[Harley Monster]

I am building a new engine for my '36 Ford (SBC) and I would like to have clean (No Breather/pcv valve), vintage valve covers. I am going to use a Barry Grant Old School Six Shooter intake manifold that has no provisions for an oil fill nor a place to drill for one as the early Chevys had.

Do any of you have any experience with a remote breather/oil fll?

I have an extra polished aluminum power steering reservoir with an O-ringed top and a fitting on the bottom to supply fluid to the pump. I am considering using this for an oil fill by installing a fitting on the oil pan and run a braided hose to the reservoir to be used as a vent/oil fill. This could be mounted on the firewall or inner fender panel. This would also be the fresh air source for the PCV system as well as a place to add oil.

The engine PCV valve could be put any place that is exposed to crankcase pressure on the top side of the engine or manifold and connected to a vacuum source.

These are my preliminary thoughts on this...anyone have a better idea?

Harley Monster

[oldbogie]

Originally Posted by Harley Monster

I am building a new engine for my '36 Ford (SBC) and I would like to have clean (No Breather/pcv valve), vintage valve covers. I am going to use a Barry Grant Old School Six Shooter intake manifold that has no provisions for an oil fill nor a place to drill for one as the early Chevys had.

Do any of you have any experience with a remote breather/oil fll?

I have an extra polished aluminum power steering reservoir with an O-ringed top and a fitting on the bottom to supply fluid to the pump. I am considering using this for an oil fill by installing a fitting on the oil pan and run a braided hose to the reservoir to be used as a vent/oil fill. This could be mounted on the firewall or inner fender panel. This would also be the fresh air source for the PCV system as well as a place to add oil.

The engine PCV valve could be put any place that is exposed to crankcase pressure on the top side of the engine or manifold and connected to a vacuum source.

These are my preliminary thoughts on this...anyone have a better idea?

Harley Monster

This could be made to work, but! It takes careful design and execution.

- The hose into the pan must always be above the oil level, otherwise it cannot act as a breather.

- Lots of oil is flying around the bottom end which is why the factories don't typically put breathers there as it's hard to separate the oil aerosol from crankcase vapors. Breathing from the valley under the intake and or rocker covers gets around that problem which is why the factory likes those locations. So the tube from the pan will have to be carefully baffled to prevent oil from coming up with the vapors.

- Once you have a design that separates oil from vapors then a plain ordinary PCV valve connected to a manifold vacuum source is simple enough.

Bogie

[hyarbour]

I'm having a similar problem with my build. I plan on using 1" valve cover spacers, needed to clear roller rockers anyway, and then drilling and mounting the rectangular breathers to the outside of those. I still haven't decided how to get oil into it yet.

[Harley Monster]

I don't know why my remote fill idea will not work, for one you don't add oil very often and a 3/8" line might be slow at oil change time but I think it would work.

Additional thoughts are to tap a fitting into the top of the remote reservoir with a vacuum line to the manifold with a PCV valve..the reservoir could be "packed" with very coarse stainless steel wool as a condensor for oil vapor which would drain back to the pan. I already have one of these units for a remote power steering reservoir so a matching one on the other side would not look out of place.

Braided lines and fittings would look race.

Still just thinking and open to ideas....

Harley Monster

[hyarbour]

Depending on your installation. How about putting in an oil cooler and adapter, then you could tee into that with a check valve between that and your reservoir.
You could also just go with a bulkhead tube fitting directly into the oil pan.

[techron]

i have the same problem, i built a 383 chev with early corvette valve covers ( no provision for oil or breathers ) and an old nascar style single 4bbl cross ram manifold ( only markings on it are SY1, smokey yunich?? ) i dont want to cut the vintage valve covers and there is no place on the manifold to drill for the old style oil fill tube. i am thinking about boring a hole at the rear verticle side of the block just above the bellhousing mount and fabing up an oil fill tube/ breather with a 90 begree angle at the bottom to insert in the hole. the hole in the block will go into the lifter valley. anybody see a problem with that solution???

[oldbogie]

Originally Posted by techron

i have the same problem, i built a 383 chev with early corvette valve covers ( no provision for oil or breathers ) and an old nascar style single 4bbl cross ram manifold ( only markings on it are SY1, smokey yunich?? ) i dont want to cut the vintage valve covers and there is no place on the manifold to drill for the old style oil fill tube. i am thinking about boring a hole at the rear verticle side of the block just above the bellhousing mount and fabing up an oil fill tube/ breather with a 90 begree angle at the bottom to insert in the hole. the hole in the block will go into the lifter valley. anybody see a problem with that solution???

One could consider coming off the timing case cover. The accessories and their drives plus the water pump would provide visual concealment. The forward bulkhead would provide the much needed separation between the vent and the crankcase helping keep oil out of the vent. Boring holes in the timing case cover has less expensive impacts to the engine than having something go wrong with a hole you just put in a major casting like the block.

