Guys, hope you can help me w/this one. After i intalled my open element, i can really smell the fumes in my car. I thought something was burning, so i opened the hood while the car was on, what i noticed is that the after market breather (K&N) put was smoking up? Why is this? I didn't take the original hose off the valve cover, so i just connected the new breather to it. Can this be the problem? I don't see why, but please reply, i don't like smelly fumes in my car. Oh yeah, one more thing, it also smells when i turn on my ac. Thanx for any help!

 

I can't help you WHY the filter is smoking, but you're getting the fumes in the car thru the fresh air intake which is below your wipers right above your firewall. So when you turn your A/C on, you're pulling all those fumes from under the hood into your car. This fresh air intake is only about 9 inches from your air breather.

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89 T-Top Firebird 305 TBI Project Car (with approval from my wife!)

 

Yup, Nitroburn is right on the money. As for the breather smoking....that isn't normal. If it gets too hot maybe, but why did you use the stock tube? Just scrap it and stick the breather into the valve cover.

 

Didn't before u say that ur breather filter had fuel soaked in it? I KNOW that isn't normal. Seems like someone posted something about their air filter getting fuel all over in it and it was because of the crankcase breather and that lead to the root of the problem but I can't remember what it was. Did u make a post on the General Tech section about the gas in ur crankcase breather?

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Eric Natzke
91 Firebird 305 TBI
"It Ain't Stock"
http://members.aol.com/j007golden/91firebird.html
For info on certain parts or mods go to the site below
http://members.aol.com/j007golden/modeval.html

 

Yeah, i had made a post about my breather smelling like gas, but it wasn't gas, it's oil, but i think it's excessive.I know i need to replace the gaskets on my valve covers, might this be the problem?.......about still keeping the hose. I just thought it would be neat to have an extra chrome filter right by the side of the chrome covers of the open element.......is it better just to stick it directly into the valve covers?........thanx guys!

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92 Firebird 305 TBI
K&N Open Air Element
K&N Crank Case Filter
Just a begginer, soon i will advance!

 

you most likely have a lot of sludge build up under your valve covers, when this sludge gets hot, it will burn, and turn into worse sludge, over time, this is what will kill your engine, try changing your oil every thousand miles for about 4 thou, that should clean stuff up pretty well, you dont have to change your filter every time though, every 2 oil changes. then run some of that duralube or prolong, i cant remember which is better, seriously. but then again, in your case it might knock too much grime loose and turn out to be bad, i would take of your oilcap, get a flashlight and see what it looks like in there, then report back.

 

Thanx for the help guys...........Would there be anything else i can do, how bout cleaning out all the sludge build up? If i can, how do i go about it. Thanx, if there aint anything else, i guess it's "OVERHAUL TIME"!=(



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92 Firebird 305 TBI
K&N Open Air Element
K&N Crank Case Filter
Just a begginer, soon i will advance!

 

5 bucks says that it is your PCV system

Get a new PCV valve for your car and a can of carb cleaner

Pull out the PCV valve and the hose that goes to the PCV valve

Take the carb cleaner and spray inside the hose to clean it out.

Then spray some carb cleaner into the thhrottle body where the PCV Valve went to clean the crap out thats in there.

Install the hose with a new PCV valve

Start yer car and there shouldn be anymore smoke coming from the breather tube.

Kat

 

Thanx KAT, I'll definitely try that! But one question, my PCV vavle? Sorry, I'm new at this. This ain't the breather right? It's the other small vavle on the other valve cover, right? I just replace that and clean my TBI unit w/carb cleaner, and also clean the small little hose that connects the PCV valve to the TBI? Thanx, please bare with me, i'm a rookie!

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92 Firebird 305 TBI
K&N Open Air Element
K&N Crank Case Filter
Just a begginer, soon i will advance!

 

Yeah it is the one on the drivers side valve cover. About 5/8's in diameter and silverish color.

All ya really need to clean is the hose that goes to the PCV and where it enters into the TB at.

I had the same thing happen with me. Come to find out the PCV system (the whole foot or so of it hehe) was cloged up and it had the wrong PCV valve in it.

Kat

 

Thanx Alot KAT! It worked, i hadn't even noticed, but my pcv vavle what up the a** clogged! I just changed it, and even though i liked the look of the breather being stuck on that small hose, i took that hose off and stuck in on the valve cover. It stopped, completely! THANX ALOT!