Alternatives to the crankcase breather?

[LaGrasta]

I asked this question awhile back and I don't believe I got a real alternative. How can I discard this ugly this on the side of my block?
Accordingly to the shop manual, cool, clean air sucks into the valve cover, expels through the cranckcase breather and discharges into the intake manifold. Just blocking it off and running the valve cover breather into the intake manifold doesn't seem to be acceptable, or is it? Other ideas?

 

[twentyover]

Install a PCV system. PCV valve in crakcase (usually rocker cover) into the intale naifold. Carbs may require rejetting to accomodate unmetered crankcase fumes.

Look at a late 60's car for the parts

 

[BIGREDRASA]

You'll need a block-off plate for the breather hole in the block. My old Y-block used a plate much like the fuel pump block-off plate.

 

[LaGrasta]

Twentyover, that's what I suspected to do till I read the manual. This "flow-of-air" that the factory manual speaks about won't be able to continue with this modification. I guess it's no big deal though, huh?

 

[BIGREDRASA]

You don't want the "flow of air" anymore. It required the crancase to be pressurized with noxious fumes, which were then vented into the atmosphere. The Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) System maintains a partial vacuum and burns those gasses by mixing with the intake charge. Engines actually live longer, pollute less, and can actually get a little better gas mileage.

 

[63redtudor]

Some of the blocks have 2 threaded holes on either side of the breather tube hole in the block. My '65 200 has these, so when I got rid of the road draft tube I just made a block-off plate. Or, you can just do what ford (& a lot of others) did, put a freeze plug in the opening. You'll want on of the later style valve covers with the hole for the PCV valve to fit in. Hope this helps,
Edwin

 

[63redtudor]

Some of the blocks have 2 threaded holes on either side of the breather tube hole in the block. My '65 200 has these, so when I got rid of the road draft tube I just made a block-off plate. Or, you can just do what ford (& a lot of others) did, put a freeze plug in the opening. You'll want on of the later style valve covers with the hole for the PCV valve to fit in. Hope this helps,
Edwin

 

[Asa]

would it be possible to install a crankcase vacuum system on a small six?
i've heard it can increase ring sealing, as well as a few other things...

possible? worth the trouble?

 

[Anonymous]

For what it's worth here are my .02 the road draft tube or crankcase breather was to vent blowby pressure and pressure from the voulumetric change that occures as the pistons move up and down more of a problem in y blocks with age 8)

 

[LaGrasta]

omega65
So you're saying we really don't need it and not to worry about removing it?

 

[Anonymous]

Yo Lagrasta It is necessary to vent the crankcase in some manner. when smog devices became mandetory in cal the road draft tube was pluged with a tapered rubber plug and arubber hose was attached from the oil filler cap to tha air filter usualy inside the element area on the the 272 ci motor up thru 352 ci block in the 59 model cars if they were high mileage most of them began to leak thru the rear seal. on a fresh mill a pcv set up should work just fine on worn motor such as mine a stock 65 200 with god knows how many miles you will still get some oil vapor condensing around the oil filler and around the pcv valve in the head I think the pcv is the best way to go and the simplest Ps I grew up in Antelope valley

 

[Anonymous]

I gotta agree with BigRed, above.
The positive crankcase ventilation is a good thing. It reduces crankcase pressure, so there is less resistance to the bottom side of the fast-moving pistons and crank weights' whizzing about. It pulls noxious blowby out of the bottom and gives it back to the engine to eat again. This combination often improves gas mileage, too.

Get a valve cover from a late-model Fairmont/Zephyr. It has a PCV valve right on the front of it. Grab the vacuum port adapter from that same engine while you're at it, because it will have a port the same size as the PCV valve. Replace your intake manifold's vacuum fitting with the new one (it will have extra ports now). Hook up your existing hose(s) back onto the extra ports and cap off any leftover ones.

Now comes the unfriendly part: the Fairmont PCV valve has 2 holes on top. Plug one with a vacuum cap (either one, doesn't matter) and hose the other one to the new manifold vacuum fitting you just installed. That's all you need do. If you take the time, you can browse someone's auto book to find a PCV valve that fits that also has just one vacuum hole on it. I have seen them, but my Fairmont uses that extra hole for the vacuum reservoir, so I need it.

This PCV system will also reduce oil leakage, one of its great features. If you have LOTS of crankcase blowby, you'll find the engine will run a little richer than it used to. Rejetting isn't often needed: I have converted 2 V8s this way (a 289 Ford and 390 Ford) and neither had any ill effects, like lean mix or such.

All this presumes you have an oil cap that breathes. If not, grab the one from that same Fairmont, and the air cleaner can, too, because it will have a filter & mount all ready for you to hook up. Swap your air can out with the new one and hook up the oil cap's hose to the little filter on the back of the can and away you go!

Take a look at a junkyard Fairmont and you'll figure it out pretty quick.

 

[LaGrasta]

See, I knew there was more to this system. I interpreted it as a "good thing" as well. Reading it from the shop manual just made sense to me. I just want it removed because it's ugly and as far as I know, there isn't any known replacement types.
Unless someone shows me something better, I may keep it and try to be creative in reconstructing it with some alternative parts.
I have a new chrome valve cover begging to go on, so I'm going to work that into the equation (breather cap and sealed filler cap).

 

[Anonymous]

what if....we added mega-suction for the oil breather...drew air in like a reverse turbo...or back end turbo...

:

 

[Asa]

that's what i asked with this one:

would it be possible to install a crankcase vacuum system on a small six?
i've heard it can increase ring sealing, as well as a few other things...

possible? worth the trouble?

no one has answered it though...
i know on some performance vehicles it's used, but like i said, i don't know if it would benefit our sixes

 

[LaGrasta]

Honestly, I'm trying to simplify this already simple system. I want to open the hood and see a clean, efficient and sparce engine compartment. I'll proably keep the cvs, but rebuild it, reroute it to look cleaner. I really wanted to just run from the vavle cover to the intake, but I think the cvs is worth keeping.

 

[Falcon62]

I just want it removed because it's ugly and as far as I know, there isn't any known replacement types.

Actually, there is a replacement for the downdraft tube, and it's an OEM version at that. The early 144/170 PCV systems were plumbed right out of the existing hole and ran to the carb base plate. My son's '61 has one of these.

This would eliminate the need to modify or replace a valve cover. Also, I second Edwin's suggestion of just using a welch plug (expansion plug) in the existing opening, that's exactly what Ford did. Of course, if you want a spiffy little cover instead, well all you need do is fab one up.

If you need pictures, I can provide. 8)

 

[LaGrasta]

I think I've changed my mind on this whole thing again. I'm going to block off the crankcase hole and run a line from the vavle cap to the intake. After going to the Flight of the Falcon this past weekend and speaking with a few others (and seeing their set-ups) I believe this will work just fine.

I belive it was Bob Beck who told me the ports through which the push rods run are suffecient to relieve any back pressure and will exhaust anthing from th elower crankcase area just fine. In the later sixes, this is how they started leaving the factory appearantly.

I saw an example of the six with the two screw holes adjacent to the crankcase port. I don't have those. I also saw a freeze plug in the port. This is what I'll do.