Topic: Mysterious PCV set up?

[marbar11]

Hey all- hope everyone is hanging in there in this weird new world we're living in. On the bright side, our San Diego quarantine has given me more time to get my 64 1/2 convertible engine detailed recently, and I'm finding more and more things incorrect on it as I research things online. Who ever can solve this PCV challenge will receive a 12 pack of TP in the mail soon (a $50+ value here in CA!).

Here's what I know- my mom bought this car brand new in Chicago with a 260 2v V8 June 11th Dearborn build date and kept decent (but not very detailed) notes in a little notebook book I recently found in my garage. She moved to CA in 1967, and I remember her telling me long ago she had to "add smog parts" to it to get it registered here. Sure enough, there's an entry in the book stating "PCV smog device" added in Feb 67 (for a whopping $15.55) and then a 2nd entry stating just "smog device" in Jan 1974 for $55.74. The original C4ZF-E carb was also changed in 1986, and my steel distributor and fuel lines were cut and spliced with rubber hoses which now need to be replaced (grrrrr). She doesn't remember details about these added/modified parts, nor is she any sort of mechanic, so I'm trying to piece together what this may have looked like originally.

On to my current pics-

#1- oil cap tube on timing chain cover connected to air cleaner with what I believe is an added air port next to the main air snout (with a lovely piece of an original, white striped heater hose?)
#2- PCV valve in back of manifold connected to carb spacer
#3- here's the kicker pic. At one point someone cut a hole towards the middle of the passenger side valve cover which has always had a rubber plug in it since I started driving it in the mid '80's (until I had it patched last year)
#4- full pic of both PCV hook up and valve cover

My hypothesis- since the valve covers had no "factory" cut holes in them originally, I'm thinking it may have come with a road draft tube which mom had to have removed and replaced with a PCV valve on the manifold to make it a closed system in 1967 for CA smog. What is also puzzling is why someone would cut the hole in the VC at some point where that rubber plug was- perhaps for another PCV valve, but why? Maybe the smog laws were changed in 1974 which would account for the 2nd "smog device" added her her little book?

Any ideas?

Mark
 

[krelboyne]

When California implemented smog checks, many vehicles had to have an added NOX devise, (I think that is what it was called, you also got a sticker for the window). I registered a C code 1966 Mustang in 1985-86 in SoCal. They had to severe my hard line vacuum line to the distributor and block it off with two vacuum plugs. The tech verified that I understood that he had to render my vacuum advance useless. After the certification, he indicated that I would have overheating problems and poor performance issues. He winked and said, a piece of vacuum tube would make it work again, but that he couldn't officially tell me that.

The PCV set up on your engine looks home made.

[jwc66k]

The PCV set up on your engine looks home made.

The hose to the air cleaner is for the smog pump "to be fed filtered air". The rest is anybodies guess as to what it's supposed to do, or why.
You stated "260 V8 June 11th Dearborn". What is the VIN (just the first 8 numbers, use xxx for the last three), and what does the door data plate say for DSO? A 260 V8 was used in 1964 Mustangs only, which are exempt from smog tests. All that was required was the RH valve cover to be connected to the carburetor base (at the back, your pic 2) and the LH valve cover connected to the air cleaner, the so called "closed emission system".
Jim

[FXguy]

The oil fill in the timing chain cover is indicative that the car originally had a road draft tube attached at the rear of the intake manifold where the PCV valve now is.  The intake manifold mounted road draft tubes appear on late May and early June 64 built Mustangs.  This setup was only for non-emissions control states that allowed an open crankcase vent system.  In California, the crankcase system had to be closed, completely -> which included an air inlet hose between the air cleaner and the oil cap (the oil fill was on the valve cover, not the timing cover), and there was a PCV valve on the right rear valve cover with a brass elbow fitting and hose that went to the carb spacer inlet at the rear.  Later, around mid July (Dearborn) the brass elbow was eliminated (at least on some cars) and a single piece of grooved hose connected the RH mounted PCV valve to the car spacer.

What is on this car now was not a factory setup for closed emissions but functionally does the same thing.

- Scott

[J_Speegle]

Just posted some pictures in the 66 Dearborn C Code Fastback - Unrestored Picture Thread in that section which had the same attachment to the air cleaner base. Seen it many times on cars were it was added. Not sure what exactly they did but New York and Chicago area both had some emission standards implemented during the 60's just not sure what the requirements or alterations were

[J_Speegle]

When California implemented smog checks, many vehicles had to have an added NOX devise, (I think that is what it was called, you also got a sticker for the window). I registered a C code 1966 Mustang in 1985-86 in SoCal. They had to severe my hard line vacuum line to the distributor and block it off with two vacuum plugs...............

