1961 Cali emmisions

[D.Smith]

OK,   I'm tired of sitting in traffic with smog venting out the blow-by vent at times.   

From what I had read the California cars had a closed system with PCV system. 

Anyone hook one up on a car without it?

Anyone have all the parts to do it?

[V63]

Yes you can add a PVC (positive crankcase ventilation) system to it . Do some research online and there is probably kits available.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

G'day David,

In wanting originality, you would need a Californian PCV system from a '62 390, but as I had no access to that stuff I made my own.

I converted my old '60 CDV to PCV and put the PCV Valve in the top of the draft tube, after blocking it off, using parts of an old 6 Cylinder Rocker Cover for the mount.   The hose was then "T"'d into the Brake Booster hose for the vacuum.

Then in my case, as I was running an electric Fuel Pump, I converted the original pump mount to hold the hose to the Air Cleaner, and then had to replace the oil filler cap with a sealed cap from an Oldsmobile 455 that I had laying around.

Replacing the cap was done as I wanted filtered air entering the Sump via the Air Cleaner, and therefore had to place an inlet in the bottom of the air cleaner base between the filter element and the carby mouth to supply that air.

In constructing the adaptor for the Fuel Pump stand, I ran the inner part of the tubing downwards at 90 degrees, so that when oil was put into the engine, it didn't have any chance of entering the air tube.

Bruce.

[D.Smith]

So you vented the draft tube through a PCV and then into the Brake booster line?

What is the advantage to using filtered air vs. just leaving the breather style oil cap?

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

The original Breather Cap, to work properly, has to be serviced as per the shop manual, and if not, will allow dust and contaminants into the sump.   When was the last time that anyone cleaned and re-oiled the Oil Filler Cap to allow the filtering process to work.

One has to remember that the Draft Tube as such, is only working as the vehicle is moving, and relies on the venturi action of the passing air to extract the contaminated air from within the crankcase.

The smoke that one sees coming out when the engine is idling, and the car stationary, is being forced out because of excessive blow-by caused by worn Valve Guides, leaking Compression Rings, and when the smoke is BAD, then the engine requires re-building, completely.

The good thing about the Positive Chankcase Ventilation is that the contaminants are being re-directed into the engine intake, under the Carby, and are being burned off.    This is why people in modern cars don't realise things are going wrong until the smoke starts pouring out the Exhaust Pipe/s.

The car doesn't have to be moving for the removal of contaminants.

Plus, when the older engines are bad, the ones with draft tubes, they can drop oil onto the road surface, as it condenses in the tube.   Okay when the roads were dirt, but not now they are bitumen and concrete.

Bruce.

[David Greenburg]

Another way to do it is  to get the carb spacer from a '63-'66, which has a nipple on the front, and run the hose from the PCV to the nipple.  This does not create a completely closed system, but it greatly reduces the fumes and is completely reversible without cutting into the valve cover etc. I had this arrangement on my '59, and it greatly reduced the "garage breath."  This has been discussed before on this forum in considerable detail.

[D.Smith]

Another way to do it is  to get the carb spacer from a '63-'66, which has a nipple on the front, and run the hose from the PCV to the nipple. 

The 1963-66 fits the 1961 390?

I see that you can get a reproduction spacer now for the 1963+up 

[62 driver]

I have a California system on my 1962.  Your draft tube is removed and a hose fitting is installed. Then you can use a 63-64 carb spacer and run a hose with a check valve under the intake manifold to the fitting.   

[David Greenburg]

Dave Smith - Yes, that spacer fits the 390.  That is what I used on my '59. 

[D.Smith]

Thanks Guys! 

[Dan LeBlanc]

The only thing is, the 1963 + setup won't be 100% correct for 1961.  The carb spacer for a 1961 had a threaded port for the PCV valve to screw into.  The 1963 + setup used and inline PCV valve.

If you're ok with that, hook it up and away you go.

[D.Smith]

I'm not looking for 100% authenticity in that respect.   I'll make sure it looks tidy when done.   
I just want to eliminate the smog that comes out from the downdraft tube at times.  It doesn't happen all the time when stopped, but a couple of times a year it will and that bothers me.

[Dan LeBlanc]

It would fool 99.5% of the folks out there anyway.

[Steve Passmore]

If you have that much fog coming out the breather its definitely time for new rings at least!

[D.Smith]

If you have that much fog coming out the breather its definitely time for new rings at least!

But it doesn't happen all the time.   If it needed new rings then I would think it would smoke all the time.    It only happens a couple of times a year. 

["Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364]

Dave
If this really happens twice a year it seems like a lot of effort (including carb tuning) to go to. Perhaps the car needs to be driven more.
Greg Surfas