Valve covers and PCV/breather

[jckkys]

That would be ideal and the covers I recommended do that. If you check ebey you'll see plenty of the stamped steel Powered by Ford covers that came on the engine for $50 a pair. It's hard to say you can't afford that. These and the original air cleaner fix all your problems. There's no shortage of POs that thought a shiny after market do-dad is better than parts designed by engineers specifically for a certain vehicle. New EB owners get an unrecognizable mess that never works as well as the original parts.

 

[mpboxer]

That would be ideal and the covers I recommended do that. If you check ebey you'll see plenty of the stamped steel Powered by Ford covers that came on the engine for $50 a pair. It's hard to say you can't afford that. These and the original air cleaner fix all your problems. There's no shortage of POs that thought a shiny after market do-dad is better than parts designed by engineers specifically for a certain vehicle. New EB owners get an unrecognizable mess that never works as well as the original parts.

Thank you and there is definitely some truth to that!

 

[sykanr0ng]

Those covers are a bit pricey. You might go to your local auto supply and pick up a pair of chrome ones for under $50.00. On my 302 my pcv is on the drivers side and connects to the back of the carb. the breather on the passenger side connects into the air filter on the carb.

Chrome reflects heat back into the engine, like a thermos bottle.
Which makes it a poor choice for valve covers and oil pans on a truck or car that is actually driven farther than on and off a trailer.

 

[mpboxer]

Chrome reflects heat back into the engine, like a thermos bottle.
Which makes it a poor choice for valve covers and oil pans on a truck or car that is actually driven farther than on and off a trailer.

Good to know, just pulled the trigger on some black Bronco script ones from WH

 

[bigdaddyof4]

Couldn't you take a hole saw and drill a hole, add groument and PCV a lot cheaper yet?

Different type of valve covers but it's what we did.

 

[mpboxer]

PCV installed - Couple questions

After installing the new valve covers and PCV valve I have a couple questions hopefully someone can help with.

1) The PCV valve is noisy. It sounds like the little check valve in there is going a mile a minute. I can feel it rattling when I put my hand on it and the hose too. Is this normal?

2) Ever since I hooked up the PCV and breather my engine sounds like it is stumbling a little. It never cuts out, but it's almost like it's not getting enough fuel or something. Do I need to adjust my iddle mixture? I recently had the carb calibrated (before the PCV) and I was told it went from 13:1 to 14.2:1. I was told once I add the PCV the RPMs will go up and I'll need to come back for a minor adjustment. Are the RPMs up now that the PCV is installed (I don't have a tach in the Bronco) and is it causing more fuel at idle, so that's why my engine sounds like that?

Thank you Bronco Gurus.

 

[jckkys]

With PVC more air is introduced into the air/fuel mixture so you need to enrich the mixture to compensate. With an AFB that's easy just turn the idle adjustment screws on the front of the carb out or counter clockwise till you have the idle quality you want. Turning the curb idle screw out a little will reduce the idle speed to where you want it. The PVC must be defective to make noise. Be sure to get one made for your engine. They allow more or less air depending on the engine they are made for.

 

[mpboxer]

With PVC more air is introduced into the air/fuel mixture so you need to enrich the mixture to compensate. With an AFB that's easy just turn the idle adjustment screws on the front of the carb out or counter clockwise till you have the idle quality you want. Turning the curb idle screw out a little will reduce the idle speed to where you want it. The PVC must be defective to make noise. Be sure to get one made for your engine. They allow more or less air depending on the engine they are made for.

Thank you, I kind of thought that was my next step, but I wanted to make sure. This won't have any affect on partial throttle or WOT and the calibration I just had done correct?

Does anyone have a part number for a 90* PCV? I purchased that one from Summit (Fram FV202). It says it is compatible with a '77 Bronco 302. Mine is a 66, but it has a 302. Thank you!

 

[mpboxer]

I called the Summit tech. line and they insisted I had the correct PCV valve for my engine.

Any ideas as to why this thing is rattling at idle? I'll try adjusting the idle mixture screws. Looking on the internet and reading a lot about "blow by" and it's making me nervous, but there's no smoke, and I'm not consuming oil.

