely removed as it locates a peg in the side of the breather. The cap can then be pulled or twisted out, though one I've done needed a little more persuasion thanks to corrosion. From your photos, though, I don't think that'll be a problem for you.
I didn't see the other cap in your photo until later (going blind in my old age) but it seems to be on the wrong way round. It's supposed to be located by a groove in the tube and a lug in the cap.
Also, somewhere in my stash I have one of the dust-proof caps. It looks like a miniaturised FJ Holden oil-bath air cleaner. I don't have its mate though - the stemmed plug for the rocker cover.

[Dauntless]

I mean something like this:

http://www.accessoriesonline.com.au/images/Filters/MEB1-250.jpg

Thanks for the info mate.

[JDNSW]

I suppose you could, although I'm not sure why you would want to. If you wanted to change the setup, the obvious change would be to the later positive ventilation system.

John

[Dauntless]

I'd prefer to keep things nice and simple to be honest, and I don't want oil vapours going through the combustion chambers, especially if no catch tank is installed.

I'd change to the above type of breather to make them easier and cheaper to replace, and less leakage.

[dandlandyman]

"Less leakage"?
That sounds like your engine's not in the best health. Check your compressions. Just before I rebuilt my 2a's engine, it decided to spit copious amounts of oil out the breathers at 85kmh (pre-overdrive). I ran my compression tester over it and got figures between 45 and 85psi. After rebuild, they registered around 150psi.
General rule of thumb - they should be above 100psi.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but hope this helps.

[Dauntless]

Checked the compression the other day when I changed the plugs actually.

#1: 120 psi
#2: 130 psi
#3: 120 psi
#4: 122 psi

[Aaron IIA]

Both of the standard caps shown in your pictures have a sort of filter inside them. It is a wire mesh type, that when oily will stop ingression of dirt. Wash it from time to time and then re-moisten with oil.
Aaron.

[UncleHo]

G'day Dauntless :)

OK, you have a late 2a Suffix "G" chassis which would have originally been fitted with a "closed" ventilation system, very inefficient, which has been removed and the earlier "open " ventilation system 1958-1969 has been fitted, the oil filler cap (Flameproof type) has a wire gauze inside as a filter (any fumes only exit from this filler) this can and should be washed in petrol/cleaner regularly, the breather on top of the rocker cover also has a wire mesh gauze in it, this should also be cleaned regularly as the motor breathes through it (atmospheric pressure) there would be no advantage in changing to a foam type breather, on reading your compression readings, there does not appear to be any problems with the motor, if it is showing signs of oil at or around the rocker breather, then the timing could be a little out, as that is the easiest and best way to note when timing or points need adjusting;)

points should be at 014-016 thou inch and the timing set at 6 degrees before Top Dead Centre, you may have a service plate on the vehicle that states the timing at 2-3 deg After Top Dead Centre that is the setting for the Anti Pollution equipt motor (De-Toxed) so if your timing is a little out then you might experience slightly hard starting and slow pick up with increased fuel usage,Plugs should be Champion N8 or NGK B6ES. Hope that is of some help :)

BTW those headlight in guard 2a's are getting quite rare now :)
cheers

[Dauntless]

G'day Dauntless :)

OK, you have a late 2a Suffix "G" chassis which would have originally been fitted with a "closed" ventilation system, very inefficient, which has been removed and the earlier "open " ventilation system 1958-1969 has been fitted, the oil filler cap (Flameproof type) has a wire gauze inside as a filter (any fumes only exit from this filler) this can and should be washed in petrol/cleaner regularly, the breather on top of the rocker cover also has a wire mesh gauze in it, this should also be cleaned regularly as the motor breathes through it (atmospheric pressure) there would be no advantage in changing to a foam type breather, on reading your compression readings, there does not appear to be any problems with the motor, if it is showing signs of oil at or around the rocker breather, then the timing could be a little out, as that is the easiest and best way to note when timing or points need adjusting;)

points should be at 014-016 thou inch and the timing set at 6 degrees before Top Dead Centre, you may have a service plate on the vehicle that states the timing at 2-3 deg After Top Dead Centre that is the setting for the Anti Pollution equipt motor (De-Toxed) so if your timing is a little out then you might experience slightly hard starting and slow pick up with increased fuel usage,Plugs should be Champion N8 or NGK B6ES. Hope that is of some help :)

BTW those headlight in guard 2a's are getting quite rare now :)
cheers

Hey mate, thanks for the info. I doubt my Landy has had the crankcase ventilation system modified, as it has been in my family since the early 70's.

I intend to replace the points with either Lumenition or Pertronix Ignitor so I can use a hotter coil.

As for starting and running, it starts very easily. I haven't taken it above about 40km/h due to the dodgy tyres and the brakes don't work, so I have no idea if it lacks power or response. I'm running BP5ES in it at the moment.

[UncleHo]

G'day Dauntless :)

I run B6ES at the moment as I get between 10-20 thousand miles out of them:) BP5ES may be a little hot for it , and unless you have an 8:1 Compression head BP (Projecting centre electrode) will burn the pistons, you can check for the Comp ratio by looking at the flat bit on the side of the head between the head studs about the carby area, if it has an "8" stamped there it is an 8:1 head :) if plain it is the standard 7:1 head, most export vehicles, including Australia only got 7:1 Comp Heads :(

If the brakes need doing up I would suggest that you upgrade to 11inch LWB brakes Front and Rear, just locate a wrecked LWB (probably through this site) and get the brakes complete from backing plate out, with Master Cylinder, (larger cylinder) then it is only a case of changing the lot over from the hub outwards, as a package and then installing the Master Cylinder LWB=1" inch bore SWB is only 3/4"inch bore "this is a MUST if upgrading from SWB to LWB " as I have seen several accidents and am aware of 2 fatals because of non-changing M/Cylinders:(

If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask or PM :)

cheers

[Dauntless]

Thanks for that mate. B6ES is specified for the 7:1 models, and BP5ES for the 8:1 models, correct? I cannot buy B6ES locally, they must be ordered in. Although the numbers would suggest otherwise, I am thinking that a BP5ES would not be any hotter than a B6ES due to the projected electrode.

Also, why would a lower compression engine require a colder plug than a higher compression version of the same engine?

Did all 109's have 11" brakes with 2 leading shoes on the front, and 1 leading/1 trailing on the rear?

[UncleHo]

G'day Dauntless :)

Yes, All 2/2a/3 4 cylinder LWB's had 11" brakes, the 6 cylinder had 3"inch wide front brakes but the standard rear,(they require the use of a booster) the standard 2 1/4 inch shoes of the LWB willstop the SWb well:) as it will bring you up to at least disc front drum rear standard of a 80's/90s car "A lot better than the 50's Pom car:("

run with the BP5ES plugs and see how it goes, if it runs hot use Champion N8's

cheers

[Dauntless]

Thanks for that. If the plugs are too hot for it I will just use BP6ES. I doubt I will have problems with BP5ES for now. It's not registered (yet), the tyres are dodgy, and the brakes don't work, so I can't even go faster than 2nd gear around the paddocks...