I am looking into installing Billet Specialty valve covers on my 1969 small block 350. The set up on there currently has a standard oil cap on the front left and a hose going out of the back left over to the vaccum asst. brake bladder The new valve covers have a 1 1/4 hole in each side. How should I install this hose and what should I use for an oil cap/breather, etc.

Thanks!

 

Generally you want a pcv valve on the drivers side connected to the base of the carb (full vacuum), and a breather on the passenger side valve cover.
You can use a combo pcv valve/breather on the drivers side, but having two breathers isn't necessary at all.
And, that hose from the back of the valve cover to the brake booster is completely wrong. The booster should be getting vacuum from a fitting off the intake manifold, behind the carb. If there isn't a port on the manifold, you can connect to the nipple on the back of the base of the carb, if it has one. If you're driving the car now, you must be experiencing a very stiff brake pedal, since the booster is getting no vacuum to operate it.

 

Thanks dude. To date I have always been a motorcycle gear head. This is my first stab at classic cars, so I appreciate all the help. It has been an experience finding out little things like the brake booster hose (as you are correct about the pedal.. there is very little vacuum when i pull that off the booster). I am very particular about doing things the correct way and I have been finding things like this along the way since buying the car, but its getting there. Thanks again!

Hey, looks like in your pic you have a breather/pcv valve on drivers side, even though you said it wasn't neccesary. Is that right? Just curious.

 

some pcv valves are made to look like breathers.
like mine in the pic but its 40.00 compared to 2.00 for a regular pcv.

 

Good eye! Yes it is a pcv valve/breather, but I don't like it. My valve covers aren't baffled, so I get a little bit of an oil drip from the bottom of that breather (nothing from passenger side). I did pick up baffled grommets that have a foam insert, but the pcv/breather is the smaller diameter. The combo breather is coming out, and a plain pcv valve will replace it.

 

Took a closer look and it seems that there is a tee inline off the intake fitting that one hose runs to pcv and another to brake booster. No other spot on intake to seperate and the Holly 4905 blue printed carb (off a NASCAR) that I have doesnt have spot for the pcv. Should I hook this up with the tee in line again with the new valve covers, or put a fitting on the intake with two outlets, or something else?

 

Sorry, Holley 4150 carb, not 4905

 

I'd prefer a dedicated hose to the brake booster. And if you can put a separate fitting on the intake manifold for it, so much the better. Just for kicks, try disconnecting the pcv valve temporarily and run a straight hose to the booster to see if that affects your brake pedal pressure at all.

 

i have a 4150 holley on my 68 and it has the pcv port in center rear (towards dist.)
you can also buy a spacer for under the carb with a port just for this reason, just have to be aware of hood clearance issues!!!

 

Yeah, i plan on seeing the diff when hooked up directly. I'd prefer to do that, but then what the heck do I do with pcv since I don't seem to have a vacuum port on the carb? If the answer is that I have to tee it. Would it be better to do that with a fitting that splits it at the intake versus the way it is now (hose coming off single fitting on intake then a hose off splitter to pcv and hose off splitter to booster)