Oil Catch Can

[calbert1999]

Originally Posted by IndeedSS1

Looks like nice parts. But if you are getting the can for it's designed purpose and not just for looks, test it. The one thing I like is the drain, as I have a similar one.

That's the plan, hopefully it doesn't take a month to arrive like the guages.

[IndeedSS1]

Originally Posted by calbert1999

That's the plan, hopefully it doesn't take a month to arrive like the guages.

Did it take that long because of being in Canada? What gauges are you going to tbe running and are they going on an A pillar mount?

[calbert1999]

Originally Posted by IndeedSS1

Did it take that long because of being in Canada? What gauges are you going to tbe running and are they going on an A pillar mount?

Dual AeroForce in a dual pillar pod. I could have walked to Ohio faster than these guages take to arrive so I doubt it has anything to do with being in Canada we have Purolator, UPS, FedEx and many other couriers that would be more than happy to get those products here in less than 2-3 days at most, and my builder has brokerage folks at border to deal with the BS so no issues there either. We've had an engine shipped from Detroit and it only took one day to arrive (not even, it left end of day one day and arrived the next morning).

We have part distributors here also just like anywhere else, this may be a specialty item that's not stocked locally so AeroForce may not overstock them, maybe on backorder, or may also have something to do with all the sensors I need for boost, AFR, fuel pressure, et al.

Not sure what they're doing at this point.

[IndeedSS1]

Originally Posted by calbert1999

Dual AeroForce in a dual pillar pod. I could have walked to Ohio faster than these guages take to arrive so I doubt it has anything to do with being in Canada we have Purolator, UPS, FedEx and many other couriers that would be more than happy to get those products here in less than 2-3 days at most, and my builder has brokerage folks at border to deal with the BS so no issues there either. We've had an engine shipped from Detroit and it only took one day to arrive (not even, it left end of day one day and arrived the next morning).

We have part distributors here also just like anywhere else, this may be a specialty item that's not stocked locally so AeroForce may not overstock them, maybe on backorder, or may also have something to do with all the sensors I need for boost, AFR, fuel pressure, et al.

Not sure what they're doing at this point.

While I don't have plans for this car, my Impala SS (supercharged) had a three pod setup with dual Aeroforce gauges and a PLX wideband. I loved it but it drew way too much attention from wanna-be "street racers". I did leave them in until I traded it in on my Camaro, as I was always monitoring things.

Good luck with your stuff and keep a close eye on the catch can. I'm guessing you'll want to clean that filter media every time you change your oil

[calbert1999]

Originally Posted by IndeedSS1

While I don't have plans for this car, my Impala SS (supercharged) had a three pod setup with dual Aeroforce gauges and a PLX wideband. I loved it but it drew way too much attention from wanna-be "street racers". I did leave them in until I traded it in on my Camaro, as I was always monitoring things.

Good luck with your stuff and keep a close eye on the catch can. I'm guessing you'll want to clean that filter media every time you change your oil

Thanks, man. Probably the plan will be to do just that with every oil change.

[SC2150]

That can draws oil laden vapors in one side with the filter media and it catches the oil there which is fine, thats what you want. But the same media is on the outlet side and as it saturates with oil it is pulled right out into the intake manifold. Put on the clear glss inline fuel filter and it will saturate in 100 miles. We have tested this can several times. I thought it was a new design by Moroso, but it is a same can made for dozens of vendors and just labeled. Now, take the media out of the side you intend to use as the outlet and it cuts the pull-through in app 1/2. It still pulls plenty of oil through while running as there is no deflection to keep the droplets from pulling through and the small interior volumne does not allow the speed of the flow to slow enough for the droplets to fall out of suspension. I think we have done more testing and mods on this can to improve it than any we have ever dealt with. We shared what we found with the actual manufacturer (who is banned from here now) and were told "go to he**, he knows what he is doing".

Try this for yourself to prove what I am saying.....dont take my word for it. Simply get the clear glass fuel filter and istall it between the cans outlet and the intake manifold and see. App 30-40% of the oil is pulled through due to the design. When the motor is off and there is no flow through it then the saturated media drips oil down so you see it collect oil....but the idea of using a catch can is to trap the oil...all or nearly all, not just some of it.

