DIY Oil Catch Can....
05-14-2006, 10:04 AM
#1
DIY Oil Catch Can....
yes, it was only a matter of time. some PVC tubing, some fittings, and you got yourself the same thing as a catch-can, only w/out the fear of melting the housing. buddy of mine had some excess tubing laying around, so he did this for me. i'll just let the pictures speak for themselves.
the only thing i need to do is get better hosing for the level indicator (braided) as well as bettern hoses for the inlet and outlets (they're strong, but not braided, so the pressure causes them to collapse)
if you are going to respond, please remove the pictures from the response.
the only thing i need to do is get better hosing for the level indicator (braided) as well as bettern hoses for the inlet and outlets (they're strong, but not braided, so the pressure causes them to collapse)
if you are going to respond, please remove the pictures from the response.
05-14-2006, 01:33 PM
#3
Lookin good!
re: ebay ones- most of the ebay ones are simple expansion chambers, which still allows a good bit of oil to remain in suspension.
but mine is:
- an expansion chamber ( to allow the air to slow down and cool slightly, the first step in removing suspended oil (vapor)
- baffled at the bottom, exit at the top - makes it harder for vapor to remain vapor, and uses good old gravity to help with this even more (think about a dew catcher/distiller)
- filled. I used nylon coiled floss (coarse, loose links, similar to a scouring brush - in fact, once i run out of this fill, i will likely be using nylon loop scouring pads. You can't use sponge or floss, as this is too fine and can get clogged.. you just need surface area for the oil to cling to, as the air passes through - this is the final step in removing oil from suspension)
This is a quick and dirty ms paint representation... I don't have access to CAD on this machine unfortunately.
my goal was to outperform the ebay crap ones (there ARE good ones to be had on ebay, but not those cheap ones) while having minimal service needs. this one has a drain **** (lol - erm,lets try spout, thanks language filter!) - radiator style, that you can insert a hose into, and is otherwise sealed. There are those that utlize paper element or gauze filters.. but those need to be changed. if you fail to, and they get clogged - you'll be met with collapsed hoses, and a pcv thats closed all the time, since it doesnt see any vac (things like smoke from the xhaust will ensue lol) - the coarser, wider loop material won't clog unless you're spitting our syrup from your pcv.
a coarse filler will do the majority of the work (unless using a chemical or absorbtion substrate, its impossible to get 100% oil separation from these devices..), equalling or surpassing the oil separators meant for air compressors (which are only baffled, and have a paper element which most of you remove anyways) and lightyears beyond the simple expansion chambers on ebay.
the only issue with this one, is the hosing involved.. MArco - get some radiator hose in the lengths you need - won't get as maleable when hot. I'll pick up some hard plastic for the level tube, as that was just fishtank hose, very soft, and obviously isnt up to the task.
sorry for the novel.. lol... just wanted to make something that was cost effective, as well as effective for the job its meant to do.
re: ebay ones- most of the ebay ones are simple expansion chambers, which still allows a good bit of oil to remain in suspension.
but mine is:
- an expansion chamber ( to allow the air to slow down and cool slightly, the first step in removing suspended oil (vapor)
- baffled at the bottom, exit at the top - makes it harder for vapor to remain vapor, and uses good old gravity to help with this even more (think about a dew catcher/distiller)
- filled. I used nylon coiled floss (coarse, loose links, similar to a scouring brush - in fact, once i run out of this fill, i will likely be using nylon loop scouring pads. You can't use sponge or floss, as this is too fine and can get clogged.. you just need surface area for the oil to cling to, as the air passes through - this is the final step in removing oil from suspension)
This is a quick and dirty ms paint representation... I don't have access to CAD on this machine unfortunately.
my goal was to outperform the ebay crap ones (there ARE good ones to be had on ebay, but not those cheap ones) while having minimal service needs. this one has a drain **** (lol - erm,lets try spout, thanks language filter!) - radiator style, that you can insert a hose into, and is otherwise sealed. There are those that utlize paper element or gauze filters.. but those need to be changed. if you fail to, and they get clogged - you'll be met with collapsed hoses, and a pcv thats closed all the time, since it doesnt see any vac (things like smoke from the xhaust will ensue lol) - the coarser, wider loop material won't clog unless you're spitting our syrup from your pcv.
a coarse filler will do the majority of the work (unless using a chemical or absorbtion substrate, its impossible to get 100% oil separation from these devices..), equalling or surpassing the oil separators meant for air compressors (which are only baffled, and have a paper element which most of you remove anyways) and lightyears beyond the simple expansion chambers on ebay.
the only issue with this one, is the hosing involved.. MArco - get some radiator hose in the lengths you need - won't get as maleable when hot. I'll pick up some hard plastic for the level tube, as that was just fishtank hose, very soft, and obviously isnt up to the task.
sorry for the novel.. lol... just wanted to make something that was cost effective, as well as effective for the job its meant to do.
