PCV Valves! and a spark plug question...

["Ryan Moore" <baradium@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I had previously obtained a new PCV valve grommet, and today I got the valve 
itself and some vacuum line figuring I'd take 5 or 10 minutes and change 
them out since the original was probobly all gunked up and the grommet was 
probobly brittle and in need of a change...

Removing the old grommet went about as expected, the top half came out and 
the bottom fell down inside.  I was able to reach around with my fingers and 
get the piece near to where I could get pliers on it and pull it out... well 
half of it since it broke in half again.  Then  I repeated the process until 
I got all of the pieces I could find out (I'm pretty sure I got everything). 
 No big deal at this point.

Then I started on installing the new grommet.  I expected it'd be about like 
the other ones I'd done before on various GM motors. Pop it in and it's a 
kind of loose fit that looks like it'll probobly seal good.  An hour later 
as I continued trying to get the thing to pop into the hole in the valley 
pan...

I did eventually get it to pop into place, don't know if the oil helped or 
not... but it took a while and I almost couldn't believe it when it finally 
popped in there.  I feel  that not only is the seal good and that it won't 
come out again, but also that it's something I don't want to do again if I 
can avoid it. Are those things meant to go on with a dang hydraulic press or 
something?

Next came what I thought was the easy part, just ease the PCV valve itself 
into place and I'm done.  Another hour later...

I managed to cut myself attempting to get the valve in... hopefully that one 
will by my only injury this trip (have some things that came up I think I'm 
going to do too, and I usually get injured in one of them).

After taking a break to dress my wound (ok, I just washed up, put some 
antiseptic on it and a band-aid), I went back to the valve.  Around this 
point I called up Mac to see if he had any suggestions... he didn't, but 
provided some support and tried to see if he could find any records on the 
BB about it (now that I think about it, should have asked him to try to old 
tech talk too instead of just the new board).  Anyways, thanks Mac.

After trying for a little while longer (by this time it was 9-9:30PM, 
probobly started around 6, maybe 7 at the latest),  I started trying to get 
rid of some of the lip in the grommet with a file (didn't really work all 
that well).  I eventually went on to the valve itself trying to make the 
taper a little less blunt at the starting edge, but it didnt work too well.  
Then I tried using pliers to see if I could make it a little narrower.  By 
this time I'd already tried physically stepping on the valve to get it to go 
in (did that actually before trying to change anything too).  I went to my 
flare tool next and used a part from that to try to collapse the end so it'd 
go in easier.  Had a little success, not much though (didn't really look 
like I'd really accomplished anything other than make it a lot less 
prettier).  Didn't really have a correct part to really do a good job at 
getting the end smaller, but it did wrinkle a slight amount in one spot so 
it must have done something.  After that I tried again to put it back in and 
after another bout of attempts, including many attempts to stand on the 
valve to push it in (by this time I could've cared less if the thing started 
to bend or not), I suddenly heard a "pop" (while phyisically putting as much 
weight as I could on the valve) and the valve popped into place in the 
grommet.

The vacuum hose itself went on easily enough and that part is taken care of.

I only managed to break my little tube for the exhaust manifold stove and 
warm air intake, but I'm not too worried about that at the moment, better 
than this week's record with the chevy, which I managed to break a nipple 
off of the heater core of yesterday when my foot got caught in the heater 
hose while attempting to work on the points.

After the valve was in place and hooked up I cranked the scout up and 
checked for arcing... found a little and fixed the routing and found more.  
I think that maybe I should go ahead and get new wires, and while I'm doing 
that I might as well do the plugs too.  I think I might go back to the 
autolite 85's to see what happens, of course the 303s were getting me good 
in town milage until recently... anyone know of good plugs that the 
prestolite can fire?  I wouldn't mind trying the bosch plugs, but don't want 
to get them if the prestolite isn't hot enough to fire them correctly.  
Suggestions?  Need to make up my mind really quick because this all has to 
happen tomorrow... have a rehearsal dinner to go to tomorrow late 
afternoon/evening and then my friend's wedding tomorrow and sunday I'm on 
the road first thing in the morning...

Sorry for the length of the post... wasn't intentional....

-Ryan

P.S.  Anyone know who designed the PCV system for the SV series?  I'd like 
to... um... "thank" him...

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