Late last week when I spoke to Mike at TA about my SP3, he had said you could attach a piece of tin over the PCV hole to deflect oil spray.
That's what some of us did with the big block SP1 when running composite intake gaskets with no valley pan. Worked just fine for me, never had any evidence of oil in the combustion chamber when cruising or at wide open throttle. Devon
I'm going to be making a very similar bolt on shield on my SPX, but a bit concerned about the bolts coming loose and dropping into the engine. My current plan is to drill all the way through, run longer bolts and use lock nuts on the backside. With a dose of black RTV to keep it sealed. I'm going to go so far as to box in a copper mesh as well because I'm going to be using the PCV opening as a crank case evacuation point to run negative crankcase pressure. I'm still considering running my home made oil baffle under the intake. Less oil leaving the engine the better!
You and I are on the same page. The last thing I wanted to deal with is fasteners getting loose. The photo obviously shows the underside of my SP1, it's an old one with no bosses cast in for a baffle. I just drilled through, and used grade 5, 1/4" hex head cap screws with the nuts exposed topside with permanent Loctite Red. Don't be wimpy though, give the bolts some torque. That little bit of stretch is what does the job, the Loctite is just a backup. We're not worried about crushing a valve cover gasket here. I put that together in '91 I think. I took it apart for the head swap and photo around '08. All is well. Devon
All that being said, does the new SP3 have some bosses cast in near the PCV hole like the picture Larry posted? If so, did TA have recommendations for a method to secure a small baffle? The reason I ask is that torquing the fasteners and adding Loctite with my "drill through" method is one thing, but tapping into aluminum for a steel fastener from underneath is another. Threadlocking compound (Loctite) between steel fasteners and aluminum isn't something I've tried before, and because the thermal expansion is a lot different between the two metals, it might be a concern. Devon
The answer to your question is yes there are threaded bosses for the pvc. I would use thread locker on the bolts if you go this route . Walt
I'd use more than thread locking compound, I'd recommend internal or external "star" lock washers as well, depending on the fastener used. Sorry, again I'm not a big fan of relying on steel fasteners hanging into aluminum for the long haul. Devon
Devon, you think if the surface around the mounting boss was touched with a mini grinder, then the bolt heads, install bolts with Loctite, then bury the bolt heads with JB Weld would work?
I plan to just use star type lock washers and locktite.maybe cover bolts with silicone might be good idea. I think JBweld is abit overkill and if you ever do need to remove it . but the idea of drilling thru bolt hole and using a locknut on top seems to a good idea also.
Well I was hoping to get to the track tomorrow, it would be nice to complete the goal I set to get back to back numbers. Looks like weather is not going to cooperate yet again. Still a hoot to drive around!
Why not just get the valley pan without the gasket, 3rd item down only $35 and re-useable; http://automachperf.com/oilsystems.html Derek
Fri night yah mean? That's when I plan to go to Norwalk, as Shawn says "shake off the bad JUJU" .....its going to be a clear and cool summer evening, keep saying that:Smarty:
