Technical UH OH, FLATHEAD ATE MY PCV VALVE

Man, that’s a blessing finding that ball!!
And here I’ve been pissin’ and moanin’ about my throes getting my trailer ready to go pick up one of my cars.
If that spring hasn’t been pulled up to the carb adapter plate by vacuum, you’ve got a tough road ahead. I would think lifter valley. Can you go in the front of the manifold with the scope after removing the PCV adapter?
Best wishes in finding that little POS quickly and without any further issues.

 

That is tomorrow's quest. Maybe the ball went down and the spring went up? Worth a shot.

Pulling the intake ****s (pun intended). That pruned blower was done for looks, not for ease of R&R.

It is really small. I don't think it can do much harm if it does meet the rotating ***embly. But...I am trying to prevent that from happening .

I will look in the hose and the screen over the blower tomorrow. I would sleep better if I found that spring.

That I have no idea. One theory is that the spring got ****ed up the hose, leaving the ball bearing to rattle about like a jack hammer, finally breaking through the plastic housing and entering the pan. Maybe? I have no clue. The search continues.

 

Here's your answer: AC Delco, Metal and Made in the US. $7.99

 

On my 8BA the draft hole in the intake is cast into the intake manifold. It crosses the engine form the left (where the PVC Valve is located) and crosses the valley to the open round hole in the intake valley. From there it drops (almost) straight down into the pan. It does have a hole in the casting that vents the timing cover area. Maybe the spring got lucky and bounced in through that hole and got into the timing gears? If so, it would be destroyed by now by the steel gears. Thus, I doubt the spring being in the lifter valley is viable, I just don't see how it is possible given my (limited) understanding of this engines ventilation system. Maybe up the vacuum line, that makes sense. I will investigate that tomorrow. The engine may be fine without finding it but I won't rest easy until I do.

Word to the wise...Don't buy that PCV valve! I didn't cause this. And this could have ended a 20-thousand-dollar flathead.

 

That will require some adaption but I concur. I want these cheap Chinesium knockoffs out of my engine and out of my life! This valve I used is being supplied to everyone that buys that PCV kit online. In my opinion it is garbage and could cost you a very rare and valuable engine. Caveat emptor

 

Chinesium. You have boiled it down to one word.
Bravo.

 

I don’t think that spring could ever make that 90° turn and even get to the hose. My guess is the heat and oil degraded the cheap material it’s made of and it all fell out the bottom.

 

The only time this style comes apart is when you clean it.

 

They make a straight one that’s all metal.

 

There is another working theory, possible that there was no spring at all. The ball would have bounced around until it broke through the bottom plastic and fell into the pan? Not impossible. I always shake and give them the **** and blow test, it's just a guess.

What is that? Part number?

I found an AC Delco unit this morning at NAPA while picking up my pan gasket set. It will require a little rework of that adapter I bought off the Ford Barn but it is aluminum, and I think it will be fairly easy to open it up a bit. The new one is 3/4" diameter, so I have some hogging to do. But is metal, has a 90-degree elbow, made is the good ol USA and I ordered a half dozen of them so I have them on hand.

 

You cut open one of your spares so you should be pretty sure that there’s a spring in each one. I would check the hose first thing. Since you have the pan off, search around in the crankcase with fingers and a hi-powered flashlight , you never know where it might have parked itself when you shut it off last time. At least you can rule that area out.

 

Old Mopar pcv`s are all metal and crimped where the ball can`t get out

 

There are lots of decent PCV valves around with metal housings that should fit. You just have to be careful of which way the flow goes.

 

Pricey but a very nice unit and works well.
https://mewagner.com/?p=444

 

I ran the camera up the ventilation shaft (Doc did that to me not long ago) all the way to the Intake hole, didn't see anything. I'm finishing my coffee and then I'll pull that hose and check the carb adapter.

Question while I have the pan off, how much room do you guys leave between the pickup screen and the pan floor? My screen is pretty high, but I don't want it ****ing **** off the bottom of the pan as I don't run a filter.

 

Crazy! Someone put a lot of thought into that! Where mine is located it would be impossible to tune it but a really interesting idea.

 

Well there isn’t any way the spring went up the hose. The line is empty and the spring diameter is larger than the orifice in the fitting.

 

That’s good news I think
Dan

 

Sooooo it had to go down. now can you get a scope to follow the possible springs path to it's landing place?

 

I have been in this type of situation was unable to find and not knowing if it was even in the old pan / valley .
I used like 15 pd pull magnets
Oil pan / valley heads .

10,000 rpm BB

I am surprise you do not use the Wagner PVC ! ?

 

Wow! That ball sure looks like it has a lotta flathead goop on it. And the PCV isn't even chromed.

 

I ran the scope through the block, nothing. There is a chance that it fell out when I swapped that PCV out and it’s lying on the floor somewhere. Who knows. I did my diligence. Putting the pan back on.

Not chrome but I made some improvements.

 

I one I had a3/4” but for some reason. Opened up that aluminum adapter. Sharp bit

drilled and tapped a 12/24 for a set screw. Have it a little bevel before tapping.

installed the AC Delco unit, put an O ring under the collar on the PCV valve, slipped the other ring back on and shrink wrapped the hose so it looks nicer.

That’s a PCV fit for a Flathead. Installed, now get that pan on and some new 20/50 VR1

 

The end of that pvc looks like a rat was chewing on it lol
Dan

 

If anyone is concerned about this happening again, there are fixed orifice PCV valves.

They have no moving parts.

I use them on much of what I build these days, as few have carburetors. A cycling PCV valve can really piss off an IAC and a MAP sensor.

The one that I use the most is the AC Delco 19313318. They take a 3/8" hose, and fit in a common 3/4" grommet hole.



Yeah, you could make your own. The hole is 0.100".

I am not going to touch a tool to save $7.

 

^ I've been trying to locate one of these, but with a 90 degree hose fitting. Do they exist?

 

I have not seen one. I just shoved a spark plug boot on the last one that needed a 90-degree fitting.

 

Haa! That's what I have on it now. Oh well, it works. Thanks for the reply!

 

Bandit,
Just have to ask - why the aversion to an oil filter on such an expensive engine? I know packaging space can get tight, etc., but after looking at the oil pan photo I'd think even a partial flow filter would be better than none?

 

You need to take the engine to the same doc you recently visited. His equipment could probably find that spring.