Visit Geno's Garage for Truck accessories.

The 2000 and up Ram diesel uses a crankcase vent on the front of the engine. This vent ends in a plastic blow-by bottle behind the engine cooling fan, which blows fumes back into the passenger compartment after the oil is changed. Many owners have extended the vent to reduce the fumes.

Option 1:
Extend the tube straight down and tie it off to the stabilizer bar. Most have found that there is little to no oil that drips from this while parked, but you can add a catch bottle if dripping is a problem on your driveway. If you do a lot of off road driving, periodically check the end of the tube to make sure it remains free of debris.

Option 2 - You will need these easily obtained parts:

• 1- 3/4" x 3/4" barb adapter
• 2- Stainless Hose Clamps
• 10' ± of 3/4" clear braided hose or heater hose
• Package of black tie wraps

Remove the bottle and use the barb adapter to extend the vent line to the frame under the passenger cab. Secure the hose with tie wraps. The bottle can be reinstalled on the extension to prevent driveway drips.   Photos of the hose routing were posted by Mike Stricker  photo1   photo 2   photo 3 but these links are dead.     NOTE: Some owners have reported that the long hose can be blocked by mud, snow, or frozen condensation. If you think this might be a problem for your driving conditions, use option 1.

Option 3:
You will need one hose clamp and 10' ± of 3/4" tubing (heater hose, clear braided dishwasher supply hose, etc.) Remove the original vent tube from the block connection and run the long tube INSIDE the frame rail. Only one clamp is needed and no tie wraps. NOTE: Some owners have reported that the long hose can be blocked by mud, snow, or frozen condensation. If you think this might be a problem for your driving conditions, use option 1.

Option 4:

There was a kit available from Geno's Garage, but it has been discontinued. These are the instructions and the parts list from the Geno's kit.

1 - Summit Racing Catch-all part number SUM-G1504, price $29.99 + shipping and handling (800) 230-3030
3 - ¾” hose clamps
1 - 6’ x ¾” heater hose
1 - 1’ x ¼” vent tube
1 - ¾” x ¾” plastic male coupling (24-valve engines)
1 - 1” drill bit (to drill the Summit G-1504 to accept the 3/4” x 1” male barb)
1 - ¾” x 1” male barb (epoxy into the Summit SUM G-1504 bottle)
1 - ¾” x 45-degree turn down (epoxy to the ¾” x 1” male barb)
Epoxy

With the exception of the Summit Racing Catch-all, most parts can be found at your local hardware store. Finding the 45-degree turn down is important as the crankcase vapors did want to come back out of the breather cap on our test model. You can make a cost-effective, non-critical, choice to use off-the-shelf heater hose.

Your Catch-all can be mounted in any vertical location. Because of its 13” overall length, we chose the front, driver’s side of the plastic fender well to mount the Catchall Note: Inside the Catchall, the breather fumes are directed 45o downward. Even with the fumes directed downward, experience has proven that the Catchall breather needs to be vertical or oil will collect/seep out of the breather.

• For access to the fender well, we suggest turning the steering wheel all of way to the left.
• Vertically test fit the Catchall to the fender well. The top of the breather should be positioned ½” from the bottom of the back/bottom side of the battery box.
• With a ½” clearance at the top, the drain valve should be barely visible under the bottom of the plastic fender well. As there is a small plastic lip at the bottom of the fender well, you will need to cut it off to allow the Catchall to flush mount to the fender well.
• With the Catchall in its temporary position, mark the fender well and drill two 3/8” holes (the center line distance between the holes is 3 ½”) through the plastic fender well for mounting.
• For 1998.5 and up trucks/24-valve applications, attach your existing ¾” breather tube to one side of the male-to-male hose barb. Attach the ¾” hose supplied in the kit to the other side of the barb. Tighten the hose clamps. Test fit and route the ¾” hose to the Catchall and assembly. Cut hose to length and press on to the hose barb. Tighten the clamp.
• For 1994 – 1998.5/12-valve applications, the breather tube is 11/16”, an odd size. The transition from the 11/16” breather tube to the ¾” hose supplied in the kit is done with a brass fitting. Insert the fitting into the ¾” hose first as you will have to push/stretch (a soapy solution will help) the hose to insert the fitting. The fitting should slip easily into the 11/16” breather tube. Tighten the clamps. Test fit and route the ¾” hose to the Catchall assembly. Cut hose to length and press on to the hose barb. Tighten the clamp.
• Install the kit to the fender well with the two 7/16” bolts.
• Important final note: Double check your routing of the ¾” hose to assure there are no kinks in the hose. Kinks to the hose would not allow for engine breathing and could cause seal leakage.

Maintenance Instructions:

Drain the Catchall at every oil change. Oil discharge should be minimal. At every other oil change, we suggest you clean the breather using a Simple Green solution and water. As a precaution against a clogged breather, we left a small ¼” vent tube at the top of the breather.

TOP

HOME

Last Update: April 27, 2002