After finding out that my engine breather didn’t need replacing it was worth refurbishing it as it had got a bit tatty over the years, the surface treatment having worn off and rust had developed under a layer of grime.
After a thorough clean up, first with degreaser and then abrasives a treatment with rust remedy had it ready for a protective coat of paint.
The choice of paint was a tricky one, originally it was a coppery gold colour but redoing it in that colour would have looked a bit too gaudy in a 30 year old engine bay so I ended up mixing copper and silver Hammerite to achieve a colour I was happy with.
There’s an oil return from the breather to the crank case at the bottom of the breather, this is connected to the dip stick tube via a short length of 8mm ID rubber hose. As the original hose was by now very stiff a trip to the local Piriteck secured some new hose.
The new hose isn’t as thick as the old hose but it’s reinforced and rated for oil so should be good.
Cut to the same length as the old one it was 42mm.
The studs fit in the block with a bit of thread lock for good measure – as shown more clearly during this crank case build up.
Whilst the breather is easier to fit onto the studs than using bolts, it does make fitting the return hose onto the dipstick connection a bit tricky. However, after some finagling it all went back together and was secured with the 11mm nuts and washers supplied in the stud conversion kit.