Crank Case Vent Issue

[Kai SRT10]

I have a crank case vent system on my car.

A hose from each of the valve covers leads to a catch can with an air filter on top.

(Pictures below.)

The good news is that I find very little oil in the catch can. The bad news is that when I'm running the car hard (like today at the track) oil sprays out of the air filter on the top of the catch can, coating the left side of my engine compartment (even coming out of my hood vents.) It also pools around the air filter, runs down the outside of the catch can, and drips down on my frame. When it touches hot things (like my headers) it smokes.

Are there filters out there that will allow air to pass through, but will stop the oil from getting through so that the oil will be go in the catch can where it belongs? Any other fixes anyone can recommend?

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[Newport Viper]

Fix..... Take off before you own a ball of flame....

 

[SNKEBIT]

The can doesn't have any baffles in it to deter the oil.

 

[2000_Black_RT10]

Looks like you need a baffle in the valve cover, yet I'm a bit surprised at the mess.. Are you pulling vacuum off a spigot on the header collector?

On my last car that I built, used a 4 vane vacuum pump on a 572 c.i. Hemi.. Moroso has a decent cross drilled vent that reduced chances of oil being sucked out.. (ignore the filter on the cover, hiding underneath was the vacuum regulator, other was plugged)..

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Here's the vent I used..

Moroso : Category Display

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If you are pulling vac off the spigot rather than a pump, the spigot is a bad design (wrong location or siphon angle..) , shouldn't be having oil blowing out of the filter.. somebody f'd up if that's your setup.. it has nothing to do with needing a baffle in the can..

Mike

 

[Camfab]

Sure seems like a lot of blow by? Isn't that breather package from Exotic Engine? What's their take on that mess.

 

[FE 065]

Mine wasn't blowing bad, but I cut slots into the spigot that holds that little filter, forming tabs to hold some small pieces of fire retardant foam I had lying around. I shoved the foam down into the catch can spigot and bent the newly formed tab over enough to keep the foam from being blown up inside the small filter. Moroso sells the foam for sealing hoods to carb plates etc. at Summit, Jegs.

You could also try elevating the hoses instead of running them right along the valve cover to give any heavy oil a more difficult uphill run - perhaps draining back before it gets to the catch can.

You obviously have too much oil working its' way out of the engine.

 

[Kai SRT10]

Sure seems like a lot of blow by? Isn't that breather package from Exotic Engine? What's their take on that mess.

Yes, it's an Exotic Engine breather package (and an EE engine build.)

I sent Kevin an e-mail last night. Hopefully, I will hear from him before long.

 

[Kai SRT10]

All right. I have figured it out.

Ever since I had the engine work done on my car (since before that, anyway) I've been taking it to the very same place to get my oil changed. I showed them the catch can with the screw on the bottom to drain it, and told them to make sure they drained it.

Well, I drained it myself this time, and guess what? It was full, and I don't think it had ever been drained. The oil in the bottom had clearly been there a long time. It was no wonder it was blowing oil all over my engine, the can was overflowing. Every time i would corner hard, I'm sure it was spilling and blowing all over everything. Well, I drained it, and then took the car to the track yesterday and today. No mess in my engine compartment, and about 2 tablespoons of oil in the can when I drained it tonight.

Problem is solved. If I still lived in Colorado, I'd go back to that oil change place and give them a piece of my mind.

 

[02 Graphite GTS]

It is amazing how much oil collects in the catch can.
I had the same thing happen to me....didn't drain the catch can and ended up with oil all over the place. Now I always take the time to check/drain the catch can.

 

[Schulmann]

No matter what you do that catch can will have to handle a "lot" of pressure when you deccelerate. It will act as a sprinkler no matter what you do ... I have tried a lot of things. I even used a air-liquid separator for compressors to route the catch can back to the intake .

 

[GTS Dean]

IMO, those things should be shaped like a cyclone separator. Cone at the bottom with a drain spigot, outer cylinder with the oil/air inlet entering at a tangent, concentric inner cylinder ported back to intake vacuum, or header collector.

 

[Viper X]

Kai,

I have this type of system on my Gen II, III and IV. It works well and is a must on all of Vipers, IMHO.

You will also find that water vapor will accumulate (with oil) and help fill the can more quickly than you would expect. You must check it regularly though and as you found, empty it from time to time. If this is done, you should not have any further issues with it.

A couple of tips I've found that will help, besides keeping it empty, is to have your catch can baffled, as stated above or if you'd rather not mess with baffling it, buy a lawnmower air filter (green open cell foam) at Home depot and cut a small round piece out of it and stuff it into the top of the catch can. This will help when pressures creep up a bit, like at the track.

Good luck,

Dan

 

[bluesrt]

get rid of that stupid unnessary can- not needed at all