[calbert1999]

Originally Posted by SC2150

That can draws oil laden vapors in one side with the filter media and it catches the oil there which is fine, thats what you want. But the same media is on the outlet side and as it saturates with oil it is pulled right out into the intake manifold. Put on the clear glss inline fuel filter and it will saturate in 100 miles. We have tested this can several times. I thought it was a new design by Moroso, but it is a same can made for dozens of vendors and just labeled. Now, take the media out of the side you intend to use as the outlet and it cuts the pull-through in app 1/2. It still pulls plenty of oil through while running as there is no deflection to keep the droplets from pulling through and the small interior volumne does not allow the speed of the flow to slow enough for the droplets to fall out of suspension. I think we have done more testing and mods on this can to improve it than any we have ever dealt with. We shared what we found with the actual manufacturer (who is banned from here now) and were told "go to he**, he knows what he is doing".

Try this for yourself to prove what I am saying.....dont take my word for it. Simply get the clear glass fuel filter and istall it between the cans outlet and the intake manifold and see. App 30-40% of the oil is pulled through due to the design. When the motor is off and there is no flow through it then the saturated media drips oil down so you see it collect oil....but the idea of using a catch can is to trap the oil...all or nearly all, not just some of it.

I think there is now a version for 2010+ Camaro as a new product so may not be the same model you tested previously.

However, besides, all that. As I said before, my builder most likely has some plans specifically with this particular form factor of a catch can that he cannot do with other brands otherwise I doubt very much he would recommend a catch can for my newly built 427ci. LSX engine that's not going to work.

Keep in mind this is by far NOT your typical LS3, go and purchase a catch can one size fits all solution.

We had a custom built catch can in a L99, but I could not have the same setup (not sure why), all I know is my friends engine was a L99 forged / stroked with a Maggie, whlle mine is an 427 LSX-LS7, with a ProCharger.

I lack the skill or knowledge to explain this particular choice but I'm more than 100% sure it was chosen for a very specific reason otherwise we'd be going with a different brand or building our own as I don't care how much it costs or whose name is on it, I just want it to work, and they know how particular I am, so l doubt very much they'd install something on my engine that's not going to work for my specific setup.

[SC2150]

I'm sure your in great hands...the tech your using sounds top notch. Keep us posted on your build!

[calbert1999]

We just finished the installation of the Moroso on the LSX-427, but we fabricated a bracket to put it in another location, and some custom braided lines to boot, all tested and she works great.

[IndeedSS1]

Originally Posted by calbert1999

We just finished the installation of the Moroso on the LSX-427, but we fabricated a bracket to put it in another location, and some custom braided lines to boot, all tested and she works great.

How did you test it that quick? Do you have any pictures of the glass tube installed with the braided line setup?

[SC2150]

Originally Posted by calbert1999

We just finished the installation of the Moroso on the LSX-427, but we fabricated a bracket to put it in another location, and some custom braided lines to boot, all tested and she works great.

So you installed the inline clear glass fuel filter to test for pull through? We just tested one on a NA stock cube motor and it allows a bunch of oil to pull through. Fill us in on how you determined it was not allowing oil pull-through.

[calbert1999]

Originally Posted by IndeedSS1

How did you test it that quick? Do you have any pictures of the glass tube installed with the braided line setup?

Originally Posted by SC2150

So you installed the inline clear glass fuel filter to test for pull through? We just tested one on a NA stock cube motor and it allows a bunch of oil to pull through. Fill us in on how you determined it was not allowing oil pull-through.

I can't tell you what they did or why it may not work on an NA engine.

They build racecars for a livng, so they are quite talented especially on LS(n) motors. If they don't like something they just change it, and that's why they went with this can. All, I know is they showed me no oil passing through the filter and that's good enough for me. We'll check the can in a few weeks (once driving full time in the spring), and go from there.

I wasn't planning on a video production so I didn't bring a high-def. camera to record it, but you can ask them how they got it to work.

http://www.spi-performance.com/

They're pretty friendly.

[Rendo]

Excuse my noobness. I know cars with Turbos have these, but what is the purpose / benefits of installing this on a non-modded SS?

