I'm having a hell of a time getting all the replacement hoses and whatnot to fit right since I got new valve covers so I was considering just getting a breather. It'll clean up the look of the engine bay too. Has anyone done this without any change in performance at all?

 

The only problem with doing that on a MAF system is the possibility for unmetered air to enter the intake (that hose that runs to the throttle body is how the system meters the fresh air for the PCV system). Whether it makes much of a difference or not I couldn't tell you (never had a MAF system), but thats the theory. Probably be best to hook it back to where it was.

 

Well I'm converting to SD in a few days but I was curious if anyone else did it.

 

If you're converting to SD, no problem, I did it on my brothers LT1 intake conversion. The purpose of the hose (or whatever takes its place) is to supply the fresh air for the PCV system. As long as it does that, then it serves its purpose correctly.

 

I put a breather on mine and left the hole open on the TB. Nothing gets sucked in on that nipple that I know of.

 

Well no offense but I'm not really going to take your advice. I may be wrong, but the way it looks is that nipple goes straight to the throttle body right where it meets the intake pipe. AKA its sucking in unfiltered air. If thats the case then its obviously a bad idea. If not then someone please correct me.

 

You might want to plug it, it's a source for unfiltered air to get into the engine.

 

Put your finger there. It doesnt suck anything. What if you had a hose to the valve cover? Going to be sucking in oil and air like the PVC system is? That would equal out eachother. If you think about it on our cars and other cars, what kind of air is the PVC sucking in? unfiltered... The tube you are talking about is accually suppose to be fresh Air going INTO the valve cover.

 

Put your finger over the hole at WOT and try it.

 

Just plug it if you're not going to use it, its the logical thing to do.

 

The PCV can be a "closed system", meaning that fresh air is taken from a port in front of the TB (after the air cleaner assy) and introduced into one side of the motor. The other side comes out of the valve cover and into the connection on the throttle body "behind" the throttle blades.

In an "open" system, you can have a breather on one side valve cover and then connect the other side to the port behind the throttle blades.

Of course in both instances you need to have a PCV valve in the circuit to meter the amount of air that moves. I don't believe there is a benifit to either system, but to me using the built in air cleaner would insure that you have a fresh filter every once in a while where the push in breathers tend to stay installed for a lifetime.