| That particular six cylinder motor was a foreshadowing of engine technology for the next forty years.
The system you uncovered is the positive crankcase ventilation system and part of that system is a pipe running from the valve cover to the air cleaner. Gases from the motor's interior go through the tube to be burned through the intake.
Oil bubbles up. However, today's drivers use synthetic oils which are much slipperier and thinner, and if that is the kind of oil you are using, then stop. The car requires a natural oil with a specific viscosity for everything to work right. Also, remember that the valves in this car required leaded gasoline to lubricate their metal-to-metal seals with the aluminum head. Unleaded fuel can cause an incomplete seal between the valve and the aluminum head causing oil to spit up into the head and through that tube and unto the intake.
It was a marvel of the time: a six cylinder cast iron block with aluminum head; overhead camshaft and aluminum pistons. You know very well the power output is enormous and the sound and feel of that motor is like a trip to Mercedes storied past. The massive body that engine so easily pulled around was also a nostalgic experience. Truly a tank with a 110 mph cruising speed.
Take care of her. |