Engine breathing heavy?

[minimivic]

When I take the oil filler cap of when the engine is running its like a force 9 Gale coming from the engine. Is this normal? I'm going to do a compression check later and see what that is like (changing plugs anyway)
Can the breather system be cleaned out as this might help a bit.

Any tips?

 

[Fast Guy]

If it's breathing that heavily, it could be worn piston rings. If your engine was in perfect condition, I'd expect a mild depression in the sump which can normally be felt if you can put a finger over the end of the dipstick tube.
You can try cleaning the breather system out to see if it helps.

 

[skiddusmarkus]

Test the compression.