Author Topic: Oil catch can question  (Read 8594 times)

January 07, 2013, 07:10:26 pm

camboscams

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Oil catch can question
« on: January 07, 2013, 07:10:26 pm »
So i just got one of these in the mail.... 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/261150422892?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

And as far as i can tell so far it is quite nice.
An inlet port on each side, drain on the bottom and baffles on the inside.

But there is no packing on the inside, steel wool or anything like that. So should i put some in it or will it make any difference
81' White 1.6l Rabbit 4dr Holseted
72' Ford F-250 390cid
2014 JSW 2.0L TDI Stg 2, CP3 HPFP

Reply #1January 10, 2013, 03:44:47 pm

R.O.R-2.0

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Re: Oil catch can question
« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2013, 03:44:47 pm »
So i just got one of these in the mail.... 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/261150422892?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

And as far as i can tell so far it is quite nice.
An inlet port on each side, drain on the bottom and baffles on the inside.

But there is no packing on the inside, steel wool or anything like that. So should i put some in it or will it make any difference

no baffles or steel wool/brillo?

you will definitely notice a difference...
92 Jetta GLI - Black, 1.6D w/ GT2056V turbo..
86 GTI - 4 Door, Med Twilight Gray, Tow Machine..
86 Audi Coupe GT - Tornado Red, All Stock.. WRECKED.
89 Toyota 4Runner - Dark Grey Metallic, LIFTED!

Turbo: exhaust gasses go into the turbocharger and spin it, witchcraft happens and you go faster.

Reply #2January 10, 2013, 03:48:13 pm

camboscams

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Re: Oil catch can question
« Reply #2 on: January 10, 2013, 03:48:13 pm »
So i just got one of these in the mail.... 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/261150422892?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

And as far as i can tell so far it is quite nice.
An inlet port on each side, drain on the bottom and baffles on the inside.

But there is no packing on the inside, steel wool or anything like that. So should i put some in it or will it make any difference

no baffles or steel wool/brillo?

you will definitely notice a difference...

So i will notice a difference if i do or don't pack it? it currently has baffles in it but no packing.
81' White 1.6l Rabbit 4dr Holseted
72' Ford F-250 390cid
2014 JSW 2.0L TDI Stg 2, CP3 HPFP

Reply #3January 10, 2013, 03:56:00 pm

R.O.R-2.0

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Re: Oil catch can question
« Reply #3 on: January 10, 2013, 03:56:00 pm »
baffles and packing are a requirement in my mind..

baffles and brillo are what actually separate the oil from the blow-by gasses..

if there is nothing in the can, the blow-by will go thru the can, and none of the oil will fall out of suspension in the blow-by..

if you want your can to work as good as it can, then pack it with brillo, but fairly loosely..

i like brillo better because its copper coated, and much more coarse than steel wool.. i would be worried about steel wool bits finding their way into your oil..
92 Jetta GLI - Black, 1.6D w/ GT2056V turbo..
86 GTI - 4 Door, Med Twilight Gray, Tow Machine..
86 Audi Coupe GT - Tornado Red, All Stock.. WRECKED.
89 Toyota 4Runner - Dark Grey Metallic, LIFTED!

Turbo: exhaust gasses go into the turbocharger and spin it, witchcraft happens and you go faster.

Reply #4January 10, 2013, 08:17:08 pm

745 turbogreasel

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Re: Oil catch can question
« Reply #4 on: January 10, 2013, 08:17:08 pm »
Mine made from a jar, and a coil of sheet metal with a bunch of nail holes separates at least 90% of the oil out.  No packing whatsoever.  I get a pool in the jar, and just some soot on a paper towel over the outlet.

Reply #5January 10, 2013, 10:31:28 pm

libbydiesel

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Re: Oil catch can question
« Reply #5 on: January 10, 2013, 10:31:28 pm »
The baffles themselves will separate oil.  Oil is heavier than the gases it is moving with and so has greater inertia.  As the gases move around a baffle, the oil with it's greater inertia is flung against the baffle. 

Reply #6January 11, 2013, 05:10:55 pm

camboscams

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Re: Oil catch can question
« Reply #6 on: January 11, 2013, 05:10:55 pm »
Excellent thoughts! I think i will run it as the designer had intended it for now and if it performs poorly i will pack it. 
81' White 1.6l Rabbit 4dr Holseted
72' Ford F-250 390cid
2014 JSW 2.0L TDI Stg 2, CP3 HPFP

Reply #7January 11, 2013, 05:57:55 pm

CrazyAndy

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Re: Oil catch can question
« Reply #7 on: January 11, 2013, 05:57:55 pm »
Can you see how the baffles are arranged in the can?  Just a curiosity question.

Is this a precautionary install, or have you been having oil consumption concerns?


