Hi, A couple weeks ago I was asking some questions on the HAMB about getting my 1965 327 set-up so that it looks a little more period correct. Three years ago I was looking to just get the car up and running so I just cobbled the look of my engine bay together so that I could drive the car. Now that I have some time over the winter I am planning on getting a little more of a period correct look. In one of my last posts I talked about it here and 65pannelrat (thanks man!)put me on to a set of MT valve covers with vintage breathers mounted in the tops of the valve covers. If you want to know more about how I got the actual covers with the vintage style breathers take a look at this post. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=740882 So I just got the covers today in the mail and they look really good. They need a bit of polishing but that can wait. What I would like to know is how do you set the breathers up? When I pulled them off I noticed and you can see from the picture that the previous owner has put a solid gasket on the bottom of the breather and there is no way that any air will go in or out past the actual breather? Do I just bolt them on without the gasket? There appears to be an aluminum panel inside the actual breather itself I am guessing that this is some sort of baffle that is in the actual cast of the breather. I am guessing that this is used to eliminate oil splash? What is the proper way of setting these things up so that they work correctly? Thanks J
I've always just made a gasket for the perimeter of the breather so the holes are not blocked, then used a small filter inside the breather itself to keep small particles from entering though them. I did this exact thing a couple weeks back with my M/T finned covers and Offy breathers. Mine had baffles inside as well, but the breathers are a lot bigger than yours so the filters and baffles can live together comfortably in the ones i have. Don't know if a filter can be squeezed in yours or not. Why they previous owner had solid gaskets is beyond me. No point in having the breathers even there that way. Tony
Hey, What kinda of material did you use for the filter? I was thinking of using a screen of some sort under the valve cover and affixing it with the bolts and lock washers that go thru the valve cover into the breather itself? However if I put a small filter and the screen then hopefully it will cut down on oil misting out??? J
The guy put a solid gasket on it because he screwed up by mounting them to the lower part of the cover instead of the high point. Prob had constant oil smoke on the exhaust.
Briggs and Stratton lawn mower filter, the ones that are foam. Just cut to fit. I ALWAYS use lock washers when i bolt em on, but also a dab of lock ***e too. On a side note, i also installed a PCV valve where the old road draft tube was too. ( i have a 63 327, your 65 has the same provision right behind the intake) That helps cut way down on any residual oil that may be prone to get past the baffle/filter. Like, pretty much stops anything simply due to it helping evacuate the crank case, even if it's only a little. Did my old 283 that way too and never had oil out of the breathers. Tony
Nope blow by is caused by a worn out engine not by the breathers. They would like to have a small baffle box under them of they don't already. It will help keep the rocker covers clean.
Tony, Thanks for the lead man on the filter! You also read my mind about the PCV. I am planning on mounting the PCV valve in the old road draft tube hole too.
Hey man nice score... What I use in mine is ole time scouring pad material , you can find them at Walmart or your local ol time hardware store , they come in stainless and copper and works very well . you can pack it as tight or loose as gets the job done for you . I do see one issue for you , the opening that is cut in your covers is quite large where mine is a series of small holes. the material is like shreaded foil so you could make a new gasket like the old one put smaller holes that would contain the filtering material... the stuff is cheap so its worth a look.. Ed
Porkn****** are you talking about the baffle inside the breather casting or one that is actually under the vavle cover where the screws go through the valve cover itself? J
Good idea Ed! I was thinking of putting fine screen material under the valve cover to fix this problem. Just got to find the material that would be right for the screening. I was thinking about using old steel stereo cap material but I think I need to find material with smaller holes! J
Under the valve cover itself, they leak around the gasket once you rockers begin to throw enough oil up against them. I have even tried permatexing them over the years to no avail.
Pretty much all breathers need baffles. Usually just a piece of sheetmetal keeping the oil from going straight up the breather. Get Offys here - http://www.offyparts.com/index.php/cPath/23
Dane I don't really see the baffles you are talking about? It would be good to find a set that are premade? I was thinking that I could use my father in laws aluminum break to make a couple??? Hmmm??? J
The PO obviously got tired of oil leaking out of the breathers; I think you will too over time. Use the oil fill/breather in the front of the intake manifold (hope you have that), and the PCV setup at the back of the block to the carb base. Keep the breathers for "appearences only". Personally, I prefer the M/T valve covers to be un-touched; mine are 1959 1/2 and EARLIER, staggered bolt, valve covers, but what's interesting is that they have "327" cast inside of them (just a goof on the suppliers end I bet). IF you really want to run the valve covers, with the breathers to function, oil drips and all, just cut an appropriate hole in the gasket. Butch/56sedandelivery.
I always thought these covers were cast for the 327, but were tweeked for the staggered bolt heads. You can see the extra "meat" in the casting where the lower bolts would have been.
I have a number of MT valve covers. So if they don't work the way that I want them too oh well. I am going to try and cobble something together to make them work. I am thinking of a baffle, a screen under the baffle and some type of polyurethane filter inside the breather might eliminate a lot of the possible oil drips that may occurr. Will just have to see. J
I just fold up a little box out of shim stock. It can be real thin or has to be to miss the rockers and you dont even have to punch holes in it it will let enougn air past the seams if you don't fold it real tight. A little tab sticking out for the screw to go through and use the same screw that attaches the breather. Some Mickeys actually had baffle boxes cast into them, maybe they were the later tiawanese ones.
Check out those air cleaner mounted PCV filter elements. Look at the one for GM 305 engines, they're pretty big and can be cut up. Try a Fram BA3554 breather element. Bob
Lower bolts? the 1955 to 1959 slant hole covers, are tapered at the top.. as in the top spread is closer and the bottom spread is Normal .
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