Y Block PCV

Ok, I know the topic of PCV system in Y blocks has been covered before but is there any reason I cant use the side of the block where the existing draft tube is to plum in a PCV to vacuum? I would like to keep it standard looking and don't want to drill my alloy valve covers or do I want to remove the intake manifold to drill the valley cover. Engine is fresh rebuild and I know I should have done it then but.....I didn't!! I was thinking of making a block to put between the draft tube and the block with a hose fitting.

Cheers
Norm
 
That should work except the opening is into the crankcase right beside the crankshaft so there is a lot of oil flying around. Thus you can suck oil into the PCV system. You'll notice the original road draft housing had a drain to direct excess oil back into the crankcase. You could just block the little round vent holes in the oil fill cap, drill a hole in top of the cap for a rubber grommet and PCV valve. Fresh air will then be pulled in through the road draft tube (which has a filter in it) and crankcase fumes then go up the oil fill pipe into the intake.
 
Yes, that is a good idea....I was trying for a more closed system due to the smell...do you think would fumes still come out the draft tube? The block I was to make was going to have an inch of pipe going straight up and then hose before an inline PCV...do you think oil will be sucked through that? I was going to use the filler cap for the filtered air going in from the air filter.

Cheers
 
Well, I also find the standard carter ventilation not the best solution. While standing still sometimes the little smoke comes from under the car.

Is it possible to connect a filter to the end of that pipe? (= the pipe that is mounted on the ignition side of the engineblock).
 
The tidiest way is to use a truck valley cover with top vent tube or drill your own valley cover and plumb the pcv from there. That way you block off the bottom draft tube which can be a source of oil leaks.
I see you're in W.A. Welcome aboard.
 
Hi Rick, yes that would be the best way but when I built the engine I couldn't find a truck valley cover and now it's together I wasn't to keen to take the intake manifold off to drill the standard one. However if you drill the standard one wouldn't you have to weld a baffle under the hole to stop the oil that is flicked up from the disy being suck in the the valve? And yes I'm in WA I've attended some of the 49-59 cruises.

Cheers
Norm
 
Yeah norm you will need to weld a baffle under the hole so that oil can't get flicked or sucked up the valve. I have done it in the past and it is a neat installation. I can't place you as having been on a cruise.
 
Yes 434, you do need to weld on a baffle. I had a eight inch long peice of 1 5/8 tube laying on the bench. I cut 1 1/2 inches off at a 45*angle, and welded the two back to make a 90. I welded a flat washer on the end, and drilled the top of the tube with 1/4 inch holes, and the bottom with 1/8 inch holes. The baffle was welded to the valey pan and it no longer sucks oil.
 
Great, thanks for the advice... I should have do it when the engine was apart but didn't think the new engine would breath so much, I might give it a few more hundred miles and see what happens. Rick I have the black and yellow 57 customline.

Cheers
 
Adding a PCV system to a Y-Block is very simple it you avoid trying to re-invent the wheel.
I have converted every Y-Block vehicle I have had for the past twenty-five plus years. I use the basic system that came on the 64 Ford 292 trucks; Remove the stock road draft tube from the valley cover, held in place with a 1/4" bolt. Attach the hose adapter that came on the '64 292's, route the hose to one of the many vacuum ports in the intake manifold. If the '64 292 PVC is used, it can be threaded right into a vacuum port. On some engines, especially those with a 4 brl carb, a right angle fitting may be required.
If the engine has a crank case vent, usually on the lower left side of the block, it must be removed and blocked off. For originality, a block-off plate can be inserted between the vent and the block.
The oil fill tube must have a vented cap so that fresh air can be drawn into the system. The is no need to run a hose from the oil fill cap to the carb air cleaner. The hose is very common on factory systems, where-as they were concerned about filtering the fresh air before it entered the engine.
If a '64 Ford 292 valley adapter can not be found, GM used a similar adapter on the 63-67 SBC's. The Ford adapter has a longer hose pipe which turns up slightly, where-as the GM is rather short and exits the adapter at a right angle.
I have used a variation of this system on some 292's, running the PCV into a valve cover similar to the SBC's.. I use the GM PCV and valve cover grommet, locating same between two rocker arms, which provides room for a baffle that must be fabricated and installed, to eliminate oil from being drawn into the system.
In the past we found that the addition of a PCV tended to make the engine run a little rich due to the oil vapors, leaning the carb out a bit helped. Recently we found that the new fuels tend to be quite lean, therefore the carb on my '57 Bird had to be made a little richer, that improved performance.
I have attached a pix of the 312 engine in my '57 Bird.. looking closely you can see the PCV hose coming out of the intake manifold, adjacent to the oil fill cap.
 

