I have a 2.4, but its basically the same as the 2.8 only (a lot) less power.

I just replaced the timing belt, water pump+++. While working on it I noticed the crankcase breather hose going from the back of the engines right (seen from the front) side to the front of the engnes left side was missing! Also the engine was full of old oil on the outside, I could pick of big bits of sticky oil-sludge-mass.

I drained the oil, and filled it with diesel to clean the engine, let it sit for a few days while I finished the timing belt job. I also fitted a hose as a replacement of the missing breather hose. Finished the job, cleaned out the diesel and filled it with new oil.

When I started it, there was some smoke coming from the right side of the engine. While driving I could smell oil and burned oil. There was a lot of oil dripping from under the engine, and after I turned the engine off there was a lot of pressure build up under the valve covers which was released when I opened the oil filler cap. I removed the hose that I fitted earlier, and theres no more pressure and leaking. Seems like the last owner discovered this problem and "fixed" it by removing the oil breather hose.

So what to do now? Replace the entire breather kit? Clean the engine?