 

[Eoth]

What do you know about your engine? It sounds like to me that you have low vacuum pressure. The most common cause is a "heavy cam". It is a fairly common issue with hot-rods.
Some people go through lots of PCV valves until they find one that the engine likes and others add on things like "vacuum reserve canisters". Before going that route I would cap off the vacuum port you are using on the carb and try the port on the intake manifold.

 

[mpboxer]

What do you know about your engine? It sounds like to me that you have low vacuum pressure. The most common cause is a "heavy cam". It is a fairly common issue with hot-rods.
Some people go through lots of PCV valves until they find one that the engine likes and others add on things like "vacuum reserve canisters". Before going that route I would cap off the vacuum port you are using on the carb and try the port on the intake manifold.

Not much...Just had the carb calibrated and was told it had 19 for vacuum.

 

[mpboxer]

What do you know about your engine? It sounds like to me that you have low vacuum pressure. The most common cause is a "heavy cam". It is a fairly common issue with hot-rods.
Some people go through lots of PCV valves until they find one that the engine likes and others add on things like "vacuum reserve canisters". Before going that route I would cap off the vacuum port you are using on the carb and try the port on the intake manifold.

Oh Eoth, my brake booster was attached to the vacuum port on the front of the carb, but Edelbrock instructions said it needs to go the rear so took out the plug in the rear (that didn't sound good haha), put the booster in the rear and the new PCV to the front. Never had any issues with the booster in the front, or at least that I knew of . Thanks!

 

[mpboxer]

What do you know about your engine?

Was concerned about engine sludge with the PO not having a PCV valve either. After taking off the valve covers everything was very clean though. Sorry I don't have a lot of info about the engine. It has a duraspark ignition, spark plugs looked good, plug wires are good, carb recently calibrated to 14.2:1. Changed the oil about 200 miles ago and the oil looked good too.

 

[Eoth]

hmm... well that is good vacuum reading so that rules out that.... I wouldn’t be worried about blow-by but something isn’t right... I would still want to try hooking up to the manifold vacuum port just to see if it works.

 

[mpboxer]

hmm... well that is good vacuum reading so that rules out that.... I wouldn’t be worried about blow-by but something isn’t right... I would still want to try hooking up to the manifold vacuum port just to see if it works.

Turned my idle mix screws out a little and that seemed to help the rough idle, but now I feel like the RPMs are too high at idle. Bought a tach, so I'll hook that up tomorrow to see where I'm at. Also put a vacuum gauge on both the front and back ports on my carb and both read ~20Hg now after I adjusted the idle screws. Rattling in the PCV is still there. Goes away when throttle increase which makes sense because there's less vacuum right.

 

[jckkys]

The reason I recommended a new PVC valve is that noise while on the engine, implies a
defective valve not that it may be the incorrect part. Ford used the vacuum tree behind the carburetor in the intake as a vacuum source for the brake booster, on all factory power brake systems. I think there must have been a reason. The front 3/8" port on the AFB is perfect for the PVC connection. It mixes the crank case vapor with the idle A/F at the same place so the same mixture is evenly distributed to all the cylinders. Every driving condition requires a different A/F ratio. The 14.2:1 would only apply to cruising condition. Acceleration needs a richer mixture. Full wide open throttle needs more like 12.5:1. Best idle mixture is more about the highest vacuum. So set the idle mixture for best vacuum using a vacuum gauge and set the idle speed to factory specs. Even those chrome after market air cleaners usually have a nipple for the hose to the breather supplying clean air.

 

[blubuckaroo]

I called the Summit tech. line and they insisted I had the correct PCV valve for my engine.

Any ideas as to why this thing is rattling at idle? I'll try adjusting the idle mixture screws. Looking on the internet and reading a lot about "blow by" and it's making me nervous, but there's no smoke, and I'm not consuming oil.

Mine rattles at idle too. I don't see a problem. All that means is that it's open and working.

 

[mpboxer]

Mine rattles at idle too. I don't see a problem. All that means is that it's open and working.

Good to know thank you!

 

[mpboxer]

Put some work in this morning and adjusted my idle mixture screws and idle speed screw. Got 20 in of vacuum and idles at about 750rpm. It runs soooo much better. Thank you all for your help. This is all new to me and couldn't do it myself without the help of the great people on this forum! Mike

 

[mpboxer]

My PCV still rattles a bit, but I'm going to roll with it for now.