*HOW TO* C20XE Breather Mod

A quick guide on how to do this. Can sometimes stop the car "kangarooing" at low speeds, and stops the engine burning oil when you corner/brake hard.
*Sorry for the low number of pics, i did this mod a few months ago and these are the only pics i have to hand*

Tools Required-
5mm(iirc) Allen key/Socket (for cam cover bolts)
Torx Screw bits (for breather plate bolts)
Screwdriver to undo breather pipe clips
10mm socket
Tin-Snips
Carb/Brake cleaner
New cam cover gasket (or re-use the old one if its in good condition)

*Firstly start by removing the 3 rubber breather hoses that join onto the cam cover. Two small rear ones, and a larger front hose.
Can see the front one here:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...0340Medium.jpg

*Remove cambelt cover, this is held by a couple of 10mm bolts. Dont lose the rubber spacers out of the holes on the cover.

*Remove spark plug cover using 5mm allen socket, theres 2 bolts.

*Carefully remove HT leads, marking there cylinder locations if you want... But they are different lengths, so it should make sense as to what cylinder they go on.

*Now remove the bolts holding the cam cover to the cylinder head, these again are 5mm and theres quite a few of them (around 20)
Undo them evenly, and then remove them.

*The cover is now free to come off, but if its been there a while it may take some persuading.

*With the cover removed, flip it over and you should be greeted with this nice sight
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...1118Medium.jpg

*Now using the torx bits, undo the small bolts securing the breather plate inside the cover. The plate is also siliconed down, so will take a bit of force to remove it

*With the plate removed clean ALL traces of old silicone from the edge where the plate sits. This is VERY important as you dont want any of thise making its way into the sump, and into the pickup pipe filter......
Use the carb/brake cleaner to make sure all is nice and clean.

*Now using tin-snips, or a saw or whatever you have to hand, cut the plate so you just leave the end piece by the oil filler cap. Keeping this piece fitted is important, as it stops the cams chucking oil straight out the breather pipes(a problem we are trying to reduce in the 1st place)
Refit the corner piece with a couple of the securing bolts:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...1122Medium.jpg

*With the plate refitted, making sure again that the cam cover is 100% clean, refit/fit a new rubber gasket to the cover.
Check that the top of the head where the gasket sits is clean, to give the gasket a chance of sealing well!

*Refit the cam cover making sure the gasket doesnt come out of place

*Refit the bolts, tighten them evenly to around 10nm, or just until they "feel right"
Dont over-do them, else it will squash the gasket and leak like a ba**ard.

*Refit ht leads,spark plug cover, and breather hoses.

Jobs a good 'un :thumb:

Adam

cool job for the weekend for me. i was after better pics before i attempted it

is this needed in the let?

Isnt on any on any non knackerd engine *imo*

SBD do it on there own rebuilt engines too though!!!

I know, dont fully see why. Maybe that just run much highter oil pressure.
Alot of race engine will run 95+ pressure, add being on track alot might mean they breath very heavey.

do you have a picture of it after its cut?

The last pic......

ignore me it didnt load :)

just wondering out of that whole plate you get rid of everything else apart frmo that little piece in the corner? and do you silcon it back down?

I didnt silicone it back down nope. Just bolted
You leave that little piece to stop the cams chucking oil straight down the rocker pipes :)

cool so what do the vapours do from the crankcase then?

Done this to my last car and i think its already been done to ollys engine and it works a treat.
save buying the courtney kit lol.

how does it work though? arent u just taking the plate out, cutting it and re-fitting it? can you explain how it works.... cheers

Because youve removed most of the plate, oil can now no longer run along the plate and into the breather pipes.... It just drips back into the head...

Top mod, Top guide, Easy to follow!!!

sweet i will be doing this when ive a more permanent place to leave my car.

It is a good mod to do, imo all xe's breathe heavy, mine used to be a f***er for it, definitely worth doing and the current one will be getting it, good guide adam :thumb:

ive done this to my belmont no jerking and no smoking now fuking lovely drive!! top guide Ad.

could this be done on the x16xe???

So people know why to do it.

When cornering hard in an xe oil tends to get up behind that plate. This then goes into the breather system, when this is connected to the inlet it cause a puff of blue smoke.

It is a worthwhile mod. Nothing to do with a new or old engine. I saw less oil in my catch tank doing this.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by spanishfly

So people know why to do it.

When cornering hard in an xe oil tends to get up behind that plate. This then goes into the breather system, when this is connected to the inlet it cause a puff of blue smoke.

It is a worthwhile mod. Nothing to do with a new or old engine. I saw less oil in my catch tank doing this.

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yup i did think id knocked my crank out when it first happened lol

Does this mod stop the engine juddering/jerking then at low speed on overrun at say 1500rpm in 4th for example?

Sure ive seen somebody say it does mind!

Any gen on this ^^^^ guys?

yES

Cheers ad :thumb: .

N/p

Definate Worthwhile Mod

When I bought my LET I noticed some oil in the 'afm to turbo' pipe, do you think doing the breather mod would stop this?

On LETs the breather goes to the turbo so I think thats whats causing it.

Will do mate

Ive done the breather mod on my XE and ive now noticed a little more oil than usual is getting into the bottom of the inlet manifold would rings that are a little worn explain this?

What about the splash guard that courtney did? apparently thats what was used on the touring cars/high powered xe's?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by vaux@hotmail

What about the splash guard that courtney did? apparently thats what was used on the touring cars/high powered xe's?

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Once you have modded the spalsh plate its basically the same as courtneys design.

I know this is an old post, but hoping someone could answer me. I've recently brought a c20xe Corsa b and it judders a lot at low revs. I'm looking at doing this mod but I've seen two ways of doing it, this way and someone else said to drill the plate 15-20 times with a 5mm bit like a pepper pot effect. Which method would be best ? It has a foam filter, uprated cams, head work and a 2.5inch straight through exhaust if this makes any difference.

Both will do the same kinda thing. But that wont help juddering.

What could it be then mate ?

Losing spark and starting to miss?

Good plugs? Good leads?