1960 Oldsmobile Forum

Please forgive my ignorance on this one, but I need some help.

I have a crankcase ventilation issue - oil sprays out the breather tube and seeps through the gaskets for the fuel pump. All of my research points to a crankcase ventilation problem, most likely caused by a clogged PCV valve.

So I bought a PCV valve, but can't figure out where it goes! I'm sorry if this is a really basic question, but I can't find anything in the shop manual and have looked everywhere. It looks like it bolts into the block somewhere and then clamps to a hose on the other side - can anyone tell me where?

Thanks!

Realizing now just how ignorant I really am about this old motor. Apparently there's not a PCV valve but a "Road Draft Tube" I have no idea where that is either Wonder what I bought that claims to be a PCV valve...

How long til I just drill a hole in my valve cover?

I no longer have a 60, but my recollection is that the road draft tube, which is what I suspect you should/do have, runs from the valve cover on the passenger side, to the back of the engine and then down underneath the chassis. If there was a PCV valve, it would be located in the top of that same valve cover, before the draft tube.

I fail to see how a clogged valve/tube would have any impact/effect whatsoever on the fuel pump. You have have a far more serious problem going on here, I fear, such as bad rings?

It's also called a "J" tube, because of it's shape. It goes up and then down to the bottom of the car. I think the theory is that the airflow under the car will create a low pressure in the tube sucking the crankcase vapors out the tube. So much for emissions controls . Going by memory here...it's situated on the drivers side at the back of the engine block. IIRC it's pretty big, but over the years it might have built up enough gunk to get clogged. For a while I actually had a PCV valve installed in that location on my '60, with a hose running to the open element air cleaner I was using. Eventually I found an original air cleaner and replaced the chrome one and I removed the valve. Your fuel pump gasket might just be old too. Next time you're playing with it, also pull your dipstick and smell it (no joke). If it smells like gas, your fuel pump diaphragm is leaking and raw gas is going into your crankcase. Not good, since it dilutes your oil. There are rebuilt kits available for them though.
Hope that helps...
Scott

toolbox wrote:It's also called a "J" tube, because of it's shape. It goes up and then down to the bottom of the car. it's situated on the drivers side at the back of the engine block.

Scott,
'
You say the tube is on the driver's side. I told him it is on the passeger side. So, out of curiosity, which is it? I do know on my 1962 394 engine it is definitely on the passenger side.

OldsD88 wrote:

toolbox wrote:It's also called a "J" tube, because of it's shape. It goes up and then down to the bottom of the car. it's situated on the drivers side at the back of the engine block.

Scott,
'
You say the tube is on the driver's side. I told him it is on the passeger side. So, out of curiosity, which is it? I do know on my 1962 394 engine it is definitely on the passenger side.

I was going on memory there...I just pulled out my shop manual, and it looks like you're right--it's on the passenger side at the very end of the block. Good call.

Thanks for the responses guys. I'm away for the month so I haven't had a chance to replace it yet, but I will let you know how it goes as soon as I get home and dig in there.

Cheers!