DIY thread on installing the 1LE clean side oil separator on an LFX

[intensifi]

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6922530

[meissen]

Could someone explain what the purpose of the oil separator is on the clean side? If the clean side name is literal - clean - why would there be oil on this side? I'm not doubting it, I just don't understand where the oil comes from or why it's needed on the clean side.

[menendez1293]

Originally Posted by meissen

Could someone explain what the purpose of the oil separator is on the clean side? If the clean side name is literal - clean - why would there be oil on this side? I'm not doubting it, I just don't understand where the oil comes from or why it's needed on the clean side.

Clean side doesn't refer to their not being it means that oil is not contaminated.

Without getting to technical the PCV system works by using you intake manifold to create a vacuum and then deposits the oil waste that is "blown by". Now the reason you need a clean sides separator is because when you are at WOT this vacuum basically doesn't exist any more and the blow by will take the path of least resistance which is your intake track.

What the separator does is captures those vapors and once the pressure in the engine is gone ( like when you shut the motor off) it will slowly trickle the captured oil back into the oil fill. The separator also has an advantage to traditional breathers that are used because the separator only uses metered air and can't let either any air enter the systems or any air into the system. Wen compared to a breather that has the possibility that can let unmetered air in and in some worst case examples this extra air can actually cause you to blow a seal or make you run lean or rich since the fuel trims could be off.

The clean side will only amount to about 3-5 % of the blow by and the dirty side would be the other 95-97% so a clean side separator is not really necessary but to me it is am added piece of mind that I am capturing almost all oil blow by now.

[911medic]

Originally Posted by meissen

Could someone explain what the purpose of the oil separator is on the clean side? If the clean side name is literal - clean - why would there be oil on this side? I'm not doubting it, I just don't understand where the oil comes from or why it's needed on the clean side.

My understanding is similar to what has already been stated.

Most of the time, the "clean side" of the PCV system is where the makeup air is drawn into the crankcase, to be combined with oil vapors and combustion blow-by and then pulled out the "dirty side" into the intake manifold via the intake vacuum.

Under some conditions, such as WOT or other situations that generate more crankcase pressure than the available intake vacuum can draw out the dirty side, oil can come through the clean side and be introduced into the intake tube ahead of the throttle body.

This causes throttle body and intake contamination, which is of course, undesirable. Hence the use of breathers, which eliminate the clean side connection to the intake, but also introduce unmetered air into the engine and may not allow excess crankcase pressure to vent.

The 1LE oil separator is supposed to allow the system to work as designed, with only metered air, while still eliminating the oil ingestion into the intake.

[meissen]

Thanks guys - that explains it perfectly. Makes me think I need to get a clean side system for my LT1 engine instead of the breather I have in there now.

[menendez1293]

Originally Posted by meissen

Thanks guys - that explains it perfectly. Makes me think I need to get a clean side system for my LT1 engine instead of the breather I have in there now.

Sorry but isn't a LT1 the new corvette motor in the C7?

[meissen]

Yes and no. There's the 1970's LT-1 engine, the 1990's gen2 LT1, and then the Gen5 direct-injected LT1 being put in the C7. I have a gen2 LT1 in my 1994 Camaro.

[yzark99]

$150 for this quoted from my dealer. I would just install a catch can in the line and call it good.

[intensifi]

Originally Posted by yzark99

$150 for this quoted from my dealer. I would just install a catch can in the line and call it good.

And a good catch can costs how much?

[menendez1293]

Originally Posted by meissen

Yes and no. There's the 1970's LT-1 engine, the 1990's gen2 LT1, and then the Gen5 direct-injected LT1 being put in the C7. I have a gen2 LT1 in my 1994 Camaro.

Oh guess that makes sense. Never knew GM had so many different LT1s out

[intensifi]

After running two tanks of gas since the separator install, It does appear I am getting better mileage compared to the stock setup.

A tank used to last about 1 week of commuter driving.

Now it appears a tank will last 1.75 weeks. I'm currently a week after a fill up and have a half tank left.

Anyone have an explanation for this?

Maybe the fittings are tighter and there is less air leakage post MAF?

[yzark99]

Considering that the PCV clean side has at most 5% of the oil vapors in it, compared to the dirty side, a good catch can from saikoumichi.com costs $71 shipped for the smallest size (S0-OCC). I already have the large RX can on the dirty side, and I will be installing the smaller can on the clean side on my car.

Enjoy your 1LE separator.

[2fullgarage]

Wrong thread

[2fullgarage]

And my response was also in the wrong thread