I just finished dropping in a carbed 350 into my 84 camaro. I have the car running fine, but I have a quick question about the PCV system. The valve covers I'm running each have one hole on them. Am i to assume the passenger side should have an oil breather cap on it, and the driver's side should run the PCV valve from the oil filler cap hole to the carb? Is it as simple as this or am I missing something? Thanks for the help as always.

 

Correct,
Base of carb should have fitting for PCV line.

 

Great, thats what I thought, appreciate the help.

 

Do you have to run a PCV valve or can you block off the vacuum nipple?

I simply just dont like the looks of it, i have edelbrock elite valve covers, each with only 1 whole in them; i have a oil fill cap on one and a air filter breather on the other.

 

A single valve cover breather is fine without a PCV valve.

If you're required to pass a visual for emissions you'll need both a PCV valve and a hose from the passenger side valve cover to the air cleaner to help pull the blow-by in to the engine when there's not enough vacuum to operate the PVC valve.

 

PCV system is there for a purpose , to draw the fumes and moisture out of the crankcase so sludge doesn't form. Especially in short, cold driving where the oil doesn't get hot enough to boil the water off

 

So whats the deal with these guys saying they are ending up with oil in there intake and whatnot? I did some searching around on the forum but i got such mixed answers.

What is gunna happen, at worst, if i just use one air filter breather on one valve cover and just an oil fill cap on the other valve cover?

 

By the way, im not worried about emmisions at all....

 

Another purpose of the PCV system, is to apply a slight vacuum to the crankcase, to help the rings seal better.....

If you are getting oil in the intake, you either have too high of a flow rate PCV valve, or, you have bigger problems. (bad rings.)

 

It's up to you, I wouldn't worry about it. Yes, it has a purpose, so does an ECM, but if it weren't for emissions testing requirements on my 88' I'd rip it out.

 

You end up with oil in the intake when your system isn't working properly, you have too much crankcase pressure, or you don't have baffles in your valve covers.

At worst, the stagnant blow-by gasses will dissolve into your oil and form acids, which shortens the life of your engine.

 

I have baffles in my valve covers. And how can this crankcase pressure problem be resolved besides the PCV?



So change oil regularly and/or pull the fill plug and breather when not in use?

 

Breathers will vent the crankcase pressure if you don't mind them blowing oily film over your valve cover.

No, run a PCV system.

 

So Apeiron, i see you have a 383 carbd motor, lets see some pics of your pcv system.

I am not really understanding why the PCV system is so important when i have breathers and am willing to deal with the "oily film" blown on my valve covers. And i have to say that i aint really afraid to change my oil a little more than i normally would.

 

What's to see? it's a breather, a PCV valve, and about 6 inches of hose.

The PCV system draws fresh air through the crankcase to flush out the blowby gasses that collect there, so that the air in the crankcase is always relatively clean. Running breathers, there's nothing to flush it out, so it gets filled and stays filled with gasoline fumes and combustion byproducts to contaminate your oil.

 

That would be TPI guys where the PCV supply line runs back to the TB
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/post...094-post9.html

 

Pollution is the main reason for recirculation systems.
The PCV valve, EGR valve, A.I.R pump., and Vapor canister are basically emissions recirculation systems. To relieve crankcase pressure early cars had simple open systems (tube from valve cover down towards the ground.)
If you haven't figured it out by now, Calif decided that no unburnt hydrocarbons should escape freely into the air, and blow-by has a very high concentration of HC therefore it must be recirculated which requires a closed system. Any blow-by that can't be removed by the PCV valve will flow through a sealed valve cover filter breather to a port above the throttle blades where it's pulled in along with fresh air.
Even the radiator overflow was directed to the ground until it also was made a closed system.

 

At least that was down in the airstream under the car creating some suction on the system