engine*
This thing was popped off after my 2 hour ride. You can see how the aluminum header behind in the photo has a hole in it. That's where it goes in but it's now all burnt up and it doesnt really pop into it now. Where can I get a new one? Or can I get a new rubber grommet for this? Also what the hell is this and i wonder why it rattled off?
That is a Mopar style valve cover breather. It doesn't fit an LT1 valve cover. IIRC all LT1s had a plastic thingus that was part of the valve cover that the oil cap threaded into.
It also appears that you don't have LT1 valve covers. They all had a special countoured right side cover to clear the alternator, you appear to have a generic centerbolt valve cover, so who knows what is even supposed to go there.
Looks like a valve cover breather to me.
That looks like someone gobbed a bunch of RTV on there and shoved it into the valve cover hole hoping it would hold. I would be looking over the rest of the engine VERY carefully for bubba'd repairs after finding that if I were you.
EDIT: Just looked at your thread after buying it. May I ask...why is there an open hole on your left valve cover in your other pic? Has there never been anything there? That is where the oil fill cap is supposed to go (see photo).
pointofdeparture wrote: That looks like someone gobbed a bunch of RTV on there and shoved it into the valve cover hole hoping it would hold. I would be looking over the rest of the engine VERY carefully for bubba'd repairs after finding that if I were you. EDIT: Just looked at your thread after buying it. May I ask...why is there an open hole on your left valve cover in your other pic? Has there never been anything there? That is where the oil fill cap is supposed to go (see photo).
Yea, I'm having a professional mechanic look I all over on the 26th. As I'm not really qualified to do so. I have manuals on the lt1 coming in the mail and hopefully can learn. Until now this just confuses me. So its an oil cap or breather? The engine has some custom work that was done well but slipped through a few owners or one bad one .. The hole looks to be oil maybe I should post pics of that.
In reply to Coldsnap:
What's in your hand is a breather. The hole is where the oil cap is SUPPOSED to go, at least. But in your other pic it looks like there's already a breather on the other side? Why did they gob up a second one with RTV and just shove it in there instead of buying a cheap oil cap? The mind reels.
pointofdeparture wrote: In reply to Coldsnap: What's in your hand is a breather. The hole is where the oil cap is SUPPOSED to go, at least. But in your other pic it looks like there's already a breather on the other side? Why did they gob up a second one with RTV and just shove it in there instead of buying a cheap oil cap? The mind reels.
OK So driver side is breather (chrome one)/and passenger side is oil cap? Thought oil cap would be threaded. This is just rubber around the hole
In reply to Coldsnap:
It could be threaded or it could be a push & twist, but there should be something to retain an oil cap there. It's also possible those valve covers weren't designed with that functionality in mind, I guess. They're certainly not original.
In reply to pointofdeparture:
OK. I'll take some pics tomorrow of the valve covers.
Looks like cheesy chrome valve covers. Find the stock ones.
Yea I'll be doing a lot of de-chromeing
What you have there is a case of DPO, usually associated with British cars.
Haha DPO. I'll be doing what I can to reverse the DPO then hiring a professional to do the things I can't correctly.
Here's some better pics. So what do I need to buy? Picture of hole and other breather to follow -
That looks to me like an after market valve cover, breather, and breather hole.
The oil filler hole is usually threaded, and the cap usually threads in. The breather is usually a press fit with a gasket.
This was someone's attempt to get rid of the closed PCV system. There's supposed to be a PCV valve coming out of that grommet in the valve cover. Usually, a GM breather cap like this one would twist in with a couple of tangs that needed to line up with corresponding slots on the valve cover. Since the valve cover is unslotted, he or she used a Mopar breather cap and just rammed it home. Check around for what's left of the PCV system. If left open, it could be causing the mother of all vacuum leaks.
stock LT1 had the pcv valve in the intake manifold down into the valley, with a breather tube going from one valve cover to a hookup on the throttle body in front of the throttle blades.
this here is just a standard generic aftermarket centerbolt valve cover with a generic 1.25" hole in each cover for a breather. the holes also serve as the oil fill holes. it also looks like these covers don't have baffles in them since they used those stupid baffled grommets that do nothing but aggravate you when you try to dump oil in it and it takes a half hour to pour each quart in..
personally, i hate the look of that style of valve cover and i would get some stock steel ones for it- any 87 and later small block can donate them, and they made them in a few different configurations with the breather/pcv and oil fill holes in different places. L98 Corvettes had magnesium covers that look pretty cool, then there are the plastic LT4 ones that someone already posted a pic of..
OK wonderful.so I just need a breather. I'll get a cheap one from autozone for now.
I agree on the sentiments on the covers.. Trust me haha. There's a chrome cover on the master cylender. I first need to get it mechanically sound then re do a bunch of corny things on it. Will consult Gmr on de laming this thing.
Think someone will buy the chrome valve covers on ebay?
Good luck. Correcting DPO is always fun..
LT1 valve covers are pretty common. Go to the junkyard and ask to look at a pullout engine or ask for a set of stock valve covers. Google images maybe? That poor car has been molested, it needs therapy 
most of the LT1 covers you are going to find in a junkyard are going to be on a Caprice or something like that and will look goofy on that engine due to the passenger side one being stamped with a big indentation to clear the alternator... i'd be looking at 87-99 pickups for a set of good looking and functional valve covers.
Looks like the valve breathers were custom or something because they are much larger than 1.25" and cant seem to find any online that are 2" or so.
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