Believe that was sold as a KarKit a NOX kit was different - it had a box that the vacuum hose was routed through. But we'll save that for another thread. 
Used KarKits ($15 at the local store)  a number of times getting cars through inspection during the 80's and 90's Even used it on cars that came with no vacuum advance - so had to swap dist for one with a vacuum advance then plug that advance off. On a Shelby it passed just fine if you also swapped a Mustang air cleaner with the kit also

[marbar11]

Thanks for the replies here guys!

@krelboyne- This car has never had a NOx device or smog pump on it that I know of. I did more research and found that even though "official" smog checks in CA didn't start until 1984, all cars sold and registered here since the early '60's needed to have a closed system with a PCV valve which is probably when mom had the "home made" carb spacer-to-manifold PCV set up added when she moved here in 1967. I'm wondering if my hard line vacuum advance tube was cut and spliced with a hose like yours at that time, although that also could have happened when our mechanic put a 1974 F150 carb on it in 1986 since the vacuum fittings were different.

@jwc66k- VIN info is in pic #1 below. Again, no smog pump on this, but it sounds like the "closed system" that you described is how Ford built their cars from the factory for sale in CA which I believe is what that looked like in pic #2 here, yes? The difference here is that the oil breather to air cleaner

@FXguy- sounds like my hunch was pretty close here. I just read on http://www.svs.com/zim/mustang/64engine.html (64 1/2 vs 65 differences) that confirms everything you stated-

"Engine has a road draft tube if PCV valve is not used which means there are some engines that have valve covers on both sides with no holes" LIKE MINE (Pic #3)

"Valve cover on V8 has no oil filler cap if filler is on timing cover" (pic #4)

"Small opening for PCV valve on passenger side valve cover- missing if road draft used" (pic #5)

So moving forward, it's obvious I have a Frankenstein hybrid on my hands- a Chicago bought car modified to CA emissions standards. I've read that the PCV is cleaner/less stinky for the engine and environment than the draft tube so I don't really want to go back to a tube, but I also don't really care for the "home made" manifold PCV look I have now either. I'm thinking my best bet may be to cut a hole in the proper location (rear flat spot) of the passenger valve cover, pop in a PCV valve there and run a hose to the carb spacer. If I do that, I'm not sure what to do with the back of the manifold opening where the PCV is currently. Can I install a block off plate on the triangular hole there or fill it with a new Oil Breather Screen-Mesh Filter and leave it open?

Guess I may never know what the jenky cut hole with the rubber plug in it was ever used for...

[marbar11]

Hey Jeff- I was in the middle of wring my last post when you replied. Boy I'm learning a lot here and based on everyone's replies, it's all starting to make sense now!

That's an interesting pic on the '66- first one I've seen with the hose port mounted on the driver's side like that, although I haven't seen any at all with my timing chain oil filler-to-air cleaner hose either (which now makes sense). Every other one seems to have the oil breather cap on the driver side VC with the C4AE-6853-B hose below that I got from CJ Pony months ago and plan on switching over to.

I also looked up that Kar Kit you mentioned (never heard of it) and it sounds very possible that's what my mom's 2nd "Smog Device" entry in her booklet was in Jan 1974 right around when they mandated these, although the word "kit" and "system" was throwing me off. Sounds like it came with 4 "parts" based on a VMF post here- "2 universal fit tapered vacuum caps, a booklet singing its praises and generally suggesting where the caps go, and a sticker to go on the speedo to tell you to keep your foot out of it. All it does is block off the line to the distributor (thereby destroying what driveability there may have been."

Found a post on our site here from Jan 2016 where 67gtasanjose (Richard Urch) mentioned "The installer of mine handed me back the vacuum hose he removed (and capped off), with a wink, saying it runs better when put back on" which is almost exactly what krelboyne said his mechanic told him and probably explains why my hard vacuum advance line was also cut.

Also found this pic from a guy who said he bought a car with this Electro-nox box you mentioned, installed on the passenger side fender apron along with the same red and white sticker on the shock tower telling exactly how to set the idle and timing with the module. It was still hooked up and working when he got the car, but his vacuum advance was Tee'd off into the box (rather than cut and capped) and there was a little knob on it to adjust the idle speed.

I think I may have too much time on my hands...