Are the old small block chevy offenhauser valve covers with the side mount breathers very hard to find? Did they come on any factory produced cars? I have been looking for a set and have not found much info on them.
Any Offenhauser sbc valve covers you see with breathers have had them added on after the fact. They were never factory issue.
So you are saying Offenhauser made the side mount breathers and they made valve covers but never sold them put together?
They were made by Offenhauser as dress up items sold in speed shops mostly. These are Offy breathers on Cal Custom 2nd generation valve covers. The Offy VCs will have Offenhauser cast in the center of the fins. If they don't the name then the VCs aren't Offys. The breathers and VCs were sold separately. The VCs were pricey compared to the cheaper Cal Custom units so I don't think they sold as many and so they are harder to find than the cheaper varieties. When I was a kid the really hot engines would have the add on breathers. For me it was a styling cue that this was a bad mamma jamma. I love 'em. If you take the breather apart you'll probably find some really funky foam or remnants of it. I use the green scotchbrite kitchen pads sold in the grocery store to make a new filter element for them. Use scissors to cut 3 or 4 strips of scotchbrite sandwiched between the original perforated steel plates to make a perfect fit. They can be modified to work with a PCV valve instead of drilling a hole in the fins.
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