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Ok it seems obvious if I don't want to drill a hole in the valve cover I need to modify the valley cover, thanks all for the advice.

Cheers Norm
 
I don't know if this will help, but I've used them before.

Moroso makes a PCV grommet with a baffle. If you can find a way to mount it to the block off plate, or the original canister filter, it should work.

Or find the oil fill cap mentioned above, with the push on/seal/tube, and put the valve from there to the carb.

Then the grommet/baffle can go to a breather or the air cleaner.

Might take a bit of fiddling, but less than pulling the manifold.

They come in other sizes, $5 US, check the catalog.


http://www.moroso.com/eb/catalog/na...og.productgroup.&expand=true&menuId=main.menu

Mike
 
Ok it seems obvious if I don't want to drill a hole in the valve cover I need to modify the valley cover, thanks all for the advice.

Cheers Norm

I guess I'm being a little dense, in understanding the absence of a breather tube opening in your valley cover. I will assume that the problem is a result of your use of an aftermarket billet style of valley cover.. If this is the case, then you have a problem..
Many of the after market manufactures do not incorporate any access ports for emission controls. Reading their product info sheets will reveal that they do not recommend their products for engine that have emission controls..
Removing the intake and valley cover, modifying same for a port and required baffle is a lot of work. However, the end result would be a neat clean installation.
A second option is to find a location on one of your valve covers where you can drill the required hole, install a baffle and plumb in the PCV.
The end result of a having a PCV in an engine is well worth the effort. I have several friends that have very big objections to having PVC's on their SBC/Ford engines.. They are constantly plagued with engines that throw oil, blow gaskets, etc. yet they refuse to install PCV's because they don't want a "damn smog motor"..
 
Well now, it would seem that I have had a huge brain fart regarding my memory of where the road draft tube port is located on a Y-block..
my memory told me the access for the road draft tube was in the valley cover... Wrong!! it is located in the rear of the block..
I'm currently traveling, been in Montana for over a week, so I could not go out into my garage, and/or shop to look at either of the vehicles that I have with Y-blocks.. Sorry about my miss information, however, the installation of the '64 Ford PCV hose adapter is still the same, just not in the valley cover..
I'm now wondering what "blackpearls" problem is? If he is working on any year of a Y-block, there should be a port in the block adjacent to the distributor for the crank case breather..
Guess I'll hike out to the barn and look at the '59 F100 4x 292, that I put a PCV on about ten years ago..
 
Blucar,you were right the first time.The port for the PCV is in the valley cover,not the block.

Hmmmmm? I based my "act of contrition" on info I observed on eBay when I saw two Y-block valley covers, that did not have the road draft tube ports.
It would appear that there are variations in the valley covers, maybe between truck and car, and/or years..
I know that the '57 312 in my Bird had a road draft tube which I removed to install the '64 truck PCV system..
My '59 F100 292, which has 312 heads and T-bird valve covers, also has a '64 truck PCV system..
Oh well, once I thought I was wrong, but then I found that I was mistaken..
 
we'll on both my 57 customline 272 and the 62 truck motor I have just rebuilt the draft tube is in the block on the left hand side, the valley covers I have used are both original ford and have no draft tube of holes in them aside from the oil filler tube, it would seem my only real option is to modify the existing valley cover....however Removing the valley cover at this point is a pain....I think I will just drive it awhile !!!
 
You are right 434, drive it. This is a great winter project. Oh wait! Its winter where you are! One other thing to think about when you have a valley cover off, or at overhaul time. The four corners of the valley cover often leak. I center the cover on the block and drill holes through the cover and the corner of the block. I tap the block to 10-32, and enlarge the holes in the cover just a bit. Use a gasket hole punch on a new gasket, glue it in place with a few dabs of trim cement, This allows four little screws on the outside edge, and the two big bolts in the center. Good by leaks and seeps.
 
Y-block guys,
I'm a little late to the PCV conversation, but my '57 Bird smells of exhaust while driving too. Has anyone seen the conversion kit in CASCO'catalog?? A spacer is installed under the carb and a grommet is put in place of the valley-pan breather pipe, in the valley pan. A PCV valve in plugged into the grommet and a hose connects the valve to the carb spacer pipe. Seems very clean, but must loose the road pipe which ruins authenticity. I would wonder if any of you can comment on the loss of vacuum due to the sucking at this point??? How about performance??? What do you think??

Milt K from Pa
 
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