LocostUSA.com

Hi all, looking for ideas for a cost effective catch can. Built or bought. The home made ones I've seen don't look well built and the cheap ones I'm finding don't look much better. That's judging off reviews though so take that as a grain of salt I suppose. So I'm thinking my fellow locosters have probably found an ingenious solution. Any ideas?

Well the one I hear of quite often is the good old air compressor water separator. Tried it twice on two different cars and neither time did it work even a little. If I were to do it again, I would probably grab some thin wall tubing and weld my own.

I used a spare aluminum water bottle for mine. Exhaust manifold heat destroyed my old plastic one. So far it is working out quite well. Russ

_________________
You meet the nicest people in a Locost Se7en.

We have some little spun aluminum pressure cylinders for calibration gas at work that are not refillable. They work good. They're about 3" diameter, roughly 15" tall, and rated for 500psi, as well as being very light. I haven't tried to shine one up, but with enough work I'm sure you'd be able to get a mirror finish on one.
Kristian

_________________
V6 in a book frame build. Now registered.
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=7587
viewtopic.php?f=33&t=18172

Are you planning on running a PCV setup? If not, I've seen racer's just run a hose from the valve cover to an empty brake fluid container with a hole in the cap. They use an old piece of heater hose or even garden hose for the hose. Can't get much "locost" than that. It passes tech inspection.

Old engines used to just dump the gasses to the atmosphere. My MGA used a downpipe from the tappet covers running down to below the car. When the car was in motion, venturi action would form a vacuum formed and it would draw out the gasses from the crankcase. The brake fluid catch can is an improvement on that system .

If you want it to look nice, you could buy a Yeti Coffee mug to replace the brake fluid bottle.

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Plastic can be nice if you want to see into it, so you know when to empty it or for some reason your motor is starting to puke something it didn't used to.

As above there are a lot of different aluminum drinking bottles for sports people.

You can make a nice holder out of aluminum sheet and pop rivits.

_________________
Marcus Barrow - Car9 an open design community supported sports car for home builders!
SketchUp collection for LocostUSA: "Dream it, Build it, Drive it!"
Car9 Roadster information - models, drawings, resources etc.

I use honey bear bottles--they're light weight, clear, easy to mount (a zip tie around the neck), and a weird tradition from Sharon Wescott and ultralight aviation that I've stuck with 'cause I'm weird, right?

They're on the Kinetic parts list, part # p00h

_________________
Locost builder and adventurer, and founder (but no longer owner) of Kinetic Vehicles

I'm kinda looking to use the same set up on my locost and my old Chevy pick up. Both use pcv valves. Currently I've been using the filters on the pcv valves just going to the atmosphere but the water condensation in the valve covers is worrisome. Not a long term solution. I thought catch cans went inline from the valve cover and had vacuum from the engine to evacuate the crankcase more completely. Maybe I'm just over thinking.

If you remove the PCV valve, what you have described is the pre-PCV ventilation system that I described earlier without the downpipe providing the vacuum.

The PCV valve controls flow from the crankcase to the intake manifold, otherwise there would be a large air leak bypassing the carb/throttle body. It needs the manifold vacuum to suck the gasses from the engine. Also a filtered air input is required somewhere. Attaching the PCV valve to the atmosphere does nothing. Since flow is supposed to be out the PCV valve, not in, adding the filter only prevents spiders and such from entering the system. Also, without vacuum, there is no "positive" way to clear combustion gasses out the engine and condensation will build up, as you say you have.

You may want to rethink your entire ventilation system(s).

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Thanks for clarifying rx7locost. Up until fairly recently I've only run stock pcv systems or the downpipe style you've described.

Are you talking about the catch cans that they sell that go inline bettween the PCV valve and intake manifold and separate the oil out before it makes it into your intake?

Exactly!

If you are going to make one yourself they need to be baffled and you need to have a fine metal filer element that has a enough surface area for the fine droplets of oil to collect on and then drip down.

I have heard good things about the Mishimoto one. It has an internal baffle and a bronze filter for the oil droplets to collect on. There also appears to be cheaper copies of the Mishimoto one also. Whatever one you pick or make it needs to be more than an in and out if you want it to work the best. There needs to be some type of stainless steel or bronze mesh or filter.

https://www.amazon.com/Mishimoto-MMBCC-MSTWO-BK-Compact-Baffled-2-Port/dp/B00OBEP51K/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1519142323&sr=8-7&keywords=pcv+oil+catch+can

https://www.amazon.com/Sporacingrts-Compact-Baffled-3-Port-Inlets/dp/B077GSJWDF/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1519142323&sr=8-8&keywords=pcv+oil+catch+can

If you are talking for the engine, I built one for the Sprite several years ago. The lines run from the top of the oil pan, front timing cover, and valve cover.





The requirements for a street engine vs. a race engine will be a little different for the reasons Chuck mentioned - there is enough positive crankcase pressure at 7,000 rpm that air has no problem finding its way out.

_________________
-Andrew
Build Log
Youtube

A drain back to the oil pan would help maintain oil level while driving. I think it would be something easy to add.