I'm planning on doing the maintence that i can on my own. This time its only an oil change & filter. My question is whats a crankcase breather bottle, and they tell me its at the front left of the engine. Is that sitting in the truck or looking into the engine ?

 

its on the right looking at the engine from the front

 

Unlike a gas motor your diesel does not have PCV that will vent crankcase fumes back into the combustion chamber. They are collected through a breather on the front of the motor into "the bottle". The other poster above is correct on the location.

Many relocate it as the collected vapors condense back into oil and fill the bottle, then splash all over the radiator/fan front and clog it up. This doesn't happen if you service it regularly (each oil change) but the stock location doesn't make that the easiest either. No harder than getting to the drain plug but an extra step none the less. I think all you'll need is an 8mm socket and small extension to get to it.

Good luck, once you do it once, the remaining times will be easy enough.

 

i removed mine and ran a peice of seal tite...flexible water tight conduit, all the way down far enough not to get oil every where. basically all you need is about 3' of 3/4" sealtite and a 3/4"x2" nipple. so now you wouldnt have to have to drain this nasty oil thing, plus if it gets filled quickly it will get oil all over the front of the engine and possibly plug up the radiator. but yeah its on the right side on the front of the engine.

 

You can find a piece of heat/oil resistant hose at NAPA 3-4' long. Pull the old hose and attach the new. I tie wrapped it near the botom of the driver side bumper. Pronlem gone forever!
The liitle bottle is called the puke bottle.

 

Thanks guys ! I knew that in a car was how we used left side, right side,but wanted to be sure, and i did locate it. Now i know whats making the nasty mess. Dirty job, but easy enough !