I was thinking of just putting an open element filter where the PCV tube enters the valve covers and capping it up on the TB. Can somebody tell me the effects of this? What exactly does the PCV do? Thanks

 

You may get an SES light for running too lean. I broke the one on my valve cover and I got an SES light for it. These things run on a closed system.

[ January 28, 2002: Message edited by: CMNTMXR57 ]</p>

 

I'm not worried about the light. I would really like to know about the things it affects exactly. The car is running rich (o2's .960-.970) as is and and eating 1 qt per 1k miles. Everything on atap shows up perfect except for the rich condition. I would like to keep it from eating the oil. Are there simple alternatives?

 

If you're running rich it may not be an issue than. Give it a shot and see what happens. The only thing I can think of it that it may get a bit messy back there from oil coming out.

 

I think I'll try and get creative with it this weekend unless somebody speaks up and thinks it's a bad idea. Thanks.

 

Joe,

You might try getting a bung welded to one of your manifolds or headers (behind the front 02 sensor) and running a hose for your PCV system to the bung fitting.

 

That's a pretty damn good idea! If just usingt he filter gets messy I'll have to do that. Thanks.

 

The pcv creates a slight vacuum to pull blow-by out of the crankcase. Pulling out the blow-by makes more power and keeps the engine clean compared to draft tubes in the days of old where dust killed most engines before 100,000 miles.

I don't understand how the suggested exhaust connection-bung would pull a vacuuum through the pcv and the engine -- no matter which side of the pcv line you connect it to it could blow a large amount of very hot exhaust directly into the engine which could ignite the oil aerosols inside. Be sure to video this when you start it up the first time if you actually try it out.

Below here is a long post I am keeping updated on my recent study into pcv filters:

Six weeks ago I prowled through Pep Boys and found an air filter for filtering the PCV line. The filter is a small acrylic bottle, filter and separator used in an air compressor-line for spray painting. It cost $19.95 and is a Camel 56-100, without the automatic drain, so it has a small manual drain at the bottom of the clear polycarbonate bottle. It is designed to filter solids AND liquids from air, so it should work better than fuel filters designed to separate solids from fuel.
The actual filtration is through a tiny 3/4" tall replaceable poly-spun filter and the polycarbonate container is about 3" tall and 1 and 1/2" in diameter. The oil and aerosols separate into the bottom.
I also bought 2 brass 3/8" fittings that are made by Camel and sold alongside the filter, and a brass 3/8" splicing fitting, and some screw clamps. The Camel filter with auto drain has the same part # (?!?) and I doubt if this would work in the PCV system, (which is a vacuum system and not pressurized like an air compressor) so be sure you buy one with the black plastic screw and thread lines that show through at the bottom.
When full, the polycarbonate container will hold maybe 2-3 ounces of oil. I temporarily mounted it with cable ties to the A/C condenser so I could see it and drain it. I used an extra 30" of 3/8" gas line tubing, spliced into the existing line, which I twisted 180 degrees over to reach toward the new filter.
My '98 car never did ping or use a lot of oil but I was interested in the filtering the PCV line after reading Steve Hovis’ well-illustrated website about PCV filters. Oil has no octane rating and collects in the throttle bore. Steve, thanks very much for the concept. Anyone with pinging should try this "Camel filter" mod. It should result in a slight increase in octane for anyone though, and it is super-easy to do, in about 1/2 hour, for about $30.00 total.
This mod accomplishes more than a new PCV valve because it is an actual filter, and does not cause a reduction in air flow, which I suspect is all that the new GM PCV valve does.
I thought others would like to try it out.

Yesterday I found the better-quality metal-bowl filter, and I haven't bought it yet. The Camel polycarbonate bowl is rated only to 120 degrees so I am going to buy the more expensive metal bowl aerosol-separator soon from this link: http://www.airhosereels.com/1136-8.html

The filtrate I have collected smells a lot like gas, looks like brownish oil, and has an extremely small amount of fine white ash in it too. After 1500 miles I have about 1 oz. of fluid. My engine doesn't blow a lot past the rings or pull past the valve guides I guess. It uses about 1 quart of synthetic 0-30 oil every 3-4,000 miles. However, I haven't raced it yet with the pcv filter so there aren't high rev miles on the filter, which would increase the amount of oil-based aerosols from the crank churning faster through the hotter oil.

 

I'm already using a small compressor style can from smc, it had a 10 micron filter in it. Problem with these brass fine filters is they do not flow to well for low vaccumn use. They are designed to have high pressure going through them.

I took this filter out and made my own, using a SS scourer and a new in pipe to the bottom.

there are also can you can buy for cars, though not cheap for what they are. the best fix of all is the ls6 valley cover pcv system, but means you have to remove the manifold to fit.