This is more of a curiosity question. Last year, removed alternator to replace the brushes. I went to disconnect the vacuum line from the pump, then left for a bit came back and a nice black puddle of oil was under my alternator. It came from the vacuum pump line. Is this normal? This is on a 3b engine.
oil came pooring out of alternator vacume pump line??
- Thread starter haryv
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There are two oil lines going to your vacuum pump, one delivering oil and one returning. Whether it's for cooling and/or lubrication of the vaccum pump I can only assume.
Is that the hose/line you are referring to? or the actual vacuum line.
Be sure to hook it up again!
Is that the hose/line you are referring to? or the actual vacuum line.
Be sure to hook it up again!
The rear bearing on our alternators is a bush so it needs the oil for lubrication and to a lesser extent ... for cooling. (The front is a deep-groove ball bearing.)
But the main purpose of the oil is to seal between the carbon blades and the chamber (within which they rotate) in the vacuum pump. Without oil there, the pump quickly overheats and the blades suffer wear.
But the main purpose of the oil is to seal between the carbon blades and the chamber (within which they rotate) in the vacuum pump. Without oil there, the pump quickly overheats and the blades suffer wear.
There are two oil lines going to your vacuum pump, one delivering oil and one returning. Whether it's for cooling and/or lubrication of the vaccum pump I can only assume.
Is that the hose/line you are referring to? or the actual vacuum line.
Be sure to hook it up again!
The vacuum pump also dumps the air it "sucks" into the oil return line, so the "out" hose is general purpose; oil and air.
If this is true I am wondering if this is the cause of excess blowby other members are experiencing and discussing on another post in this section...it sounds logical that excessive bypass into the oil lines would increase the pressure in the crank case which could result in oil being pushed out the blow pipe.
When the system is at proper vacuum the pump sucks, er, blows, nothing. The only time air in ejected into the drain line is when:
a) the vac tank is full of air and needs to be drained, like on the first start of the morning
b) when air enters the system and the vacuum level drops because you just used the brakes and the booster cycled
Even in a worst case situation we're talking about maybe a liter every 10 seconds, and only until the system is evacuated in 15-20 seconds tops. Definitely NOT a contributor to what comes out of the stink tube.
