Engine: 57 SilverHawk 289 with oil coming from crankcase vent tube

[nefarmboy]

I'm working on a 57 Silver Hawk with the 289 engine. Runs good, but has quite a bit of oil coming from the crankcase breather tube. Seems to be more than I would expect, but this is my first Stude, so not sure. Suggestions from anyone would be appreciated.

[41 Frank]

I'm thinking you could have higher than normal crankcase pressures, possibly because of worn rings.

[PackardV8]

I'm working on a 57 Silver Hawk with the 289 engine. Runs good, but has quite a bit of oil coming from the crankcase breather tube. Seems to be more than I would expect, but this is my first Stude, so not sure. Suggestions from anyone would be appreciated.

More details would help. Is it worse after extended highway driving? Worse pulling long hills? What transmission and rear gear ratio?

Suggest doing a cold cranking compression test as per the Shop Manual. Then, a squirt of oil in each cylinder and repeat the compression test. That will tell us much about the condition of the rings.

jack vines

[r1lark]

I'm thinking you could have higher than normal crankcase pressures, possibly because of worn rings.

Or stuck rings.........

Had car been sitting for a long period of time before you got it?

[Dan Timberlake]

"crankcase breather tube"
"crankcase vent tube"

Certainly engine condition is a suspect, but are you noticing the oil at the road draft tube that exits down low, near the road, or the breather cap in the oil filler up high on the engine?

http://www.studebaker-info.org/maa/hr0852P28/hr0852p28m.jpg

Is the oil coming out at idle, or only after some road work?

The SAE paper concerning development of the original Studebaker V8 mentions having to add a baffle on the outside rear of the oil filler cap to prevent oil being drawn out by the blast of air from the cooling fan "at times".
Fig 41 here -

http://www.studebaker-info.org/SAE/TSVE/tsvep460.jpg

The entire paper is at Bob Johnstones siter, here -

http://www.studebaker-info.org/SAE/TSVE/tsve.html

It looks like at least as late as 1957 Studebaker still was using the horizontal fin on the cast oil filler tube and the shield on the oil filler cap even on the offset tube on the Golden Hawk.

http://www.secondchancegarage.com/articles/teds-studebaker/1957-studebaker-golden-hawk-eng2.jpg