chevy 283 what the heck is this and can i remove it?

trying to swap to a new edelbrock intake and carb and this thingamabob is in the way of the intake manifold. any idea what it is and if it can/should/shoulnt be removed so i can put the new intake on? the intake is edelbrock 7501.

 

Depends on what you're gonna do about crankcase ventilation. That keeps the road draft tube or PCV set up from pulling oil from the valley chamber.

 

IMHO, you can remove it and then knock a freeze plug into the corresponding hole in the block.

 

I believe it had something to do with a draft tube. As far as removing it??????????

I'm sure Squirrel will chime in.

 

That is the breather or oil separator for the road draft tube in the rear of the engine. If you remove it, you must plug the draft tube and put breathers in the valve covers or hook up a modern PCV system to the base off the carb.

 

That's the canister for the downdraft breather tube. Are you going to put in a PCV valve ? Are you going to use an oil fill tube in the manifold and closed valve covers ? If so, you may need that.

If you're planning a PCV valve and breather in the valve covers, you can remove that.

Edit...You guys type faster than me

 

It is the oil baffle for the road draft tube hole in the back of the block. If you are going to continue to use the road draft tube, or the pcv valve adapter that goes in the same hole, you will need it. You could modify it or create a new baffle to take the place of it. The other option is to remove it, plug the rear hole in the block with a freeze plug, and utilize a pcv system that uses a breather and pcv valve in the valve covers.

 

damn you guys type fast! There was only one response when I started typing that.

 

hah well i def dont want to reinvent the engine. is there any way to use this intake then or do i need to find a way to adapt something to the stock one to use the edlebrock carb? man why is this never easy lol. thank you all for the responses.

 

sorry i meant other than doing the freeze plug swap if there is a way to use this setup.

 

Well, as several people stated, you can plug that as long as you provide another way for the engine to breathe....PCV in one VC, breather in the other, or adapt a late 60's PCV valve that uses the hole in the back of the block.....do a search on PCV, there's lots of ways around it, but the engine has to breathe, or you'll be popping gaskets and leaking oil constantly.

 

NOPE!!!

It's just the caffeine kicking in!

Because if it were easy everybody would be doing it!

 

Depends what valve covers you are using.

If the valve covers don't have any breathers, then you probably need to keep the baffle can in the valley. You might be able to modify it to clear the intake. It's held in with a litttle screw on the bottom, where the mounting bracket is.

 

Not the best photo but if you look near my master cylinder you will see my PCV valve going into the oil cap on my M/T valve cover. From there you'll notice that I fabbed up a steel tube that goes to the port at the rear of my carb. The other valve cover has an oil cap that is a breather.

 

I don't remember that canister ever getting in the way of swapping intake manifolds...it's a new one on me...

 

I've seen a few that had been beaten down, as if they were in the way of a manifold.

 

what about all of the CRUD that's in there with it ??? >>>>.

 

Like everyone has said, it's removable, but don't throw it away; send it to me, I need one. I'm serious, I need one. Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

musta used Pennsoil...

 

I removed it on my 283 (it did hit the manifold) but put a freeze plug in the block. I kept the look of the road draft tube but it does not work. I use a Moon breather on each valve cover and another breather on the front oil fill tube.

 

There were two sizes. The early ones were bigger. What year is the engine? An early '60's one might fit. I know a '55 is bigger.

 

i have seen them smashed down with a hammer kind of crud but you cant see it after intake is on. i do have one if you need send mailing info.

 

If you run that manifold you will need to change the valve covers as it does not have an oil fill tube in it, and the vc's don't have any way to get oil in...no fill cap. I would pull it and plug it run another set of vc's and run the pcv that way..been done that way for years.

 

I'd take a hammer and "adjust" it to clear. That is a great oil separator. I'd use it at all costs. You are lucky to be using the block that takes this oil separator. It makes a PCV system a piece of cake to hook up cleanly and not throw oil all over the place. Be thankful.

 

I ran into the same problem when I installed my offy intake on my 283. All it needed was a little flattening out on top and it cleared nicely. Definitely remove it before you start bashing it with a BFH tho.
This is not the best pic but I hope it helps.

 

As others have said, if you take it out put in a freeze plug in. I you just remove the can and run the tube, it will blow oil out like crazy. I found out the hard way.

 

thanks all - picked up a set of basic valve covers with a breather, pcv valve and an oil port. anyone know what size freeze plug that air canister blockoff hole would take? all autozone had was a 1.5 and a 1 5/8 plus and those are def too large.

 

I knew as soon as I read the title what I would see when I clicked on yer post! I had the same question wit my 283 damn near 40 years ago! I laughed! Thanks for the laugh!

 

you can still buy them, look on a corvette supplier site

 

yea, thats a plan, seal that f*cker up tight. keep a extra set of valve cover gaskets handy...