Hi all Camaro lovers !!!

A kind request for help and advice pls. This is for a 396 which was rebuilt 11 years ago and has only done 10,400 miles total since.

1. Are some performance engines built such that they are expected to have blow by ?

2. Is blow by always very bad ? Even if the pressure gauge on the dash is ok and no bad smoke coming at the back?

3. Is some blow by acceptable, if it comes specially when engine is warm (driven for 5 to 10 miles), and no bad visible smoke coming out of the exhaust pipes ?

4. I checked on you tube etc and got even more confused.
- Some say blow by is ok.
- Some say it is bad.
- Some say if you have blow by, put a PCV valve.
- Some even say if you have blow by remove the PCV valve ?!!
- one friend said some car engines are built with a bit of blow by.

Any guidance will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance !!!!

 

Pretty typical of a big block Chevy,They always have some especially if you have a cam and turn them up in the rpms.
PVC just pumps it back into the carb or intake,I used to run breather caps on both valve covers with my old 427 and when I ran it had it would leave some oil on the valve covers.
I never got around to it but I've seen where some run breather caps with hose connections and build a bung into the headers to run it straight into the exhaust with the exhaust flow scavenging it. Others use a catch can plumbed into the system. One thing for sure,run a big block hard and you'll have some blow by coming from crankcase pressure.

 

Thanks a lot @Y2Keglide

I feel much better and not overly concerned now.

So do you recommend I leave it as is with breather caps? and keep adding oil as and when needed? No need for a PCV?

The engine looks cooler with breather caps :-)

Thanks once again

 

That's the way I ran mine back in the day 40 years ago,no problems other than a little oil on the valve covers after running it hard.
The old motors before PCV valves ('50's early '60's ) just had a tube at the back of the block that ran to the ground,it had a small canister where it came out that just had like a steel wool filter in it to keep too much oil from spewing on the ground out the down tube.

 

Thank you so very much @Y2Keglide

The information is indeed very helpful and enlightening.

My friend says he will put a PCV valve. I like to see the breathers :-) and not running pipes over the shiny valve covers.

If it can be easily taken off, I may put it fir a while.

Not that it would stop the oil burning. It may only mask it a bit.

One thing I would mention. I do not run the car so card. Generally cruising. But it still shows the vapors after a few miles of run.

Thanks once again for your time :-)

 

Typical

 

As an experiment, add a can of GM EOS (Engine Oil Supplement) and see if vapor is reduced.
EOS seals the rings to cylinder wall.

 

Thanks a lot @Everett#2390

Will try to find it here. I am in UK. Difficult to find american car stuff :-)

But I will try an alternate.

Cheers !

 

Okay, I misread. Any GM dealer Parts sells it.

 

Thanks a lot !

Will definitely try it.

Regards