Much like the B2xx Volvo engines the B52xx 5 cyl (and probably 6 cyl) variants can run into crankcase ventilation issues, even with a well maintained PCV system during extreme use and constant high-rpm running.

So, the thought from here is to plumb the cam cover to a breather bottle so as to prevent excessive pressure.
Quite simply, tig a couple of AN bungs (may 8AN or 10AN) into the cover and run these into a single line, and onto a catch-can/breather bottle.

Rob and I were talking about this a few days back, some people have done it already to 5 cyl engines and seemingly purchase used camshaft covers, modify them and swap them over.
We both thought that this idea didnt sit that well as the cam cover actually serves the purpose of being the upper camshaft journals and does not have removable bearing shells.
So, the preference is for Rob to retain his and for me to retain mine and simply modify the ones we have.

So, since I'm keen to remove mine, do the work and get it back on the car as quickly as I can (same for Rob), I thought I'd take a look at one first and work out where it'd be best to tig the bungs it and if/how it needs to be baffled.
Rob had this one leftover from the 850 that he wrecked, so this one will serve as the one to have a good look at.







I'll degrease it all first and have a good look at it.
Why not just press in where the other oil cap goes on BTCC cars?
Or , why even weld it having the oil issues in the weld , distortion , pinholes......
Drill and tap the AN fittings in ? I see no reasons to weld on there at all.
I used to get peeps asking me at work to weld stuff and i would say drill and tap? OO gee they would say , that would be easier!
Same for the splash barier , drill and tap a plate under the cover near the An fitting , simple!
You could definitely make use of the press-in bung where the other filler would go, would be quite easy.
Reason not to do it is mostly an aesthetic one. Would probably look like an afterthought there.

I'm not too worried about distortion or pinholes in it really, though I dont know how porous the aluminium is.
Welding is really only because I've done it before to a B230 valve cover and it was successful.

I'll give it a clean and take a look.
I was thinking a nice milled/CNCed press in part (this could be a DVS item...) with fittings and a splash guard ...
It would look the bees knees !
Thoughts?
I would think if you do it the right size it wouldn't look too much of an afterthought, in general they all look like an add-on even on new vehicles....
I know that all my cars run the vented 140 cap. It does look really out of place on a b234 so I can only imagine how out of place it would be on a whiteblock.
Paint it black? Can the guts of the breather be adapted into the correct cap?
Matt black engine paint would do the trick I reckon, good call.
To put another cap in the spare covered hole you need a filler neck etc so just machine up an insert from aluminium with the fittings on it , no caps etc , that would look naff.
I've been looking at this some more and if you were to use the blanked-off filler neck bung to fit the breather fittings to, you would have ample space to baffle it (arguable that you may not need to baffle it here).

That said, due to the shape of the cover and how it is cast, and the depth of the rectangular 'lumps', I dont believe they'd be required if butted up in one of the corners of the lumps, parictularly if the screw on fitting at the top has a little height - you'd achieve this via a right angled (or T piece) fitting.

Initial thoughts at this stage. I'll drill a couple of holes and take a look at material thickness in the next couple of days.
23 days later
I drilled a couple of holes in the cam cover and, now that the car is back, was able to work out where to put the breathers so that they're not going to be in the way of anything else in the engine bay.
I'd hope to have them more toward the passenger side of the car but that really wouldnt be the best place for them.

So they're going here -





The cast aluminium is a little thicker than I had expected so I have no issue in welding it.

The reason the bungs will be offset in the casting 'lumps' in the cam cover is simply that if they're in the corners of the casting, I dont believe they'd need to be baffled. I may do it anyway though, or I may alraldite some stainless steel mesh to the underside of them - this is common in a lot of breathers in V8 rocker covers in racing applications.



The fittings are a stepped aluminium fitting, so drill the hole to the size of the lower step, place it in and tig around the top. Simple.

Nice.. I like.

Oh ... also, can I pinch the oil cap and spout from that cover if you are not using it for anything else?
BTCC dual oil fillers @Rob?

I like the idea of the breather in the other oil hole with a nice fitting machined for it though...
Ex850R;21395 wroteBTCC dual oil fillers @Rob?
Maybe. thinking about it

Rob;21392 wroteNice.. I like.
Oh ... also, can I pinch the oil cap and spout from that cover if you are not using it for anything else?
It is your cam cover, so yep, no problem.
I will dig up one to do the same thing.

The spout is pressed in. May have to make a drift to push it out.
i never thought to look at it before i sent it down.
6 days later
I had another look at this last night too.
The bung nearest the firewall will move along to the left into the next casting 'lump' as placing it when I have drilled it makes it inconveniently close to the master cyl.

Regarding the twin filler idea too -
I don't think I'll do this on mine. You'd be so unlikely to use it.
If you look at the road-going engine, it is located away enough from the firewall so that the turbo and manifold has a home and it is leaned over (toward the firewall a little, placing the filler neck (close enough to) upright.

On the BTCC car, since they weren't turbocharged, the engine is more snuggly fitted against the firewall and appears to be more upright, making the front filler more leaned over to the front of the car and the rear filler more upright.
a year later
4 days later
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