This is a stupid, elementary question, but I'm a little confused. I picked up a set of nice Edelbrock valve covers at a swap meet and since my oil fill cap won't fit in them, I need to decide what to do. The problem is that the passenger side would be easy to get to for oil filling purposes, but that is where the PCV valve is plugged in. On the driver side, the filler cap on the stock covers is toward the firewall, but on these new ones, it will be toward the front of the car, placing it just about directly below my dual snorkel air cleaner. By the way, my engine is carbureted with the L69 air cleaner setup. Do I need the PCV valve, and if so, does it have to be ducted to the air cleaner? Also, I could just put a filler plug on the driver's side, but I will have to remove the air cleaner to fill with oil. Can I put a breather where the PCV is and plug the other side? Do I need both a breather and the PCV? I'm sure somebody will have a simply answer to my long, drawn-out question. Basically, between a plug, a PCV valve, and a breather, which two should I use? My other question is that some breathers say they are not to be used as oil filler caps; why not?

Thanks,

Eric

 

Keep the PCV system as is. It causes you no harm and lots of benefits. Get some valve covers that have the holes where
you need them. Probabily why they were for sale at a swap meet.

 

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but since when are valve covers for a SBC asymmetrical? Or do they say Edelbrock on them?

Seriously... is there one hole on each cover? or only one hole on one of the covers, and no holes on the other?

Well regardless, this little bit of info may help. You can get a breather and put it where the PVC valve is now, then when you need to fill the crankcase, just pop out the breather and pour it in.

This still allows the crankcase to vent and relieve pressure, but it will pollute the environment.

Just think, that one little blade of grass won't grow just because you let the fumes from the crankcase into OUR atmosphere.

And if you want, plug the hole in the air cleaner after you do that. Or you can just leave it open (if it's a stock air cleaner) since the hole is on the outside of the filter, it won't hurt anything. Although it would look better plugged.

AJ

 

Thanks. They are signature series Edelbrock covers and have a single 1.25" hole on each cover in front of the "E". Installing the covers so the lettering can be read from the side of the car means the hole on the passenger side will be towards the back and the hole on the driver side will be towards the front of the car. I didn't get them to "be cool;" I got them because after installing my new cam, the rockers just barely hit my valve covers a little, and these should provide me the extra clearance I need. I figured if I couldn't make them work, I was only out $10.

Eric

 

If memory serves me , i think those Edelbrock covers have the holes located right over the rockers instead of between them.
They also have no baffles under the holes.
This will cause oil to travel up and out the hole in time.
They're pretty but.....

You can solve the problem of the rockers hitting your stock covers by stacking up two valve cover gaskets to raise up the covers a little.

Some auto parts stores have these thick double gaskets in stock.

 

Don't pollute the environment! BAD AJ! :nono:

I believe you are supposed to drill the hole for whatever is missing. Oil cap or PCV or whatever... I can't recall which one. I'm pretty sure the hole you need to drill is for the PCV valve. Just throw on the correct grommet and off you go.

Maybe I'm way off on this...

 

They are baffled, but I do like the extra-thick gasket idea. Whenever I get time to change them, if it doesn't look like they'll work, I'll just keep the stock ones and use the thick gasket. My main question was whether you can use a breather and a PCV valve or just either/or.

Oh yeah, and I can't think right now how it lines up with the rockers, but the baffles are located right on the line of the stud holes in the covers (3-4" in from the end).

 

I seem to recall dealing with that exact issue on somebody's motor some time ago... but then after all those weenie little plastic Allen-screw-looking trim things fell out, they turfed them and got some GMPP ones (which didn't fit their A/C or alternator right either).

But it seems like what we did was to get the grommet that Edlebrock supplies that fits the PCV valve to go in the one side, and put that on the passenger's side; then punched or drilled or whatever the hole out on the other one, got the "matching" breather thing they sell and its grommet, and stuck it in the driver's side. It still barfed a little oil, but it was a more or less manageable amount, at least it didn't run all down the side of the motor and spew on the headers like those usually do.

This is typical of why i detest aftermarket valve covers, and will go to almost any lengths to avoid using them. They always screw up the simplest, stupidest things. Who in his right mind would actually prefer to buy VCs that do not support PCV to help keep the oil clean, and at the same time, puke oil all over themselves? If somebody made some decent quality ones that fit real cars with real accessories, and fit the fittings that real cars come with, so that they would hold all the oil inside the motor all the time (duh ?!?!?), surely there would be a market.

 

rb83l69: I'm almost certain that I saw a set of chrome aftermarket OEM replacement valve covers. They actually had all the correct holes! Maybe it's at Jeg's, I can't recall.

 

a pcv valve is a positive crankcase vaccum valve and is pretty much essential for the normal operation of your engine, dont eliminate it. also you dont need a cap that says oil on it you can just remove your breather and fill it there.. no problem.. otherwise just drill another hole and put a grommet in it for a breather or pcv valve...