[SC2150]

Understanding the need for
a proper PCV oil separating catchcan

Any engine driven hard will ingest a certain amount of oil into the intake air system resulting in loss of power, detonation, and long term carbon buildup on the pistons & valves reducing the velocity and flow through the engine.


Preventing this on a street driven car subject to emissions requires some simple modifications to the closed OEM PCV system.


On all out race applications where emission rules do not apply, this is accomplished in different ways, but proper crankcase ventilation is a must! The crankcase gets filled with harmful combustion byproducts that if not evacuated will cause internal damage to your engine and shorten the usable life. These byproducts include: Sulfuric acids, abrasive carbon particles, unburnt fuel, water, and more. If you do not have a proper crankcase evacuation system these compounds will condense inside the engine and mix with the oil as well as begin corroding internal parts. It is NOT enough to just vent the crankcase pressure through a breather, but it must be flushed with a filtered fresh air source to carry these out & away. In an OEM system, these are burnt in the combustion chamber & further in the catalytic converters.


In an off-road or race application, the engine is normally not used to burn them off.
At the very least drag only motors have a scavenge evac system in the header collectors to pull vac, and anyone that's serious has a belt driven vac pump.....especially the Alky motors due to the amount of moisture the alcohol introduces to the crankcase.

Want to see whats in your oil? A simple oil analysis will show you how much harmful stuff ends up in it.


The oil analysis will show the acid build up....and no, it takes a year or two before you would see any substantial damage to your internal engine parts.....but an easy way is after 6 months or so of running like you describe pull a valve cover and look and the corrosion from the vapors on your rocker arms. This is the first place it is visible.


Bottom line is, w/out a proper evac system you WILL sustain long term engine damage. It may take a few years to notice, but I build motors 6 days a week when not racing and see the results first hand.

There are several other ways for oil mist to enter the intake manifold, the PCV system is the most common with the fresh air make up source (the fitting on the top rear of your throttle body) being the second most common. To eliminate that you need to cap the TB fitting and run a valve cover breather (installed as far from the crankcase vent as possible...ideally you want to pull filtered fresh air in one valve cover & evac it out the other or the LS6/LS2 style valley cover is second best) Then if it is excess crankcase pressure pushing oil vapor/mist out faster than the PCV can evac it you will see it pushed back through the line from the pass valve cover front to the TB and it is ingested from there. Want to see whats in your intake manifold? Simply remove the 4 10mm bolts that hold the TB to the intake manifold. Take a white paper towel and reach into the intake manifold snout, rub it around, and pull it out. V6 LLT owners...just inside the intake opening you will see a deep collection well that accumulates oil. The 3rd point of ingestion is from reversion. This of course needs at least one piston/ring/bore/valveguide or seal issue that is allowing oil to be pulled into that one or more intake port and at high RPM's the reversion pulse will "push" that oil throughout the entire intake manifold. It will appear to have entered from the vac fitting that the PCV system uses but is really from one of the cylinders (reversion is a whole different process that is not widely understood but do a Google search and you can actually find some super high speed video of engines on dyno's where at high RPM's...9-10-12K plus the reversion cloud of A/F mixture is actually rising out of the intake runners or carb on a non fuel injected motor). To test for that just place a clean clear fuel filter inline between the catch can outlet and the vac fitting. If it gets oil on the can side, oil is coming through the can. If it first appears on the intake vacuum side, then it is reversion so you have a deeper issue.


Here is direct from GM on a service procedure:


