Last week i took my camper out for the first time this year and i noticed a nasty crankcase smell in the cab when i started to pull a grade. This has been going on now for about a year or so but i just ignored it. It also does it when the a/c is on. Again it only does it when you start to pull a grade big or small. I don't think the a/c has anything to do with the smell except amplify it due to it recirculating cab air.I did notice the crankcase ventilation tube that runs along the starter side of engine block ends just below the bottom edhe of starter. Does this tube need to be longer and could it possibly be partially blocked??? I need to get this fixed because i plan on doing more camping this summer than i did last year....... Thanks Augie Dog!!

 

Remove the stock tube and get some 5/8" heater hose to replace it, run it back behind the cab or where ever you wish to keep the vapors away from the vents.

 

Are you running Rotella? Stuff gets pretty ripe when the egt's go up! I like the idea of running a longer vent hose, but I am not sure if it will get blocked easier that way, word has it it always lets a little oil go normally so be careful.

Thats my .02

 

Diddo on the rotella smell. Any time I do a oil change on any of my diesels it stinks bad for a spell. Seems to go away after awhile.

 

I use Rotella only and have never noticed this, but I also use Lucas as an additive. I highly doubt that has anything to do with the smell, but who knows.

 

At least we don't have a barf bottle we have to clean.

Mine will start to smell funny every once in a while, I replaced my draft tube using a length of 5/8” Clear Vinyl tuning, I did not want to use heater hose because it will get all swelled and limp from the oil I think.

I made it about 6" below the starter to get into the airflow. Be careful how long you extend it if you live in a cold climate because the moisture in the hose could freeze if it hung down too low and block off the breather causing more problems.

Don’t have to worry about that here in Southern California where it hardly gets below 50*.

Also check the rubber seal at the back of the hood that seals the hood to the cowl, your fresh air vent draws in fresh air from there for the inside of the cab.

Yes Rotella does smell different but I do not mind it, just the fun of owning a diesel I think, goes along with the chirp.

It was around 1974 I used to work for LA County on Transit Coaches and we got some diesel fuel from somewhere in the middle east and it was so high in sulphur content that it was almost yellow in color and smelled like rotten eggs, if you got it on you it took days to get the smell off.
Bet that lubricated good though.

Why couldn't you inject it into your exhaust past the muffler where the flow would scavenge it out? Maybe a bit of oil on the car behind you?
Jim

 

Hey Guys ,Thanks for the responses. I've been gone and wasn't able to get back with you. All good answers. I do use rotella. and my tube i guess does need to be longer. Jim, that's an interesting thought about injecting into exhaust. I'm getting ready to do stacks and i could do it then.In the mean time what is a good hose to use if not heater hose? I'm in North Carolina so it doesn't get cold enough to freeze anything. Thanks......Augie Dog

 

FYI
By injecting it, I mean to put it into the exhaust stream not just into the side of the pipe, weld a small tube into the inside of your pipe in the direction of the exhaust stream so the flowing gasses will draft the vapors out.

Can you picture it? It would look like a Pitot tube mounted backwards inside your exhaust pipe behind your muffler.

If you had heavy blow by it could get messy behind your truck but either there or UNDER your truck so I guess there is really no difference.

Now think if you were to inject propane through it and install a spark plug?

I used 5/8 Vinyl clear hose I got from Home Depot, Anything made with rubber is going to swell when it contacts the oil after awhile although it is not going to hurt anything, it will just get soft and ugly.

Jim