I feel retarded asking this question but what exactly does the PCV Valve do and what are the affects if it leaks or is wore? (gormet leaks)

 

pcv VALVE stands for Positive Crankcase Ventalation. it opens and takes air from inside the motor and routes air back to the intake. It is for emissions and basically helps to combust more gasses instead of spitting them out of the tailpipe. If it leaks then unmetered air will be entering the engine causing it to run poorly and lowering gas mileage.

 

the main function of the PCV is to ventilate the pressure that is built up inside the engine, if you run no pcv you will find that pressure has to go somewhere and next thing you know, your valve covers will be leaking, oil pan leaking. The pressure will find the path of least resistance and thats the gaskets.

 

+1. No it's NOT for emissions. It's a pressure relief valve. Before they had PCV's, engines had a tube that dumped the excess pressure out of the engine all together.

 

Thanks for correcting my spelling. Sorry. I'm usually pretty good about it. I'm lasting on very little sleep.

 

PCV's were installed to allow the engine to burn all the stuff that was previously allowed to escape into the atmosphere.The old cars had a simple fiber and baffle filled cap that also doubled as the oil fill cap.These would eventually fill up with oil and start leaking oil all over the valve covers,and eventually onto the ground.Oil and unburned gas vapors would also get out into the air and this is what the EPA wanted Detroit to eliminate.
The PCV system is used to allow filtered air into the engine with the purpose of carrying unburned gasoline and oil vapors into the engine to be burned thereby saving the Earth for future generations.There is one hose going from the intake tube into the drivers side cam cover and a vacuum hose going from the passenger side cam cover to the upper plenum.The PCV is where the vacuum hose goes into the cam cover.
If the PCV is removed the unburned vapors will still find their way to the intake tube but it will be through the T/B and plenum.This will eventually cause a build up of some of the hardest to remove gom you have ever seen on everything (including the MAF) in the engine.
If the engine is sealed completly with no way for gasses and vapors to get out the result will be popped gaskets and severe leaks.Performance will suffer because there will be a pressure build up under the pistons holding them back against combustion pressure.One thing is sure,this is one problem that won't last for very long.

 

they do make PCV valve deletes. and it caps off filters of a catch can on the filters from the crank case.

people delete it on superchargers and turbos ususaly because the less oil thats coming in from your air the cleaner gets sucked in from your intake. and the cleaner the air, the better the combustion.

alot of intake manifolds and upper and lower intakes are caked over with oil cuz of the PCV picking up excessive oil. its better to just delete it and put filters over the PCV vacumes or catch cans.

if you do breather valve you just change it every once in a while http://www.steeda.com/store/-catalog/breathervalve.htm

if you do catch can. you empty it like every 2 weeks i heard. you car sucks in alot of oil then you think. http://www.steeda.com/store/-catalog/555-3710.htm

 

some of you are confusing the PCV with the EGR
PCV is for pressure release
EGR recycles exhaust gasses and unburned fuel
Also, the breather tube from your cam cover to your intake is different from both.

 

actually that is part of the pcv system. this is a pcv bypass article from supesixmotorsports and they both valve covers with breathers to get rid of the pcv system.

 

I haven't changed the one my my GT yet, but my Focus has a PCV going from the block to the head just behind the exhaust to relieve pressure in the crank case. It has a breather tube going from the cam cover to the intake tube/airbox to vent pressure and oil mist above the valves. The breather tube can be replaced by a cute little cone filter, but I think you have to keep the PCV...maybe a catch can?

Like I said, haven't had to change the new Stang's yet, but I wouldn't think it would be too different.