Engine: Oil breather caps.

[Skybolt]

Any one know where I can get 2 new valve cover oil filler/breather caps for a 63 V8 or used ones in good condition? Not chrome ones, I need ones that can be painted. I have tried some from the FLAPS and they are to short and don't look like they would stay on after some rough bumps.

[Chucks Stude]

They do not stay on well, the fan tends to blow them loose. In the past I have found some chrome ones at Jegs, or Summit. However, I think that they have dropped them. I get mine from the vendors, but they are chrome and $30.00 each.

[Bud]

I've bought breather caps from NAPA and they work well. They are cadmium plated and can be painted. Bud

[Chad Huth]

Take a look here.

http://www.steinertractor.com/JDS500-oil-fill-breather-cap-wclip

[Skybolt]

Wow, that link to the tractor site shows oil caps that look like the original Stude ones.

[(S)]

Wow, that link to the tractor site shows oil caps that look like the original Stude ones.

Same, same! See your PM in your inbox from the "Notifications" clickdown at the top of the page.

[r1lark]

Wow, that link to the tractor site shows oil caps that look like the original Stude ones.

Be careful, not all breather caps are the same. The '63/'/64 Studebaker caps have small holes (inside, kinda near the middle) to limit the flow into the engine for the Positive Crankcase Ventilation system.

[Skybolt]

What is the performance difference between the PCV set up on the 63 vs the 64? I have a 63 V8 with the larger hole in the valley cover and I believe I also have a 64 with just a small threaded boss. Does this apply more vacuum to the system on the 64 in conjunction with the smaller holes in the caps? I would like to use the best set up I can as the engine is going in a 59 anyway.

[(S)]

It is all the same, as the same size and type of Carter PCV Valve was used, '63 PCV Valves are hose connection and '64's have one end threaded, the only diff. is the hookup. Both used the SAME open but restricted Oil caps, and run fine with full breathing Oil Cap replacements.

The late '64 Canadian imports to NY and Calif. had a totally sealed Oil Cap on the left and a hose attached sealed cap on the right that went to the Air Cleaner to create the "Upper" (higher RPM) PCV kit also Factory added to all makes in '65, and retro fitted to all years of Calif. registered Cars in 1961.

[Skybolt]

I suppose any system that was not drawing from the crankcase area would be inhibiting the oil return. Yes? So, which one of the two allows more oil drain back?

[WCP]

The chrome ones can be painted if sprayed with vinyl wash before topcoating with color paint - provides excellent adhesion.

[Mike Van Veghten]

Sky -

Each way of doing things is going to let "X" amount of liquid oil into its breather system.
If you have an engine that has a lot of blow-by, there nothing that will help but a fresh set of rings and cylinderwall hone.

If you just use the breathers on the rocker covers and use the breather on the valley cover...any liquid that finds its way to that point..."isn't" coming back to the crankcase.

If you put the system back to a "positive crankcase system", see the above note, but add to that, that, that blow-by oil will now find its way into the intake tract and the combustion chambers.
If your engine doesn't have a blow-by problem (or just minor), this is the best way to go as it helps (slightly) oil control inside the engine.
Race engines in many classes use a system simillar to this.

A threaded hole in the valley pan is for a PCV. A larger non-threaded hole is for a road draft tube that snakes down beside the engine to about oil pan height.

All this is to say, which you use depends on the condition of your engine for the most effective use.

Mike (Covina)

[Skybolt]

I have seen three systems and have them here, not including any HP Avanti style system. The road draft tube, the threaded boss for the PCV and the road draft size hole in the valley cover that has a tube turned upward for a PCV to fit in. What I was wondering was not if any oil was to enter the PCV system components as such but which one, of the a fore mentioned three systems, allows the best drain back to the oil pan, allowing for the differences in hole size in heads for drain back etc.. for different years. If one was to use any PCV system made up of any components from any years what would work the best?

Looking at it from another view point one would be lead to believe that having a PCV system drawing from the oil pan, such as was the case for HP Studebaker engines, is better and encourages internal air to flow from the heads and valley area down through the drain back holes, and any where else there is a hole, towards the oil pan not vice versa.

Realistically I know there not much flow through the PCV valve so I don't know why I was asking. It might relieve some pressure but most of all I believe it was designed to remove the oily mist from inside the engine from entering the atmosphere and not deposit drops of oil on the ground. I was getting carried away with thinking I was working on some evacuating system like in a race car. Silly me.

[Jackson]

I intend to put a PCV system on my 55 Speedster 259 CI. My plan was to use the stock 55 breather cap and replace the 55 valley cover with a 63 cover and PCV valve (stock 55 4bbl carb base already has a PCV hose fitting). Any comments appreciated.

[Skybolt]

That sounds like a plan. There is no reason it won't work. It will be the same as later models.

I will probably go back to using the setup I have used before, which was chrome caps with tubes coming from them and entering under the air filter base. I was wanting to stay away from chrome and use painted caps then realized I will be using a chrome air filter and chrome fan shroud, care of Jerry Forrester, so now I will have a dressed up engine bay.