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Tech Question
Jim Nicolaus, DuPont, WA, 1972 Plymouth Valiant 318
Love your magazine. Best "hotrod" magazine since the first one I ever read which was in the Valley Childrens Hospital while I was waiting to have my tonsils out in 1958 and featured one of the Art Arfons "Green Monster" drag cars with an Allison I think and a '36 Ford coupe with a 420 HP Hemi. Funny how I remember that and can't remember what I had for supper last night nowadays, haha. Only one I read these days even though I love my '65 El Camino too.
The question:
I want to get some Mopar polished cast valve covers for my '72 318. Looking at the ad on Mancini's website It looks like no holes for the breather gizmo on the starboard side that has a hose from the air cleaner and the PCV valve on the port side. What to do? Take it to machine shop and have holes made? How about the redundant oil filler hole? If it was 1962 I'd take it to school with me and poke a couple hole with an end mill, but nowadays alls I got is a one-car apartment garage and a tool box and the manager would get after me if he saw me changing a tire in the garage. Thanks and keep up the good work. Jim
Jim-
As long as there's a flat boss, you can make the hole with a $5 Home Depot hole saw...it's no big deal. The redundant oil fill hole: just use a redundant oil fill cap!
The breather can either be the "holes" type that sucks directly from the atmosphere, or the nipple type that lets you run a hose to the air cleaner's perimiter. Each have their advantages and disadvantages:
The direct-to-atmosphere type has less restrcition and is less likely to cause oil leaks elsewhere in the engine from excessive crankcase pressure. However, some blowby may dribble out and collect on your nice polished valve covers.
The style with the make-up air hose to the 'cleaner keeps the slime off the v'covers, and helps keep you (and everybody else) from breathing blowby. But it can soak the air cleaner if the rings are not sealed tight. (A washable foam over-wrap, or oiled cotton element, is the fix in that case).
You should be aware that most aftermarket valve covers - MP's included - have poor PCV baffling, which sometimes allow the PCV to suck oil. Do your best to improve the baffles, and/or make a small restrictor to slip in the PCV hose.
Rick
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