Missing Cap?

[johntelling]

Sticking out the back of my 2005 Excursion's 350 Cat engine is a pipe about 2 1/8" in diameter. It is close to the top, over the radiator, on the right hand side when you look from the back of the vehicle. Right above it is an On/Off rotary switch.

It must have had something covering it I suppose. I just had the oil changed a few weeks ago. Could they have left something off?

When I put my hand over it with the engine running, I can feel a slight pressure, and the sound changes. Is it a crankcase breather, maybe?

I just got back from a 800 mile round trip since the oil change, so presumably it was off all that time.

Do you think the oil is still O.K.?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

John

[wolfe10]

John,

It can not be the crankcase breather. The crankcase breather exits under the engine and is a 1" ID open hose. It could have been extended by your chassis or coach maker to behind the fan shroud, but again would be under the engine.

See if you can access the top of the engine through the closet or under bed and trace the pipe. It is highly likely that it is the oil fill tube.

And if so and you have driven with it off, that pipe will have had dust and dirt deposited in it. That means it would need to be removed and cleaned and the engine oil changed again. The only good news is that oil goes from the oil fill tube down through the head and block and is picked up by the oil pump and passes through the oil filter before going to the bearings and other close-tolerance parts of the engine.

Brett

[johntelling]

Thanks, Brett.

I makes sense that it would be the filler pipe. I imagine that the mechanic either forgot to put it back on, or didn't put it on properly, but I really doubt if they will admit to it, so I am out the cost of cleaning it out and another oil change - probably somewhere else!

John