Pcv?
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Pcv?
My friend just bought a 74 F-100 w/ a 360. The guy he bought it from apparently put on a set of valve covers with no holes for PCV just a oil filler cap. Truck runs fine but will not having a working ventilation system and a PCV Valve cause any harm.
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From: Brea CA
Yes, you need to ventilate the crankcase with breathers or a PCV. The blow-by vapors form acids and sludge buildup. Before the years of PCV, they would hang a big pipe off the rear of the engine to draft out the gasses.
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From: Upstate NY
Breathers on both sides will do the job nicely. If you get any fumes in the cab you can always add PCV later. The PCV dosen't make the engine run any better in and of itself. It just does it's job of Pollution Control Valve.
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PCV ends up cleaner than just breathers as it pulls the fumes out with some vacuum. We had a 283 that was supposed to be 20,000 mile rig. No pcv. The gunk in those valve covers was awful. I think it was a 120,000 mile car....
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PCV is better overall, just for that one reason - POLLUTION. If we all do a little bit, there will be a big difference in the world.
With that said, I don't think it helps run better, but certainly keeps the crankcase cleaner, especially with condensation buildup - my mother's '65 Fairlane 500 wagon with a 289 had a PCV but the valve stuck - lots of water buildup inside. Fixed the PCV and no more sludge...
PS: That Fairlane had a big hose hanging down from the breather on the driver's side, but still had a PCV.
With that said, I don't think it helps run better, but certainly keeps the crankcase cleaner, especially with condensation buildup - my mother's '65 Fairlane 500 wagon with a 289 had a PCV but the valve stuck - lots of water buildup inside. Fixed the PCV and no more sludge...
PS: That Fairlane had a big hose hanging down from the breather on the driver's side, but still had a PCV.
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From: Iowa
-sigh-
It's Positive Crankcase Ventilation.
You definately want a PCV system. One side has a breather (mine uses a hose that runs to a hole in the bottom of the air cleaner) and the other side has a hose that runs to the bottom of the carb. It creates a cross ventilation.
It's Positive Crankcase Ventilation.
You definately want a PCV system. One side has a breather (mine uses a hose that runs to a hole in the bottom of the air cleaner) and the other side has a hose that runs to the bottom of the carb. It creates a cross ventilation.
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There's no debate that it is positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) , but wasn't the main push to control emissions? Ford offered a couple of types of systems in 66. One was "open", with a breather on one side and a PCV going from the other to the back of the carb and the other style was called "closed", as just described above with one side to the breather and the other side to the carb.
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Originally Posted by fordloverf2501970
now i have a pcv on the passenger side but just a oil fill cap on the other, should i run a breather in the oil fill cap or leave it the way it is ?
A PCV system should have a breather on the other side. If the carb and everything is original, it was meant to have a breather, right guys?
On the other hand, building vacuum in the crankcase is not such a bad thing, some people go to great lengths to make sure they have enough vacuum in the crankcase. You might have more condensation buildup without the breather than with... or not...
If it works, don't fix it?
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From: Iowa
I'd put the breather on. You dont want those vapors, however thin they may be, lingering in the crankcase. Get 'em out of there. Condensation leads to rust and acid.
I think K&N or someone makes a neat little breather with an element on it and everything.
I think K&N or someone makes a neat little breather with an element on it and everything.
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My 289 had a breather for the oil fill on the driver's side front and the pcv was on the passenger side rear valve cover.
Also, on dear old dad's 1953 GMC military 6x6, the 302 six had a sealed crankcase and used a pcv set up for crankcase ventilation. Reason being was for underwater use. This thing had a snorkle set up that went into the cab and you could, in theory, go into 4 or 5 feet of water with it. Ignition and spark plug wires were all screw on sealed jobs too.
Also, on dear old dad's 1953 GMC military 6x6, the 302 six had a sealed crankcase and used a pcv set up for crankcase ventilation. Reason being was for underwater use. This thing had a snorkle set up that went into the cab and you could, in theory, go into 4 or 5 feet of water with it. Ignition and spark plug wires were all screw on sealed jobs too.