Le Mans Valve Cover Baffle Mystery. Need advice.

[Keith Stevens]

I had something odd happen this morning. I have the original 1967 sand cast penthouse valve covers. I adjusted the valves Thursday and put the covers back on. I took the car for a ride this morning and I got a strange valvetrain noise. I pulled into a parking lot, listened for a moment and could only assume I hadn't locked one of the adjuster nuts down and It had backed off. I had the car taken home on a flatbed. 
I pulled the cover off this evening fully expecting to see a loose adjuster or worse, a rocker arm that had broken.  When I pulled the cover I found the baffle laying on top of the rocker arms.  No signs of new contact from the rocker arms. ( Factory Ford cast iron rockers had made contact and was the reason for change to roller rockers initially. I was lucky. All four baffle rivets were laying in the oil return.
If I leave the baffle out, which happens to have the PCV valve would this be problematic? I have a cover over the rear of the intake and a breather cap over the intake and left hand valve cover.  I thought about just putting another breather or plug in the right cover. The car has AC and an export brace. so space is limited with the ac hoses and the breather.  I thought about using a hole saw and knocking holes just above where the rocker adjusters would be and threading threading the baffle bosses and using screws to retain the baffle.


 The cam is a relatively mild .567, .238@ .050 hydraulic camshaft with about 335 open pressures @ .0600.
Any ideas for causation? Non-functioning PCV acceptable being the left side has a breather cap as well as the intake filler tube?

[fe468stroker]

It's possible that the factory rockers making contact loosened the rivets and they let go.  Eliminating the baffle could cause oil to be sucked into the PCV valve and look like a Chebby going down the road.  I have seen a cover over the rear of the intake with provision for the PCV valve.  If you can find one then you could either use another oil cap or plug the hole in the valve cover.  Another plus would be that the PCV hose would run from the carb port or intake port to the rear of the intake pretty much out of sight.  An FE looks better uncluttered as possible.

[Thumperbird]

Here is one data point for reference.
445 with Harland Sharp rockers and "fabricated" polished aluminum valve covers, rockers hit the baffles, no room to use even two gaskets so I pulled the baffles.  I had to add a reservoir after the pcv tp catch all the oil sucked into the intake,
I am sure the reservoir does not even catch it all.  My advice, figure out a way to get that baffle or some other restriction back in there.  I restricted the tube to 1/8" just after the pcv and then opened it up hoping the pressure drop would help, not much better.

[Keith Stevens]

Thanks for the replies. I had already addressed a couple of the issues mentioned.
1. The 67 Shelby PCV vacuum fitting is installed into the intake on the #2 runner on the C7ZX intake.  The factory nipple is a HUGE 1/2 opening. Mansfield Mustang offers one that is restricted down to 5/32"  I changed that because it was pulling oil Via the PCV. I also used stainless steel Brillo Scrubber material to push into the valve cover on the PCV side to help eliminate the oil mist, as I was told that could also be pulled into the PCV.

2. To avoid visual modification I can't move the PCV to the rear of the intake like the 427 cars.  Low vacuum signal cars have a huge issue when trying to use the port for both PCV and Power Booster vacuum.

3. I seem to remember years ago when I changed from hydraulic to mechanical ford rockers and had contact with the valve cover baffle and that the rivets had came loose on one side. I pulled the rivets and use a ball peen hammer where the marks were from the adjustments to give a little bit more clearance.  So as you stated, it may have simply worked it's way loose, or I was heavy-handed getting the cover back on post adjustment last week.
There was no signs of new contact from the adjusters and I have 5,800 miles on post the new engine. The only change was the aluminum heads with this build. I didn't change valve cover gaskets post the adjustment and they are the Edelbrock Fiber/cork units.  There is a offset surface between the intake and the head, but only about .045. I have to tighten the hell out of them to keep them from leaking.  The valve cover seemed VERY compressed when I removed it for the inspection. An 1/8" can be an issue with some engines.
I recently bought a set of the Rubber with steel insert gaskets from Ebay to use when I pulled the covers off again. I thought that may be helpful.
I tried the Felpro rubber valve cover gaskets a long time ago and despite gluing them to the cover they leak like a sieve.

Anyway, If anyone has any pearls of wisdom, I'm all eyes. Thanks again, everyone for replies and suggestions.

[My427stang]

You may or may not have a PCV problem with no baffle, but it's worth the gamble to try.

I run chrome wedge covers on my truck with no baffles or issues and have on others, I just put the grommet right over the shaft where there is no rocker.  You don't have that option, but it is very close to where a stock hole is. 

Additionally, with adjustables, you don't have a ton of oil there compared to oiling hydraulic rockers, what oil is there goes down, not up.

Will it suck some in?  Maybe, maybe not, but I have seen a few do very well which would likely have me try before I changed something

[Keith Stevens]

Hello, Ross.  I did install the POP oil restrictors on the Edelbrocks. There still seems to be plenty of oil up top. I don't know if the rollers are prone to throwing oil like factory hydraulics or not. I have plenty of oil pressure. 22 @ 900 and 60-65 at 3,000 hot.
I just think it a strange occurrence after all these years. I think I'll reinstall baffle. I'll thread them for 8-32 and use locktite the fasteners. I'll brush some white lithium grease on the baffle roll the engine through a few turns and verify. If there is no signs on contact I guess I'll be good to go. What say you?

[My427stang]

Baffles are better if you can get them in there, absolutely

[427John]

I had heard that some Edelbrock heads had a lower valve cover mounting surface.If your intake has the provision at the back for the road draft/PCV you could get the cover and mesh basket for it and run the 427 style PCV system,there is no reason why you can't run it into the forward vacuum port it doesn't have to go into the rear port of the manifold.The fact that you are running aluminum heads seems to indicate that you are not opposed to deviating from strictly stock appearance.With the 427 style  inline PCV valve you could even set the system up with hard line with short rubber connectors.

[Keith Stevens]

Hi John.  I have hidden them well. It's a GT500. It's why I don't want obvious deviation. I considered even completely blocking the PCV being there are two open breathers. One on the VC, the other on the intake fill tube. I didn't know what influence that would have on pressures inside the engine removing the PCV from the equation. The Shelby's PCV system is routed differently than any other vehicle.
I have already replaced the vacuum nipple with a restricted version. Mansfield mustang came up with them because many couldn't get the cars to idle below 1000 rpm. I gather because of the half inch hose. I can get it to idle about 850 with the cam I have now.