I was test fitting some pieces on the motor and it looks like I am going to have a problem fitting the breather into the M/T aluminum valve cover. I have the D shaped grommets that should take a 1" breather but the hole is at the back of the motor and it looks like the breather will be hitting the A/C housing.

What have others done? Should I use that side for PCV? I planned on a breather on each side, but should I consider PCV?

Some details that may be relevant:

455 .030 overbore
KB Hypereutectic Pistons
rotating assembly balanced (all machine work was done by Mike at Allied Auto in Brockton MA)
Olds G heads with Joe Mondello Porting (I bought them 14 years ago so who knows if he really did them?)
JM22-25 cam
JM adjustable valvetrain/ rockers
Edelbrock Performer intake/ 1411 750 CFM Carb

 

Here is a pic of the area

 

Personally I'd use a PCV valve in any case. Swap out that grommet for the one that accommodates the PCV valve and you should be fine. You can also get a PCV valve with a right angle outlet if you need it for clearance.

 

Thank you Joe!

 

Fun side note along these lines. Back in trade school (early 90's) I watched some kid install a pair of chrome valve covers on a small block chevy and he had taken the single covers from 2 pairs without any breather hole in it.

The instructor said that's not a good idea, but he went ahead with it anyway. He got them bolted & gasketed into place near the end of the day, but we didn't have time to button everything else up to fire it that day. The next day, after they had sealed into place and everything else was hooked up, he fired it up. It ran about 30 seconds before making a very loud POP, and it blew the back end of one of the covers completely free of the head, ripping new larger holes around the bolt heads for the cover.

That day our classroom discussion was totally centered around POSITIVE crankcase ventilation, and what exactly that meant and why it was there since we had all seen a wonderful example of just how quickly pressure builds up in the crankcase and that is has to go somewhere.

Afterwards that engine leaked from pretty much every seal and gasket it had. Kid had to pull it and reseal everything...