PCV valve explanation?

[jehuie]

Can someone explain to me in simple terms how the PCV valve works on a 1275 engine? This is from a Sprite but I'm not sure what year it is. It's in a Morris Minor now. I had to take the intake manifold off for another issue and it got me to wondering about it. I watched some videos but they are all from American cars with big V8 engines and seem to be connected significantly different.

Is the basics the same though? Does it somehow draw crud out of the engine and into the cartridge at the other end of the hose? How effective are these? Should I just leave it alone? Remove it? Check something?

Thanks!

John

 

[Bristol401]

It’s good for the environment to have any crankcase oil fumes burned up by your engine, but you don’t want gas fumes to go the other way and into your crankcase and your engine go Boom. These old British PCV ones could be taken apart and cleaned but no one did so they got nasty and clogged. Those domestic ones are ‘throw-aways.

 

[jehuie]

It’s good for the environment to have any crankcase oil fumes burned up by your engine, but you don’t want gas fumes to go the other way and into your crankcase and your engine go Boom. These old British PCV ones could be taken apart and cleaned but no one did so they got nasty and clogged. Those domestic ones are ‘throw-aways.

So is the one in my picture a domestic one or a British one?

 

[Bristol401]

Looks like the original British one.

 

[jehuie]

So can someone explain the theory behind how this thing works?

 

[jehuie]

Magic I guess!
I just don’t see how it being connected to the middle of the intake manifold only is doing anything about smog.