Valve cover question

I am updating my valve covers and bought a nice finned aluminum Shelby cover from Drake automotive (via SummitRacing). When they arrived - it wasn’t quite what I expected. The passenger side was normal with hole & grommet ready for the PCV but the drivers side had 3 inch tube (I’ve been calling it a snorkel). I called SummitRacing and they had no idea about the snorkel. They thought both sides were the same - got their picture from Drake and only showed passenger side.

Their is a cap available for the snorkel but I wanted a clean look like I have now with PCV on both covers.

Any ideas on this snorkel? Is this an old holdover from the 60’s?

In the old days there was no positive crancase ventillation. You had a breather on the valve cover which also served as an oil fill and a road draft tube which came somewhere out of the crankcase usually in the cam chest area, which ran down below the car and was cut on an angle to create a slight vacuum to pull air through the breather and out the road draft tube as the car went down the road. In the old days 60s and 70s there were always black strips on every concrete road where oil just dripped out of the road draft tube onto the highway. The good old days.....

Just added a pic of the tube to my post

That's were you put oil in the engine.

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Originally Posted by rich grsc

That's were you put oil in the engine.

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Yup.

My "COBRA powered by ford" came the same way. I am using a PCV system so I don't need the long fill/breather tube to reduce oil misting out the breather so I cut it off for a cleaner look. You have to hold the funnel correctly to add oil but I like the look much better.

HTH
Norm

Attachment 145836

Another option is to go with a breather filter in that hole (once you remove the tube). I got this one from Summit.

Steve

This is what I'm currently using, first start this weekend...

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/SDK-B6AZ-6766-B

How did you cut the tube? Did the breather filter just fit right over the hole or did you have to do some customization?

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Originally Posted by ILPBFoot

Attachment 145836

Another option is to go with a breather filter in that hole (once you remove the tube). I got this one from Summit.

Steve

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How did you cut the tube? Did the breather filter just fit right over the hole or did you have to do some customization?

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Originally Posted by Scowally

How did you cut the tube? Did the breather filter just fit right over the hole or did you have to do some customization?

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The Ford Performance Cobra covers did not have a tube, just the hole. Sorry I'm no help here.

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Originally Posted by Scowally

How did you cut the tube? Did the breather filter just fit right over the hole or did you have to do some customization?

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I cut the tube with a hacksaw. Cut it a little long and then finish it off with a good flat file or sander to get a flat smooth end to the tube. The grommet fits right over the cut end with no problem.

HTH

Norm

The reason for the long neck is help keep oil (oil mist) in the motor. Short breathers tend to nose bleed oil over the exhaust as the motor loosens up. This is why you see tall ones on drag and old ace cars. It’s common to use a K&N type filter that clamps over it. Other breathers may fit over it too. You can cut the tube but you’ll notice it will oil up the covers and headers.

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Originally Posted by GFX2043mtu

The reason for the long neck is help keep oil (oil mist) in the motor. Short breathers tend to nose bleed oil over the exhaust as the motor loosens up. This is why you see tall ones on drag and old ace cars.

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True but, these cars aren't running a PCV system like the OP mentioned in his first post. Here is a screen shot of a basic PCV system. The long tube side serves as an oil fill point and an air inlet to allow filtered air into the crankcase when used with a PCV valve on the opposite valve cover. Only occasionally (WOT, plugged PCV valve or an extremely worn engine) will it serve as a vent.
The long tube is left over from the days when a breather was the only source of venting for the crankcase or to make in easier to add oil in the case of an engine where the valve cover access is limited.

HTH

Norm