This is probably a hard one but here goes:
I have a couple of breathing issues on my modified and tuned BOA 24v Cosworth engine. As standard, the PCV in the RH camcover (when standing in front of the car looking into the bay) is up to the job of ventilating the engine. A couple of weeks ago I realised the PCV in my engine was knackered so replaced it with a known good one (got it from Specialised Engines in Essex). Now it seems it's not adequate anymore (not really a surprise, the pipe where the air needs to go through is about 6mm) and oil is even coming from the vent on the other cam cover which usually is only an air-inlet and other places I'm pretty sure about wouldn't leak if the breathing and thus the crankcase pressure is adressed.
Basically, I am stuck with the following:
Exhaust is too restrictive, effectively causing more piston blow-by and consequently causing more crank-case pressure. Nice for torque though
What I want to know is:
Can you remove the positive crank ventilation valve and replace it with a breather-kit like I see so many times on (big-power) YB Cossies? I am in 2 minds about this. I can see an engine needing this positive ventilation but on the other hand, not an OE one 'cause it's no good on a tuned engine obviously.
My plan is to drill a hole in the sump, make a 22mm connection to it and connect it to a K&N breather kit (I've seen one with a built-in oil separator with baffles) to provide fresh air into the engine (seems a bit overkill but I want to be sure no oil can get out), remove the inadequate PCV valve, make a +/-16mm connector there, combine it with the breather on the LH camcover vent and run that into a seperate oil-catch tank and run it back into the sump via a hole in the sump on the other side.
Unfortutely, I cannot change exhaust yet because of govournment test it still needs to pass but I really need to sort out this breathing problems 1st. Don't want oil running onto my exhaustmanifolds.
Another question I have is: How efficient are those oilcatch tanks? I've read they're basically header tanks with enough volume so the airspeeds drops and the oil is released. I am pretty conviced a baffles tank would be more efficient. Where can I get such a oil-catch tank?
Can anyone post a couple of detailed piccies on cars with uprated breather kits and how you've run them? Even more important: Have you retained the standard PCV valve or ditched it entirely in favour of a uprated breather kit?
Last question: Vent into atmosphere or re-route it back into inlet plenum? My car is not a daily driver so not too fussed about a little smell from the engine bay into the car. Can always open a window, right?