What is this overflow? pipe for?

[Chief]

So working on my Mothers' car and I noticed this metal, hollow pipe feeding out of the engine near what I presume is an inspection panel and down to the ground on the exhaust manifold side of the 948 engine.

I just wondered what it's for?

IMG_1058.JPG (1.04 MiB) Viewed 399 times

[svenedin]

It’s a tappet chest breather pipe or “draft tube” that is found on the older A-series engines. Later engines had an oil separator like a chimney on the tappet chest cover.

Stephen

[Chief]

Thanks

[philthehill]

The idea is that as the pipe exit is low and in the under car depression slipstream and any fumes are meant to be sucked out of the engine and dispersed into the atmosphere. Not very environmentally friendly . Later cars had the breathers piped into the inlet tract and any fumes generated were consumed in the combustion chamber.
The 'access panel' allows for the inspection, fitting and removal of the cam followers.