PCV Catch-Can and Oil Consumption
- Thread starter VelociRacer
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Can you post a link to one of these 20 dollar catch cans...the ones Ive seen come with a heavy shipping charge that get the price darn near $90...so Id be interested in seeing what youre referring to, cause I dont see the value/design/quality in a $90 unit either.
How I found them: www.ebay.com
search for: oil catch can
I saw at least 4 different kinds in a quick look at the pics, some looked better than others. But they were all aluminum and all looked very functional. Some even come in anodized colors...
yeah the shipping is pretty healthy but they are not a small and lightweight thing. Like most, I'm sure there is a healthy profit on the shipping as well.
search for: oil catch can
I saw at least 4 different kinds in a quick look at the pics, some looked better than others. But they were all aluminum and all looked very functional. Some even come in anodized colors...
yeah the shipping is pretty healthy but they are not a small and lightweight thing. Like most, I'm sure there is a healthy profit on the shipping as well.
Got mine off ebay. Works as advertised. Wallet still healthy.
2k2 Maxima SE, how do you open/drain that can? Have you been able to confirm that oil loss on dipstick = oil collected in catch can?
2002 Maxima SE: did you open that thing up to look at the construction? i'm just wondering if there are any baffles inside or not.
VelociRacer: my catch can collects oil, but i never need to add oil to my crankcase over a 5k OCI with M1. the level on the dipstick never goes low enough to require topping off. the oil smells really contaminated with blowby and gas, but it may be different with your car as you have more oil loss. here's my water/air seperator (i removed the little angle restrictor plate, but kept the filter stone for condensation):
VelociRacer: my catch can collects oil, but i never need to add oil to my crankcase over a 5k OCI with M1. the level on the dipstick never goes low enough to require topping off. the oil smells really contaminated with blowby and gas, but it may be different with your car as you have more oil loss. here's my water/air seperator (i removed the little angle restrictor plate, but kept the filter stone for condensation):
Hey 2002 Max, I cant help but notice an oily residue on the clear in and OUT tube...just an observation, curious if there was an explaination...I mean Id kinda expect that out tube to be oil free????
Hi gang,
Velociracer: No oil loss as seen in 5k OCI of M1.
surfstar: No way to open just a drain on the bottom. I don't think it has a baffle, read ahead for a possible answer.
ShortBusX: The oily residue showed up from day one until about 500 miles. After that it has gotten no worse. I'm pretty sure what happened was the oil was splashing off the bottom and getting sucked back out. After about 500 miles, enough oil coated the bottom to act as a baffle.
Velociracer: No oil loss as seen in 5k OCI of M1.
surfstar: No way to open just a drain on the bottom. I don't think it has a baffle, read ahead for a possible answer.
ShortBusX: The oily residue showed up from day one until about 500 miles. After that it has gotten no worse. I'm pretty sure what happened was the oil was splashing off the bottom and getting sucked back out. After about 500 miles, enough oil coated the bottom to act as a baffle.
when I had one, I did the same, and went and left the system on the truck and just gave it away
tired of fooling with the bypass
Remember - oil is only a partial constituent of the caught fluid.
I drive about 30% city, 70% highway. I probably collect a half a cup every gas fillup. It has a medium brown tint to it so I just pour it back in. I use 100% synthetic - both Redline and Mobil1 (my favorite). The air compressor dryer (that looks BTW exactly like surfstar's) leaked on the bottom. So, using needle-nose plyers, I removed the bleed valve and filled the hole with epoxy. It hasn't leaked since. It's good to remove the styrofoam insert that is between the inlet and the outlet. That is, you don't need to filter the air - just have an expansion tank to condense the heavy oil vapor.
A note to Surfstar: after looking at your pic more closely, you should remove the foam, or styrofoam, insert from your dryer. The insert will slow down crankcase ventilation and may actually _cause_ additional oil burning.
I've tried using a oil filter relocation kit as a catch can. I drilled holes into the ADBV thinking that, after I removed the restriction, it would work as well as a regular catch-can or air compressor dryer
. Well it actually caused more blow-by and oil burning because when the oil filter paper got wet it plugged the flow from the PCV valve. I fear the same thing will happen with your setup.
I've tried using a oil filter relocation kit as a catch can. I drilled holes into the ADBV thinking that, after I removed the restriction, it would work as well as a regular catch-can or air compressor dryer
Well, my $10 setup (trial) went on Saturday. Also changed oil from Hav Dino to MaxLife Syn. When I got to work this morning (40 miles) still nothing in the bottle. Will keep y'all posted, maybe w/ some pictures soon. Thanks for everyone's input!
mjo, i'll remove the filter stone and watch for changes. i did remove a little deflector that was inside the filter. i would assume that the filter with all those pores would help to condense the oil, but i don't want it to restrict flow.
or maybe i'll drill a larger hole in the bottom of the filter to give it high flow.
or maybe i'll drill a larger hole in the bottom of the filter to give it high flow.
From my experience, I really think that the canister itself is sufficient to catch most of the oil without using the filter. The canister acts like an expansion chamber allowing the velocity of the vapor to slow way down. When this happens your oil spray, which is heavier than air, will find its way to the bottom. I believe that any restriction between the pcv valve and the intake will inhibit the job of the crankcase ventilation system. When that foam "filter" gets saturated with oil it will render the catch can useless.
Actually, the filter element is not foam but a stiff and almost solid porous plastic substance.
When I installed this, I removed the filter and the PCV vacuum was so fast through it that it was literall vausing a vacuum leak and the engine rpms were 50rpms above normal and the air velocity was so high through the separator that some of the trapped oil was getting suckked back up into the intake.
I found it slowed the slow with it installed and the engine rpms went down to normal.
You have a valid point there, but everything is brand new. It was just allowing too much PCV gas through it.
Also, after reinstalling the filter again, the oil catching ability of the separator has gone up over 200%. Reinstalled it, and the oil amount in the coontainer doubled in half the miles. Slwoing down the flow allows the oil to percipitate out of the vapor better.
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