Reply #8January 11, 2013, 06:51:03 pm

camboscams

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Re: Oil catch can question
« Reply #8 on: January 11, 2013, 06:51:03 pm »
Well i'm having a decent amount of blow by pressure and some turbo shaft seal issues so this is my effort to lower cranckcase pressure and "help" my turbo return its oil below the oil pan oil level and not everywhere else. Also almost all of my headgasket failures have ended with a good amount of oil leaking past the gasket at the front oil drain hole.


Its a bit hard to describe but in this picture
http://www.ebay.com/itm/261150422892?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
The two side ports go into the body of the can and then the vent has an inch or so diameter tube with stepped plates on the inside that goes about half way down inside the body. pretty slick but we'll see 
81' White 1.6l Rabbit 4dr Holseted
72' Ford F-250 390cid
2014 JSW 2.0L TDI Stg 2, CP3 HPFP

Reply #9January 11, 2013, 07:29:10 pm

CrazyAndy

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Re: Oil catch can question
« Reply #9 on: January 11, 2013, 07:29:10 pm »
Sounds good, keep us updated.  Hopefully the block isn't wallered out, but the can should help.


Reply #10January 12, 2013, 10:34:20 pm

bajacalal

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Re: Oil catch can question
« Reply #10 on: January 12, 2013, 10:34:20 pm »
I wouldn't put any packing or wool in it.

I tried to do something similar and add a "screen" basically a large pipe cleaner, to catch some of the oil or slow down the velocity of the air flow so oil isn't sucked out, to my stock "hockey puck" breather, and that was enough to cause oil to spray out the dipstick tube.

Now, it didn't do this all the time, just when the turbo was at full boost, so I would imagine there was just too much blowby gas that couldn't escape.

I don't know of you could get away with this on an n/a motor but I don't think there should be any restriction at all.

I also picked up a Mercedes 240d oil catch can (as somebody recommended) and it has a very similar design to the one pictured (but isn't vented to atmosphere) and it has no packing inside.

Reply #11January 14, 2013, 07:20:17 am

R.O.R-2.0

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Re: Oil catch can question
« Reply #11 on: January 14, 2013, 07:20:17 am »
I wouldn't put any packing or wool in it.

I tried to do something similar and add a "screen" basically a large pipe cleaner, to catch some of the oil or slow down the velocity of the air flow so oil isn't sucked out, to my stock "hockey puck" breather, and that was enough to cause oil to spray out the dipstick tube.

Now, it didn't do this all the time, just when the turbo was at full boost, so I would imagine there was just too much blowby gas that couldn't escape.

I don't know of you could get away with this on an n/a motor but I don't think there should be any restriction at all.

I also picked up a Mercedes 240d oil catch can (as somebody recommended) and it has a very similar design to the one pictured (but isn't vented to atmosphere) and it has no packing inside.

you are supposed to pack them extremely loose..

and there is supposed to be LOTS of surface area for the oil to stick to the packing, while still allowing the blow by gasses to go thru the packing, unrestricted..

there isnt enough space inside a stock hockey puck breather filter.. they are not designed to be packed..

ive built a few aluminum catch cans, both baffled, and packed..

i find the ones loosely packed with brillo to work more efficiently than the baffled ones. could be that my baffles werent designed properly tho..
92 Jetta GLI - Black, 1.6D w/ GT2056V turbo..
86 GTI - 4 Door, Med Twilight Gray, Tow Machine..
86 Audi Coupe GT - Tornado Red, All Stock.. WRECKED.
89 Toyota 4Runner - Dark Grey Metallic, LIFTED!

Turbo: exhaust gasses go into the turbocharger and spin it, witchcraft happens and you go faster.

Reply #12January 14, 2013, 10:19:34 am

rs899

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Re: Oil catch can question
« Reply #12 on: January 14, 2013, 10:19:34 am »
Quote
I also picked up a Mercedes 240d oil catch can (as somebody recommended) and it has a very similar design to the one pictured (but isn't vented to atmosphere) and it has no packing inside.

I think the 240D can relies on centifugal force to remove the oil.
'91 Jetta 1.6 NA, '82 Caddy 1.6NA, '81 Cabriolet,  4 Mercedes OM616/617s , 2 Triumphs and a Citroen DS19 in a pear tree.

Reply #13January 14, 2013, 08:05:59 pm

Reply #14January 14, 2013, 10:25:09 pm

bajacalal

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Re: Oil catch can question
« Reply #14 on: January 14, 2013, 10:25:09 pm »
you are supposed to pack them extremely loose..

and there is supposed to be LOTS of surface area for the oil to stick to the packing, while still allowing the blow by gasses to go thru the packing, unrestricted..

there isnt enough space inside a stock hockey puck breather filter.. they are not designed to be packed..

ive built a few aluminum catch cans, both baffled, and packed..

i find the ones loosely packed with brillo to work more efficiently than the baffled ones. could be that my baffles werent designed properly tho..

Well, I didn't use a very big screen, you could still blow through it pretty easily but I guess that was still too much.

I hope you don't mean actual Brillo too, you know that stuff with the detergent in it.