OK so my regular old 'push in' valve cover breathers let oil splooge out and it ends up burning off on my exhaust. You've all seen them, chrome, round, and with a foam insert - what is a better alternative, what do y'all use?
I've got old-school MT valve covers, with a PCV on one side, and the other has the oil fill cap and the breather, the breather is the only thing that leaks.
I guess I'm just fishing for ideas lol

 

You may be able to find an insert for the breather that stops oil from going through. I have the same valve covers with 2 pcv valves and one breather and it does the exact same thing. I will be looking for the same solution. I did the same thing on the camaro I had but can't remember where I got the baffle?

 

will looking forward to this answer i have a moroso breather in mine it was fine for awhile then started leaking not a ton just a enough to grease the valve cover and collect dirt. i even changed out the rubber gasket ring a few times to keep it all tight but it eventually starts leaking.

 

Your gonna laugh, And Im goin to get flamed for this one but If the valve covers have baffles you can go to the local grocery store and purchase some coarse steel wool. Like what your mom uses to scrub her dishes. Cram the steel wool into the baffles replace the breather and it should solve your problem. If your interested in this PM me and Ill give you more detailed info. This works very well I have a circle track engine that runs every weekend and has two back to back championships under its belt that uses this same thing to solve the same problems your havin.

 

Here is a ss pot scrubby from the grocery store. pvc maintains around 4" all but at wot. Use in both sides. Intake side connected to air cleaner as oem.

 

reckon it could be from a stuck PCV valve or are you sure that's good?

 

HEADS UP
If you ever replace your valve cover breather grommet with one that is deeper and baffled, blow through it and MAKE SURE ITS VENTED!!! I purchased one last year from Summit and it was plugged.. That caused the pressure to build up inside the crankcase and it blew out my intake gasket.. Summit bent over backwards to make up for the problem but it didnt solve the time and work involved to fix it.. Its hard to see in the photo but the section that the arrow points to is suppose to be open.. This defective grommet is totally sealed..

 

You may want to do a leakdown check on all 8 cylinders to be sure you don't have too much blow by the pistons into the crank causing excessive crankcase pressure.

Also be sure you have the baffle on the inside of the valve cover at the location of your breather.

 

If you're pushing oil out the breathers with the PCV hooked up, you may have excessive ring blowby. Pull the PCV out and remove the breather. With the engine running, hold your hand over the open hole(s) in the valve cover(s) and see if you can feel crankcase air blowing out the holes. If you can, you better do a cylinder leakdown test and repair the engine rather than trying to fix "leaky" breathers.

Lars

 

Thanks for the replies -
Finally had a chance to get out and check it out; there's hardly much pressure when the breather is out and holding my hand over the hole, and the PCV is new and seems fine, and the breather grommet is the standard ring type, no baffles. Also, the valve covers have no baffles, could this be part of the problem?

 

Yes, no baffles. Yup your asking for it! Find some covers with baffles and take a ride,see if your leak goes away.

 

Whats happening is exactly the same as mine without the baffle oil is flung up by rockers and thats what Your trying to stop. Any of the things shown above will work. I personally like the potscruber idea as I don't have much room below My vent.I was originally thinking of steel wool but I don't like the idea of any of those strands getting in the engine.

 

Just to be really clear on this, you can only stuff the scrubbie in there if you have baffles.

 

I get it from my stroker when I drive it hard. Regular, around town driving doesn't do it but when I redline it, the right side rocker cover is always wet around the grommet.

Impossible to keep clean.

 

I never really liked these valve covers anyway - maybe a new set is looming on the horizon...........

 

You can try one of those grommets that are suppose to deflect the oil but I never had much luck with them on my motors. A stud girdle will work too but if you don't need one a new set of covers with baffles is a better idea

 

Yes, sometimes I forget I need to cover all the bases. Hate for the car to gain a skip from moms pot srubby knocking a rocker off.. Whew, got to be carefull.

 

You know I hate to say it but I wouldn't bring those things into my garage let alone get anywhere near my motor. Something about a whole bunch of scrunched up stainless steel scraps being near my motor bothers me

 

Trust me, when that old fart of a round tracker told me that, I thought he was BS ing me. But I tried it and it worked.Also removed them to try "other" alternatives but nothing worked as good as them scraps! Hell all "hot motors" are time bombs anyway, If the srubby dont get it, something else eventually will. Murphys law.