Bogie

[techron]

Originally Posted by oldbogie

One could consider coming off the timing case cover. The accessories and their drives plus the water pump would provide visual concealment. The forward bulkhead would provide the much needed separation between the vent and the crankcase helping keep oil out of the vent. Boring holes in the timing case cover has less expensive impacts to the engine than having something go wrong with a hole you just put in a major casting like the block.

Bogie

i thought about that also, but the accessories, waterpump will also restrict you from getting anything large enough to use as an oil fill, mine is for an early application so i am useing the short water pump. i would also wonder about the possability of oil occasionally being tossed into the vent by the chain, like heavy braking when oil runs to the front of the pan. with as much grinding, modifying as i do on my engines boring one more hole in a casting doesnt bother me at all. my engine is going in a an early vette and that is where it will stay unless it blows up and then having an extra hole in the block wont make any difference. but your suggestion is another creative solution and that is what the OP asked for.

[techron]

harley, i am still thinking on this and i just read its going in a 36 coupe, another possibility i am thinking of is a hole in the same location, back of block, and tapping it for 90 deg. earoquip fitting for maybe -8, -10 braided hose to a remote breather, fill can mounted on the firewall.

[Chevrolet4x4s]

why not drill a hole high in the side of the oilpan baffle it have a push in breather with pcv valve. then just pull the breather and add oil?
Shane

[tinman386]

Why not fab a piece of pipe that goes into your dipstick tube? You could connect to that with a large enough piece to accept a breather and just reduce the other end to fit on your dip stick tube. I probably dont know what im talking about but from what i visualize it sounds like it would work. Copper tubing from the hardware store can easily be soldered and there are many different sizes to choose from.

[cliff tate]

Originally Posted by tinman386

Why not fab a piece of pipe that goes into your dipstick tube? You could connect to that with a large enough piece to accept a breather and just reduce the other end to fit on your dip stick tube. I probably dont know what im talking about but from what i visualize it sounds like it would work. Copper tubing from the hardware store can easily be soldered and there are many different sizes to choose from.

why not leave the car in the front yard and plant flowers in the front and back. arnt we being a little to sanitary, my idea is make it simple drive it have fun, how it looks is secondary

[Tech @ BG]

You wouldn't want to put a breather on the dip stick tube since there will crankcase pressure.

The simplest way to do this would be to run a hose to one of the 3/8" pipe plug above your oil filter to use as a filler hose.

Then you would attach your cannister to the back of your valve covers (this is common on race engines) this is where you'll attach your PCV valve.

[tinman386]

Hey Cliff tate. I can appreciate your simple ways. But this is called hot rodding and correct me if im wrong but isnt hottrodding all about doing what you want wether its a custom or a stock restored. The guy asked a question he is doing with his rod what he wants. I merely made a suggestion. Tech@bg simply explained why it wouldnt work and thats fine i dont know everything heck i probably dont know much of anything. But atleast i am trying to give out ideas instead of criticism.

[Harley Monster]

Tech@BG...

Fantastic, you are the guy I need to be talking to! I want to use the BG Six Shooter Old School manifold and carbs on this engine...but would love to have the non-breather valve covers. I am sure this is not the first time this has come up using your manifold and I would like to know your recommended solutions.

Two problems to overcome:

1. Oil fill: You suggest using the plug above the oil filter...I will have to check my block (late model roller cam, 4 bolt), it is at the machinist's shop. I assume this is not an oil pressure port and if used the oil will only drain back into the block.

2. PCV valve/breather: I want to run a PCV valve to keep the crankcase pressures down for better ring seating, potential leaks, etc. Is there a provision on this manifold for a PCV valve? Would the vacuum source be a carb base or somewhere else on the manifold. Are these provisions cast into the manifold or would I have to machine sources? Do the carb bases have vacuum sources? I will not need the vacuum for vacuum advance due to the distributors you recommend, all MSD on your list are mechanical advance.

I was considering using this spare power steering remote reservoir for a combination oil fill/breather. It is a nice looking piece, has a drain in the bottom to normally supply the PS pump, I could weld another fitting near the top below the O-ringed cap to the vacuum source with an inline PCV valve. I could plumb the drain to the boss on the block that you mentioned. What do you think?

If this is feasable, I think it would be a functional solution and allow me to use the old timey, clean, non-vented valve covers such as Cal Customs or early Corvette to complete the "look."

Where are cusomers mounting their coils when using this manifold?

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

ALSO, I am having a problem finding a dealer that has the Old School set up. Any suggestions there? Are these manifolds being shipped now?

THANKS for your help!

Harley Monster