• Welcome to ClassicBroncos! - You are currently viewing the forums as a GUEST. To take advantage of all the site features, please take a moment to register. It's fast, simple and absolutely free. So please join our community today!
    If you have problems registering or can't log into your account, please contact Admin.

Air Breather Connection

msommer001

Sr. Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2009
Messages
430
I do not have a stock 302 setup but I do have a stock air breather and I am trying to understand what vacuum line or other hook up I should connect and to where? Currently a few of these are plugged and a few are not. No current issues with the way the bronco is running just want to see if I should connect these or not.

c9ce66652c15e1d4e17d7b2525d95c27.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Broncobowsher

Total hack
Joined
Jun 4, 2002
Messages
37,067
The big one on the clean side of the filter is crankcase vent. Part of the PCV system. Not the PCV valve. PCV is a system in which the PCV valve is part of. That large fitting provides fresh filtered air into the engine to make up the air sucked out of the engine by the PCV valve. Typically filtered air into the engine, but under sustained loads it can also let crankcase gasses flow into the fresh air stream where there isn't manifold vacuum for the PCV valve to pull the air through.

The pair of little ones is a thermostat. The hot air riser that pull hot air off the outside of the exhaust manifold. There is a flapper valve that will send hot air to the engine for warm up and cold emissions. When the air in the air cleaner gets hot, that valve shuts off and the diverter valve switches to being a cold air intake. The neat part is even when cold and it is sending warm air, under load the manifold vacuum drops and it will go to cold air even when cold outside. Hot air works great on cold engines as the heat helps vaporize gasoline so there is enough of the fuel vapors to burn.

I think I see one more large fitting, on the dirty side of the air filter. That goes to the charcoal canister. The charcoal canister absorbs gasoline vapors from the fuel tank. Traps them in the charcoal filter. Unless something is done that charcoal will eventually get saturated with gas fumes. So fresh air is drawn across the charcoal and the vapors are given up. That fresh air is sucked into the engine. Fuel vapors in an engine, that fuel (remember the heat I mentioned above about converting gasoline into vapors so the engine will run, this is the same vapors). Instead of the vapors just going into the air where you get no benefit from them, creating pollution. They get caught and sent into the engine and you get to burn them as fuel.

None of this stuff hurts power or economy, some technically improves it. And stuff like the heat riser and the vacuum controlled divertor flap (controlled by those 2 little vacuum lines) helps with drivability of a cold engine and improves engine life as it warms faster and has less cylinder wall wash down from raw gas.
 
OP
OP
msommer001

msommer001

Sr. Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2009
Messages
430
Got it.

My current setup has the PCV Valve connected to the back of the manifold and a breather on the opposite value cover. It does have vacuum when running. I will have to do some investigation for the other connections.

I am getting a little oil around the grommets at the PCV valve and at the valve cover breather. Seems to have a little oil at the air cleaner as well. The 302 crate motor in the bronco is only a couple years old and only has a couple thousand miles on it so I don’t think it is a motor issue but might be related to the PCV system and these connections.

Thanks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Broncobowsher

Total hack
Joined
Jun 4, 2002
Messages
37,067
I see the breather filler in the background. That would take the place of the big port on the clean side of the filter.
K&N filters are oiled, and the oil can weep off those into the enclosed housing.
The grommet on the valve cover, that can be a can of worms. If stock, the rubber is probably aged out. If aftermarket valve covers, baffle design can be less than ideal. Crate engine, aftermarket rocker arms? That can cause baffle interference. If it isn't too bad, often just considered part of the old car character.
 
Top