Throttle body service is the throttle body cleaning and wiping of the bore and throttle blade. The service is important in order to keep the automobile running smoothly, efficiently, and safely.
There is carbon and sludge that the PCV system deposits into the throttle body as the engine operates. This carbon and sludge is cleaned out during the throttle body service. How well the engine operates about a year after service is determined by the way the automobile starts, how well it idles when it’s cold or warm, and when accessories such air conditioning and heat are operating. The carbon and sludge will also affect the way the car starts from a total stop. A service such as this will keep the idle valve, which is computer controlled, clean. If it is left dirty and covered with carbon, it will have to be replaced and such a replacement can be costly.
An important part of the engine is the throttle body, which is part of the air intake system. The air intake system increases the amount of oxygen used for combustion with fuel. You can either gain or lose power with the air intake system depending on the vehicle’s ram. The throttle body is a part of this air intake system. Keeping the throttle body in good operating condition will keep the car running without costly occurrences.
Importance of the Throttle Body Service
Careful and regular throttle body service will keep the emissions from the engine’s exhaust system in check. There is also increased sound when the throttle is applied by way of the accelerator. If the vehicle is operated at lower speeds, there is less noise coming from the engine. However, at higher speeds, the engine tends to become very noisy. These two statements make the throttle body service important in itself, as it makes the automobile more environmentally friendly. A complete throttle body service is recommended every 15,000, 40,000, and 75,000 miles to be sure that the automobile is functioning properly.
It is most important to have the throttle body serviced regularly to avoid the high cost of replacement. The cost of throttle body service or replacing the throttle body varies with the year, make, and model of the car. But, no matter what that year, model, or make may be, replacement is not inexpensive. Excluding the cost of replacing the throttle body for the moment, what is perhaps even more important, is to have the throttle body serviced regularly to keep your car running smoothly and efficiently.



Having engine smoke or excess crankcase pressure? There may be a deeper issue. On the LS motors we pull apart it is usually # 7 ringland broken between the compression & middle ring, or the land itself broke off at the top. We also find the top ringland pinched or crushed down on the top ring (comp. ring) and metal transfer along the piston side has caused the oil & scraper ring to stick allowing oil & blow-by. Also, try this: at idle (vac is at it's greatest when at idle or when the throttle blade closes from high RPM's) remove the oil fill cap and hold your hand over it. Does it pull a slight suction? If so, all is good with most of the system and I doubt you have a damaged piston/ring/bore. But if there is ANY pressure pushing back you have a deeper issue and that is the cause of the oil problem.

Now on big cam/stroker builds a can inline on the dirty side, and a can inline from the fresh air source may be needed (the bigger the bore & longer the stroke, the more crankcase pressure is built up) If it is forced induction, then you have a whole new process to deal with......and that is the PCV system works properly when at idle & non-boost, but when you start making boost you have switched from the intake manifold being negative atmosphere to a pressurized component and the PCV system is rendered useless and pressure escapes wherever it can. The solution then is to have one way check valves inline so the vacuum need for proper evacuation comes from in front of the compressor (head unit) through a line run to the air filter.

This is getting a bit long and I hope all can follow this, but if not ask me specific questions for clarification so this helps all. I'll go over every type of solution and the pros & cons of each....and remember, this problem is NOT just in the GM LS based engines, but is an issue with ALL modern closed systems. We just tear into our cars where as the Mercedes or Lincoln owner never even realizes there is an issue.

I also wanted to address the water in the oil. You will NOT fill your crankcase up in short order with just breathers. What happens is each time your engine reaches operating temp the unburnt fuel, water vapor, combustion by-products will gas or "flash-off" as vapor. But only the excess crankcase pressure being relieved through the breather will carry any of that out....and without a proper evac system, a good amount remains in the crankcase and re-condenses back to droplets that coat the internal engine parts as your motor cools down and it contaminates the oil. Every time you heat cycle you are adding more contamination and it is not very visible to just "look" at your oil....you need a professional analysis to see just what is accumulating in your oil and how it is breaking down its ability to protect...but the corrosion from the sulfuric acid is also very damaging over time (I'll try to post up some pics of parts showing just this in the near future). Just pull the dipstick on a diesel 20 miles after an oil change...it already "looks" black & dirty, but is still new and providing the proper protection. Sight is deceiving. Oil might look pretty clean or dirty but an analysis report will show destructive levels of contaminants.


And finally, some have gone so far as to cap off the entire system and run an open hose from each valve cover to near the ground. While this will eliminate all oil getting into the intake via the PCV system, the damage done by the hose with the least amount of air moving past it while at speed will suck dirt/sand/dust/water/and who knows what else directly into the motor via that valve cover. It may take some time (depending on how clean the roads you drive on are) but will result in premature engine wear & failure.


The solution for the street crowd is a properly designed, good functioning oil separating catchcan. Many are available on the market, but ONLY ones designed with internal baffling and a good distance separating the inlet from the outlet. Many of the cans seen for low prices on Ebay, etc. are great looking, but are nothing but empty cans with two fittings attached. Do your homework & get a full understanding before you make your selection.