I hate to say it but I murdered these, as they are rather rare, but it was worth it to put the Stellings on them. I know they look like just another set of early Cal Customs but they are actually older sandcast covers sold by JC Whitney.
Here ya go, I ground the fins off with a die grinder and finished thr final shape and flattened the bottom with a "cookie" or rol loc disc. It also has a PCV plumbed (and baffled) in the valley.
I've done this on several engines and it works great. The inline PCV is tapped into the bottom of the aftermarket breather.The top area above the threaded hole is filled with epoxy so that no air can enter under the cap. The air has to enter the engine from the matching breather on the other VC and the oil fill cap on the intake. Basically replacing the factory VC PCV/breather fittings with modified after market breathers that do the same job as the factory parts but just look cooler doing it. You can use Scotchbright or a copper pot scrubber to act as a baffle/filter medium to keep dirt out and oil in. I get both from the grocery store. The original hot rod brethers had foam rubber that deteriorates over time.
I got 2 Cal Custom 9 fins off ebay cheap (each was a single), and each was one that had the oil cap hole in it cut out and the PCV holes not knocked out, so I got 2 chrome mushroom breather caps, both bayonet mount, one is set up sealed with a rubber grommet for a PCV valve (late model engine and no fill tube on the intake). The tangs on the bottom had to be ground a little to fit, and I made a rubber gasket to fit and make them tight. I think this is the setup they use on BB Mopars. Jegs has both styles, Summit, only the breather. I only have one picture since I put them on:
Here's a classic example of "stuff I had lying around" that I put on my old 59 Edsel. (the one MissPrint owns now)
This may help. The tall aluminum tank is an oil/air separator I made to cure a problem with oil-laden air in the valley of my 462" Buick. The factory 'baffle' setup is inadequate with the PCV valve in the rear of the valley. Th PCV valve is un-baffled - which is my fault - it has some pieces that go in later. Note that the PCV valve is on top of the oil/air separator. It does the job pretty well and should do quite well once I get the drainback screens aand PCV baffle set up. More info can be found in a thread titled Oil/Air Separator.
Hello Algon, One question. Why are dual breathers needed on one valve cover? Have I missed something or what? Thanks so much.
I did mine per Tommy's suggestion and works great. This is the PCV valve I used. (Sorry pics on the next post) DD
Kiwi, Any idea what brand those finned breathers are or any history regarding when they were made?? I love em and also have a set on my engine. I bought a set of used vette covers on ebay with these breathers attached just to get the breathers. Then I polished em up and painted them to match my existing polished/painted vette valve covers. I remember seeing them on the yellow mid fifties gasser panel with the crossram (is that the vehicle/engine pictured in your post??) I absolutely love them because you rarely see a set anywhere.
Once again Kiwi Kev plays his trump card..... Now I am going to have to spend the next month on eBay trying to find a set. Damn! Hopefully next week I will be at a stage where I can share some pictures of my mock up for comment and review. Thanks again guys. P.
Blown and high compression high rpm engines build more internal pressure and are often used with larger sized or multiple breathers. I plan to wing the snot out of that motor, and am interested in any benefit I can add to it while keeping in the tradition of things, though I doubt four will make any difference in my case over two. I also just prefer the balanced appearance of four Stellings verses a single chrome breather, which on these oddly overhung the side of the cover.
Those were originally made by Bell Auto Parts and were featured as new for June 1963 by Popular Hotrodding. There is a version of the exact same casting that is chromed pot metal, I want to say that Cal Custom ended up with the design l'm not 100 percent sure but remember seeing the chrome ones in a Cal Custom blister pack. Try Scott "Aluminum-man" on Ebay...
"Bell Auto Parts" That is COOL! I knew they were likely obscure but thought they might be Offenhauser or something. I love em and for their uniqueness and style. Good to know what they actually are. Thanks.
No big deal, I found them looking through some old mags by chance. Scott used to have pairs of them for $30 before they blew up. I foolishly put them back in the crate since they weren't what I wanted. No one seems to know what they are but the last two sets I've seen were over $200.
They are called GT breathers. They also came straight (no 90 degree bend at the bottom) I have magazines with ad's for them, also in a 69 Bell catalog.
I would love to see a scan of your advertisements or Bell catalog. I actually pulled out my old 1959 Almquist catalog last night to see if they were in there, but it was a little too early at that time for any fancy breathers. That was before it was mentioned that they came out around 1963. However, there was a great ad for a 471 complete sbc blower setup for $255 and Big Daddy himself was pushing dragster chassis. Love those old catalogs!
Yep, hard to dispute print. O/T but whats wild are some of the wheels, those ugly tri bar wheels amoung others that were so big in the 80's-90's are early 60's wheels that never sold that were then reissued. Some even carry the same names.
No wonder those GT breathers are scarce, $22 bucks a pair wasnt peanuts back then. BTW what are those KP breathers? I've never heard of KP.
Kiwi, got any of those long straight Offenhausers like in the middle of your picture of your display you want to turn loose of ? I've got a set of Offenhauser covers that were drilled for straight breathers, but I have no breathers.
Kiwi!! Thanks a million for that scan of the GT breathers, and the other scans as well. Cool of you to take the time to add those here and neat to see.
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