Oil Separator/ Catch Can

[BuickBroke$]

Hey guys, I’m wondering what most of you are using for an oil separator/catch can. I added a breather to my pass side oil fill hole, and a one way valve on the hose coming off the top of the manifold to the drivers side valve cover. Now I’m getting oil coming out of the breather dripping onto my exhaust manifold. I’d like to add a catch can, but not sure exactly the proper hoses to run thru it and if there’s one that’s dependable and user friendly? Thanks for any info.
5.3 truck engine, drive by wire, truck manifold, 78mm turbo.

 

[shoedoos]

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-...0001&campid=5335822911&icep_item=264532161728

 

[Northernregal]

Either factory valve cover breather into the catch can, then back into the 3/8" manifold port works.

If I recall correctly, from the bottom of the catch can then back through the top to the manifold. Should be some info online for it.

 

[GuysMonteSS]

I have a Trick Flow oil catch can.It's plumbed in with a ME Wagner Dual Flow Adjustable PCV valve;

Trick Flow Specialties TFS-51400850 Trick Flow® PCV Air/Oil Separators | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - Trick Flow® PCV Air/Oil Separators with qualifying orders of $109. Shop Oil Catch Cans at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

Dual Flow Adjustable PCV Valve – M/E Wagner Performance Products

Seems to work pretty good.My valve covers are baffled.
I have a few pictures.
Guy

 

[81cutlass]

So in my studies of designing the catch can for my car there are two main ways to do it

1. Vented surge tank
Basically just vent the valve covers to a tank and the tank has some type of a filter on the top to atmosphere , some have vacuum source to manifold and some don't

2. In line oil separator
Essentially a copy of a factory PCV system but with a tank in the middle to separate the oil mist from the air.

1 isn't wrong but I MUCH prefer 2. There is improved ring sealing from a slight vac on the crank case and you are actively removing water vapor and blowby from the crankcase. #1 is essentially just putting a second, filtered air bleed to manifold and any blowby ends up in the tank passively not actively.

Mine is set up with the stock valvecover barb going to a tank that is filled with steel wool and has a copper tube on the inlet going to the bottom and it has a few holes drilled down the side on the bottom half. The outlet going to manifold vac then has a PCV valve in line before it connects to intake vacuum. If you can tell in the photo below the black tank is mounted right infront of the passenger head.

Since you are turbo look at how a turbo buick is set up. You should tee off the post air filter, pre turbo side of the inlet pipe to provide a little vacuum under boost and possibly put some check valves in and send the other side of the vac supply side of the can to the intake manifold post TB.

 

[BuickBroke$]

So in my studies of designing the catch can for my car there are two main ways to do it

1. Vented surge tank
Basically just vent the valve covers to a tank and the tank has some type of a filter on the top to atmosphere , some have vacuum source to manifold and some don't

2. In line oil separator
Essentially a copy of a factory PCV system but with a tank in the middle to separate the oil mist from the air.

1 isn't wrong but I MUCH prefer 2. There is improved ring sealing from a slight vac on the crank case and you are actively removing water vapor and blowby from the crankcase. #1 is essentially just putting a second, filtered air bleed to manifold and any blowby ends up in the tank passively not actively.

Mine is set up with the stock valvecover barb going to a tank that is filled with steel wool and has a copper tube on the inlet going to the bottom and it has a few holes drilled down the side on the bottom half. The outlet going to manifold vac then has a PCV valve in line before it connects to intake vacuum. If you can tell in the photo below the black tank is mounted right infront of the passenger head.

Since you are turbo look at how a turbo buick is set up. You should tee off the post air filter, pre turbo side of the inlet pipe to provide a little vacuum under boost and possibly put some check valves in and send the other side of the vac supply side of the can to the intake manifold post TB.

View attachment 155915

Great information, thank you. Do you happen to remember who’s separator tank you have?

 

[81cutlass]

Great information, thank you. Do you happen to remember who’s separator tank you have?

Cheap one off ebay or amazon. It was like $15-$25 and another $20 in material from the hardware store. I did a quick look and didn't see anything identical listed anymore. As long as you find one in the color you want that has 2 ports in the top and no filter you should be fine.

The hose and most of the accessories it came with was trash so essentially I just bought an aluminum tube with a tap and some ports drilled in the top. It was definitely chinesesium but it wasn't a big deal to me.

 

[Tony1968]

Anyone ever read that the feed going into the can from pcv should be routed so the oil can flow back into the valve cover? Makes sense but it seems sometimes it's difficult to mount can above the engine high enough

 

[GuysMonteSS]

Anyone ever read that the feed going into the can from pcv should be routed so the oil can flow back into the valve cover? Makes sense but it seems sometimes it's difficult to mount can above the engine high enough

No I never heard that before.
Why would you want the oil to go back to the valve covers ??
The idea of a catch can is to catch the oil,then you drain it out of the catch can if it gets too full.
Guy

 

[BuickBroke$]

I definitely get the idea of getting the oil back into the engine, makes perfect sense. It’s good oil and it’s coming out so you’d have to add it back anyway, but logistics of getting it back in there would be difficult.