Air filter question on my Cummins 6BT5.9M engines

S41 · Mar 21, 2016

Our new to us Symbol 41 had a box full of parts for what I can only guess are replacement parts for the engines air filters. These do not match the air filters already on the Cummins engines (6BT5.9M).

Does anyone have any idea what the purpose of this kit is? The smaller filter (black) appears to screw onto something else at the larger end.

There are two kits here with the exact same parts: hose clamps, hose end, zip ties, a 8" piece of clear tubing that is slit open end to end. No invoice or paperwork was with any of this. The larger filters are in boxes that are labeled with S&B Custom Air Filter SB 3.5 HT-UAF ($60.00). Searching on S&B's website didn't turn up anything to tell me what the kit is for or how to install it.

Thanks for any input.

dimer2 · Mar 21, 2016

That is a crankcase ventilation kit.

EnviroVent Crankcase Ventilation (CCV) Kits - Seaboard Marine

S41 · Mar 21, 2016

dimer2 said:
That is a crankcase ventilation kit.

EnviroVent Crankcase Ventilation (CCV) Kits - Seaboard Marine

Great! Thanks for the quick response.

Bacchus · Mar 21, 2016

S41...

I don't have a Cummins but have seen these while doing some research on intake filters for my Yanmar.

Take a look at Seaboard Marine EnviroVent Crankcase Ventilation (CCV) Kits

Lots of articles / discussion re: CCV and Turbo intake air filter upgrades.
Frequently these include / offer some sort of crankcase vent oil separation / filtering - some discharging to a "puke" bottle - others returning it to the crankcase.
You will likely find more posts here on TF re these and also at BoatDiesel.com

Chrisjs · Mar 21, 2016

I looked at installing one of these at the suggestion of our surveyor when I first bought my boat, but soon realized that the Cummins 6BTA5.9 on our Selene did not put out any "puke". In the end I just inserted the Cummins crankcase vent tube into a disposable gallon jug with paper towels inside. It was perfectly adequate for collecting fumes coming from the engine. Just changed out the container and paper once in a long while. So before you go to the trouble of installing the crankcase re-breather, you might want to check whether you really need it.

DavidM · Mar 21, 2016

Chrysjs:

You are absolutely right. Check to see if you need it before installing. On my 370 hp Yanmar which has the blowby tube terminating right above the foam air filter, I typically get a half dozen drops of oil on the filter element after a couple of hundred hours of use. I just wash the foam element at every oil change.

Sbmar's Envirovent system is useful for an engine that has significant blowby though. If not controlled it will cover the engine compartment with an oily film and will possibly block your air cooler with oil and soot if you have one. Fortunately mine doesn't have any blowby, yet.

David

Steve · Mar 22, 2016

When I was bringing my boat home after purchase I was surprised to find a drop of oil hanging from the lower lip of the alternator housing dripping maybe a drop or two per day. there are no oil hoses or fittings anywhere near there. Puzzled I asked around online and was told that the alternator pumps so much air through it oil will collect there if there is the slightest mist from the engine there was no oil at all anywhere else. I bought one of those SBMAR kits and it solved the problem, not a drop since. I had the alternator checked a the guy told me no danger of fire but the oil would collect dust and like a grinding compound wear the parts faster.
It is an easy installation if you have oil under the alternator you might try it since you already have it on hand.
On my previous boat a Camano with Volvo TAMD the aftercooler used to drip oil I put a tube and "Puke bottle" with paper towels wadded inside it seemed to work fine. Like post #5 above

S41 · Mar 23, 2016

Steve said:
When I was bringing my boat home after purchase I was surprised to find a drop of oil hanging from the lower lip of the alternator housing dripping maybe a drop or two per day. there are no oil hoses or fittings anywhere near there. Puzzled I asked around online and was told that the alternator pumps so much air through it oil will collect there if there is the slightest mist from the engine there was no oil at all anywhere else. I bought one of those SBMAR kits and it solved the problem, not a drop since. I had the alternator checked a the guy told me no danger of fire but the oil would collect dust and like a grinding compound wear the parts faster.
It is an easy installation if you have oil under the alternator you might try it since you already have it on hand.
On my previous boat a Camano with Volvo TAMD the aftercooler used to drip oil I put a tube and "Puke bottle" with paper towels wadded inside it seemed to work fine. Like post #5 above

I don't have an oily engine room. I will check the alternators and see if there is any oil showing up. The air filters on the engines are clean and show no oil on them.

This looks like an easy kit to attach and since it is already paid for and ready to go on, I will put them on my engines in the future. Maybe not tomorrow, but I can see it getting done this spring.

Thanks everyone for the information. The Seaboard Marine website has great photos on how this all attaches to my engines.

Baker · Mar 23, 2016

S41 said:
I don't have an oily engine room. .

Depending on which engines you have and how hard you run them. If you have 6BTs and loaf along at 1800 RPMs, you likely do not have a lot of potential for oil mist in the engine space. I have the BTAs and do run them in the upper range. I do have a bit of mist in the ER on one side...and that is because the AIRSEP is not doing its job. I plan on installing one of these things....

Steve · Mar 23, 2016

A Cummins rep also recommended to be sure not to fill the crankcase over the mark on the dipstick.

FF · Mar 24, 2016

The easiest engine check underway is with good gauges.

The Murphy folks units can be set to alert at any pre set alarm point.

You might not catch a 5deg rise in coolant temp , but Murphy will.

bayview · Mar 28, 2016

As above too much oil leads to misting. My Cs used oil until it got down two quarts then stopped. Engine angle or miss marked dipstick can require less than rated amount.

Air filter question on my Cummins 6BT5.9M engines

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