valve cover breather

[Justins72]

Yea my valve covers don't have that hole for a Pcv valve.

[Aussie Challenger]

Yea my valve covers don't have that hole for a Pcv valve.

Strongly recommend that you have one installed and the breather too, motor will build up pressure inside and at best blow out a rocker cover gasket, at worse all the seals will start leaking.

[inviolet]

Don't want to Hijack the thread but interesting stuff,

Does it matter what side of the motor you put the PCV valve on? More often I see it on the drivers side.

Currently I'm running a 2 breather setup (one on each valve cover), with a draft tube on one of the breathers leading to the floor, but I'm think of going back to a PCV Valve setup due to strange oil leaks.

Original I ran a PCV valve setup but it failed (wimpy intake hose would crush under vacuum)and caused my valves to get gummed up.  Maybe a PCV with a catch can will be the best choice.

<<<<Old setup below>>>>

[Aussie Challenger]

Yes it matters, fit PCV onto the opposite side to the breather, that is breather on one R/C and PCV on the other R/C cover. Don't use heater hose or you will have the hose collapse on you.

[brads70]

Don't want to Hijack the thread but interesting stuff,

Does it matter what side of the motor you put the PCV valve on? More often I see it on the drivers side.

Currently I'm running a 2 breather setup (one on each valve cover), with a draft tube on one of the breathers leading to the floor, but I'm think of going back to a PCV Valve setup due to strange oil leaks.

Original I ran a PCV valve setup but it failed (wimpy intake hose would crush under vacuum)and caused my valves to get gummed up.  Maybe a PCV with a catch can will be the best choice.

<<<<Old setup below>>>>

Does your valve covers have baffles? If not you will be sucking up lots of oil, fouling plugs and gumming up valves etc....?

[inviolet]

Yes the valve covers are baffled, but the baffles on aftermarket valve covers look wimpy, nothing like factory valve cover baffle.

[CUDA JAS]

Does your valve covers have baffles? If not you will be sucking up lots of oil, fouling plugs and gumming up valves etc....?

Hey, I know this is an old topic...but...If I did not have baffles in the valve covers, could that contribute to an overly smelly exhaust??

no mater whether I set my idle rich or lean (verified by an AFR meter) my car always seems to smell...

Jason

[cudabob496]

I run my PCV hose first to a home made oil separator, then the carb.
Also, don't need 3/8 hose. I put a restriction in 3/8 hose
to make it a 3/16 hose, so won't suck as much oil.

[Aussie Challenger]

Hey, I know this is an old topic...but...If I did not have baffles in the valve covers, could that contribute to an overly smelly exhaust??

no mater whether I set my idle rich or lean (verified by an AFR meter) my car always seems to smell...

Jason

The baffles help keep out oil splash from entering the PVC valve, if your exhaust is smelly from oil burning it would also be black/brown from burning oil and the level would be going down also.
When my PVC wasn't working properly in my car a few years back I installed a piece of rod into the hose to block it having drilled a 1/16th hole which fixed the oil burning and didn't cause any gaskets or seals to leak from building up too much pressure.
Hope this helps.   

   David

[Racer57]

Ok, I know its a dumb question,  but............  How does a hose running from the carb to the PVC on one valve cover have any effect with whats happening under the other valve cover ? Whats connecting them ?!?

[tman]

Think of a cross breeze. 

[Aussie Challenger]

Think of a cross breeze. 

Excellent pic, inside the engine is a big hollow area.

[shadango]

Strongly recommend that you have one installed and the breather too, motor will build up pressure inside and at best blow out a rocker cover gasket, at worse all the seals will start leaking.

Dredging up an old topic because I came across it and I have always wondered ----

I can see that if you have closed valve covers, with no breathers at all, then you could have the issue you talk about....blowing out gaskets.

But if you have a breather on one or both rockers, effectively venting them to air, wouldnt that eliminate any possibility of blowing out gaskets due to pruessure building up?  Even without the carb sucking in fumes, the pressure would not rise as it would escape through the breathers....

 

From what I understood, PCV was mostly  an emissions change, keeping the vapors contained.

[usraptr]

I agree. On my new build 440/512 stroker I'm just running breathers on both aluminum valve covers.  So far no leaks but it is a new build.  I remember in the old days, (my dad's '58 chev) there was no such thing as PCV valves.  The crankcase was just vented via a metal tube at the back of the engine that went down towards the ground. 

[Bullitt-]

Always heard oil leaks would be worse without a PCV ...Quick Google says it's so....
To simple not to have one IMO

https://www.cars.com/articles/when-should-you-replace-the-pcv-valve-1420680471182/