Air filter question

[Mario Loya B1B]

I noticed the air filter cap that tops the oil filler tube is in serious need of cleaning. My shop manual recommends a kerosene wash, but the element that is in the cap appears to be paper or something that is now so brittle that appears to be like gunked up paper. The element doesn't seem to be something that can be replaced. If it is, I don't know how to get to it. My question is can I just remove what remains of the element and go without one. How important is this filter? I don't use my truck on dirt roads. Also, how important is a good seal between the oil filler tube and the engine? the tube rotated a few times while I was trying to get the cap off and noticed the gasket between the two is very worn and coming apart. I assume this area is not under pressure while driving and this should not result in a leak? Am I right?

Usual Disclaimer - I don't know what I'm doing but willing to learn.

[greg g]

Give it a soak in Kero or some other solvent (like turpentine, brush cleaner of similar) and see whats left of the filter material. There was a guy around here who used a red wool sock for a number of years. Basically when operating correctly, the should be a low pressure area taking air into the engine, to ventilate the crankcase. This however is only the case when the vehicle is moving down the road and the draft tube creates the draft. If your engine is worn, suffering from blowby or loss of compression past the rings, the crank case become positivley pressured and the filler tube is probably at a bit of positive pressure relative to the atmoshpere. But in either case the pressure and or vacuum is slight. So the filler tube is basically a pressed in fit. Line it up the way ot should be and place a block of scrap wood over the top and give it some light taps to seat it back in. Should be ok. the breather tube if not servicabel after cleaning will need to be replaced. Should be available at NAPA Jums maks sure you get one for a non PCV equiped application.

[Mario Loya B1B]

So the filler tube is basically a pressed in fit. Line it up the way ot should be and place a block of scrap wood over the top and give it some light taps to seat it back in. Should be ok. the breather tube if not servicabel after cleaning will need to be replaced. Should be available at NAPA Jums maks sure you get one for a non PCV equiped application.

Greg, thanks for the reply. So what you are saying is the filler tub is not threaded into the motor. I will do what you suggested to get it to seat properly. I doubt the airfilter element inside the cap will survive a cleaning. What do you (or anyone else out there) suggest I use to filter the air. Is a new oil filter cap readily available through NAPA?

[greg g]

Here is a Stant Number for a P15 engine, I believe they are similar;

Oil Breather Cap 10061 Or 10064 (listed for International Harvester Truck ongine)

If not take yer old one to NAPA

[grey beard]

You could shop at Vintage Power Wagon and get one of their Positive Crankcase Vent adaptors. This fits onto the block back on the right hand side where the old vertical road draft tube now lives. The new PCV adaprtor gets plumbed via a vacuum line into your intake, below the carb where a fat pipe plug lives on most flatties. Then run a piece of heater hose from your air cleaner side into the top of your oil fill tube and it will work just like all modern engines with pcv systems, and you'll never smell bglowby, even if your engine gets tired and you are pulling up a long hill. JMHO:)

PS The military used pcv adaptors so they could run their engines submerged, but they did a good thing for the wrong reason, in hindsight.