I happened to check my breathers today, and I found that they were soaked in oil. I don't understand how this is seeing as I have baffles on my valve covers. Aren't the baffles supposed to stop all the oil, that would be flying in the direction of the breathers, from getting into the breathers? Is this going to hurt anything? The guy who built my engine said it could because there won't be any air flow to bottom end now. Should I go and buy new valve covers, or wouldn't this help at all? :confused: Any input would be appreciated guys.

Thanks
-Ben

I think the baffles are only good for oil spash from the rockers,not oil mist being blown out the breather caused by gasses getting past the piston rings.

If you dont have "breathers" your going to blow a gasket somewhere or cause oil to be pushed up and out the dipstick.

So this is a common problem? What do you guys think is causing this? If it's gases getting past the piston rings, could it be because it's a new engine and still being broken in? I mean i've only put 208 miles on it. Just trying to figure this out. I had this problem on the engine before I did a complete overhaul on it.

Thanks
-Ben

If you have a pair of breather and no PCV set up then that may be part of your problem... breather are great at letting air out of an engine... and if that air contains oil mist that useually finds it's way out also...straight into the atmosphere. For reliveing crankcase pressure breathers do a decient job....

A PCV system with a PCV out into the carb and a breather into the engine is slightly better but if the breather gets dirty and it will the effectiveness goes down. The various car mfgs went away from open breathers back in the 60's as the closed PCV system was superior in every way.With the closed system like a stock 1968 and later setup taking filtered air from the high flow area like an air cleaner into the engine and passing the vapors out via the PCV dramatically reduced emmissions , while keeping the engine cleaner and costing next to nothing to produce and loseing you no HP or mileage..... By far one of the most effective emmission control devices ever made....Assuming a street or Street Strip engine.

Funny that that should be mentioned because the guy who built my engine asked me if I wanted to go with breathers, or a PCV system. Seeing how I would have had to buy a different set of valve covers to run the PCV I said i'd just go with the breathers. I didn't know the PCV was better. Since I went with the breathers he blocked off that little area in back that is apparently for a PCV system. Would I be able to pop out the plug (just a freeze plug), get some new valve covers, and then set up a PCV system? I'm just trying my darndest to keep this car as trouble free as possible after what happened to the last engine.

Thanks for all the info guys
-Ben

You probably won't be able to just pull the plug and put a PCV there. That system has an oil separator in the lifter valley. More than likely your builder removed it.

No need to worry about that plug. Leave it blocked off and mimic the '68-up PCV system, with the PCV sucking from one side valve cover (left front in OEM applications), and a fresh air breather on the other side valve cover (right rear on OEM apps).

Of course, no need to use the exact OEM locations. As long as the PCV is sucking from one side, and fresh air goes in the other side, it should work just fine. You can buy grometts for standard aftermarket 1.22" hole VC's that will accept a PCV. Make sure your covers have baffles.

I'm assuming the breathers are mounted in the valve covers, you need to install a pcv valve in one valve cover and route the hose to manifold vacume or a large port located below your throttle blades on the carb. The other valvecover should have abreather installed. The 327 in stock form had an oil filler tube on the front of the motor that was capped with a breather and a down tube on the back of the motor that vented gases. Most people install a modern intake and lose the front oil filler tube. Modern intakes usually aren't clearanced fot the lifter valley baffle required for the vent tube so using that isn't an option. I think the installing the pcv should help as long as the blowby past the rings isn't very bad. If the ring seal doesn't get better bring the engine back, and have a leakdown test done. If the bores are straight, piston clearance is right, and finish on the cylinder walls was correct for the rings used, your rings should be seated already.

Thanks for all the advice guys. I'll have to see what I can do to get a PCV system set up. What exactly is done during a leakdown test? If there is excessive blowby, would I have to pull the engine and get the bottom end rebuilt again? I'll be SOOOOOOOOO pissed if this is the case! When I was having the engine built, I told the guy to allow for a slightly larger than normal ring gap because I planned on running nitrous;however, I don't think I will be using it anytime soon. Could this possibably be part of the problem?

Thanks
-Ben

Most sources recomend that your ring gap should be .016 for an average performance engine then add .002-.004 for nitrous, etc. My Son and I recently built a 331 and set the gaps at .014, a little on the tight side hoping for a couple of extra HP. GM recomended .012-.013 in stock form. This engine won't see any Nitrous and should run plenty cool. Any idea what your builder set your gaps at?