Steeda Oil Seperator

[c3po]

Hey guys, I have a 2004 Mercury Marauder that has the DOHC all aluminum Mustang Cobra Engine.

It has 26,000 miles on it, and I was wondering if a Catch Can between the PCV Valve and the Intake Manifold would be worth getting. The car is stock, my thoughts are that this item would decrease oil mist from getting into the intake manifold.

Has anyone done this, and is this worth doing or not.

 

[mechtech2]

Catch cans are not on factory cars because it relies on the consumer to keep them clean.
If this is not done, the PCV system won't function, and all sorts of problems ensue - bad for the car, and the environment.
And you DO have to keep an eye on it to dump it now and then. From a few weeks to a few months.

But I think catch cans are great for street cars.
It keeps the throttle body bore and plate clean, deposits and oil from collecting in the intake manifold, and less crud to build up on the valves and in the CC.
I'd clean the TB out first, so you have a good start.

Make sure your can system is big enough and flows well enough for you rather large engine.

 

[yeti]

i've done it, mainly because i have a lot of short trips, especially in winter, and the oil doesn't get up to temp often enough to burn off the contaminents and moisture. the catch can collects this very well, and i unscrew the reservoir about every 2 weeks, and dump it. if you get a lot of highway use, and change your pcv often, you shouldn't need this setup.

 

[c3po]

Originally Posted By: yeti
i've done it, mainly because i have a lot of short trips, especially in winter, and the oil doesn't get up to temp often enough to burn off the contaminents and moisture. the catch can collects this very well, and i unscrew the reservoir about every 2 weeks, and dump it. if you get a lot of highway use, and change your pcv often, you shouldn't need this setup.


Are we saying if I change my PCV more often, like every year or at 30,000 miles then I would not need this.

This car sees no short trip driving, meaning that I always get this car up to operating temp before I shut it down.

 

[chevrofreak]

The Steeda part is extremely overpriced. It's just an oil/water separator for an air compressor system. You can build your own for less than 1/4 the cost.

 

[yeti]

you don't NEED a catch can, due to your driving habits, but using one should help to keep internals clean, as mechtech stated. changing your pcv early will help to keep the internals clean as well, and in turn, help to keep the engine running efficiently. i use an oem pcv, and this setup works for me.

 

[yeti]

what chevrofreak said. mine cost about $22-$23.

 

[c3po]

What parts did you guys buy to make this oil seperator, did you go to Harbor Freight or Home Depot to get the stuff.

 

[yeti]

i got my separator at home depot, and the hose at an auto parts shop. the hose is rated for gas line use,to stand up to summer heat. i used 2 nylon 90 deg. fittings on the separator. i didn't need hose clamps, as the hoses fit snugly on the nylon fittings. it's pretty basic -- a one beer job.

 

[Challenger71]

I commute a/o 70 miles daily for work, 80% highway and I still get several ounces of oil-water in the catch-can per week. I would never recommend a catch can to any lay person, but since you're a bitoger and that equates to being up to speed on your vehicle maintenance (pun intended), I would wholeheartedly recommend it.

 

[yeti]

challenger -- as i said - a 1 beer job (to a bitoger).

 

[c3po]

Originally Posted By: Challenger71
I commute a/o 70 miles daily for work, 80% highway and I still get several ounces of oil-water in the catch-can per week. I would never recommend a catch can to any lay person, but since you're a bitoger and that equates to being up to speed on your vehicle maintenance (pun intended), I would wholeheartedly recommend it.


I am up to speed on my vehicles maintenance, if I have 366,000 miles on a small block chevy, you know that I am up too speed.

I got on the Jegs website and they have a nice Oil/Air Seperator for about $44.00 and it holds a quart of junk, might go that way instead of the Steeda setup which is more expensive.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: yeti
i got my separator at home depot, and the hose at an auto parts shop. the hose is rated for gas line use,to stand up to summer heat. i used 2 nylon 90 deg. fittings on the separator. i didn't need hose clamps, as the hoses fit snugly on the nylon fittings. it's pretty basic -- a one beer job.


I like the home made idea, all I need to do is search the WWW for some kind of drawing, and parts list. No such thing as a 1 beer job, I always seem to find an excuse to have another.

 

[yeti]

demar -- i'd send you a drawing, but i don't know how , as my computer skills are limited. on my motor, the pcv is on the left (drivers) side valve cover.i have about a 6" piece of gas line rated hose from the pcv to the 90 deg. nylon fitting, which is screwed into the separator. on the other side of the separator is the other 90 deg. nylon fitting. from it, i have about a 10" piece of the hose that goes to the manifold vacuum fitting that held the original pcv hose. i support the can by a couple of cable ties that fasten around the master cylinder reservoir. hoses and fittings from a car parts shop, and separator from home depot. get the separator first, then at the car parts shop, bring it and the pcv in to get the fittings and an exact hose size. then you begin your exhaustive 1 beer job. according to you, it's a 2 beer job. maybe i'm moving too quickly.

 

[chevrofreak]

Originally Posted By: c3po
I got on the Jegs website and they have a nice Oil/Air Seperator for about $44.00 and it holds a quart of junk, might go that way instead of the Steeda setup which is more expensive.


Have you got a link to that one?

 

[TurboLuver]

c3po, here is a pic of my $20 catch can(outlined in yellow), like yeti said, real easy, took me maybe 20 minutes....

 

[c3po]

Originally Posted By: chevrofreak
Originally Posted By: c3po
I got on the Jegs website and they have a nice Oil/Air Seperator for about $44.00 and it holds a quart of junk, might go that way instead of the Steeda setup which is more expensive.


Have you got a link to that one?


Chevrofreak, I do not know how to do the link thing.

The reason I want to do it on my Marauder is that between the PCV Valve and the Intake Manifold, the hose is only about 6 inches long.

Gary Allan gave me an idea on my small block chevy, where I wrapped a longer section of PCV hose between the PCV valve and the carburetor, that hose must be about 18 inches long. Gary told me the longer the PCV hose is the more oil that will be trapped inside the hose.

The Jegs item is easy to find and someone may be able to post a picture, I just Googled JEGS AIR / OIL SEPERATOR.

 

[Challenger71]

http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS/555/52205/10002/-1

here you go

 

[mechtech2]

Having the PCV valve clean or dirty is not the point, and will not give the benefits of a catch can.
You are trapping blowby deposits, water, and oil that would otherwise get in the manifold, TB, valves, and CC. A catch can attenuates these deposits. [BTW, it is vaporization on a hot soak that gets the gunk in the manifold on the TB]

 

[chevrofreak]

Originally Posted By: Challenger71
http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS/555/52205/10002/-1

here you go


I saw that one, but it doesn't hold a quart like he said. I saw some fuel filters with built in water separators that may have been a quart in size, so I hope that isn't what he's talking about.