05-14-2006, 03:56 PM
#4
funny, i came across a similar design on google. it was done to an older jag i belive.
Good job, it should take some time to fill up. But is it safe for synthetic oil? The small water separater thats commonly used has a bowl thats not made for sythetic oils. Mine looks like its starting to melt inside.
Good job, it should take some time to fill up. But is it safe for synthetic oil? The small water separater thats commonly used has a bowl thats not made for sythetic oils. Mine looks like its starting to melt inside.
05-14-2006, 04:13 PM
#5
Originally Posted by JSutter
funny, i came across a similar design on google. it was done to an older jag i belive.
Good job, it should take some time to fill up. But is it safe for synthetic oil? The small water separater thats commonly used has a bowl thats not made for sythetic oils. Mine looks like its starting to melt inside.
Good job, it should take some time to fill up. But is it safe for synthetic oil? The small water separater thats commonly used has a bowl thats not made for sythetic oils. Mine looks like its starting to melt inside.
Might have to do a Marco-style utra-ghetto catch can now
05-14-2006, 08:52 PM
#6
well, i used schedule 40 pvc, glazed in and out (normally, just the outside is "shiny"), which is rated for stovegas delivery, so it should be fine for petroleums... teflon used was the yellow fuel safe type, and the epoxy on the fittings was also fuel safe. the fittings themselves are brass which is actually NOT fuel rated... brass can tin over time in the face of petrols.. and once the brass plate is gone, its just plain old nickel/other below.. but its something on the order of 50 years continuous contact before it would be a problem... and even longer for the nickel to become soft. With SS fittings of the same type being 4-5x the price of brass, i decided to use brass and keep an eye on it. I dont anticipate any real problems with that however.
Even gas rated pvc however, is a consumable.. it IS, like almost all plastics, a petroleum based product, which is why even those jumbo pipes carrying natural gas in factorys are on a 100 yr replacement schedule, even if they look perfectly fine...
but again, its a time length so far off it becomes negligible. (at least with the goals i had in mind. one could make it out of 14gauge metal, ss fittings, and other than the skin effect (static charge on the face, which grounding straps can correct) the catch would outlast nissan as a company, and probably the US as a country... but would cost a heck of a whole lot more to DIY (the one thing the ebay ones have going for them.. cheap labor, cnc machines, and robot welders :P)
re: synthetics - - same applies... nitrile teflon used, glazed inner surface, non petrol based epoxies - permeability will be very low. as with anything plastic, a reaction WILL occur. but its a reaction so slow, that the pipes have a 100 yr service life as a safe interval.. would probably last 50 more before rupturing from material loss inside the pipe.
having built much much smaller catches before, i never noticed the oil being milky... (i use nothing but synthetic) however be aware that it could just as likely be a reaction with your hoses as it is with the catch... i've seen hoses get so mushy INSIDE, you could spoon off whole layers of hose "putty" and eventually dig through to the outer wall. (in my case, when i made the mistake of using heater core hose as a turbo oil drain. that lasted 6 months before dissolving itself into a ruptured hose lol.)*edit re-read the post, if you mean the clear bowl itself is deforming , i'd wager its made of acrylic - this at that - one of the more oil sensitive plastics... hell - they USE oil (and heat) when shaping flat sheets of acryllic into bowls :P
I'll keep an eye on it though, as obviously the goals become secondary if the thing simply doesnt stand up to the medium involved...
the short answer.. it should be ok.. and make sure to use good hoses. if you plan on 50-100 yr longevity of your vehicle, this item is not for you :P lol!!
Even gas rated pvc however, is a consumable.. it IS, like almost all plastics, a petroleum based product, which is why even those jumbo pipes carrying natural gas in factorys are on a 100 yr replacement schedule, even if they look perfectly fine...
but again, its a time length so far off it becomes negligible. (at least with the goals i had in mind. one could make it out of 14gauge metal, ss fittings, and other than the skin effect (static charge on the face, which grounding straps can correct) the catch would outlast nissan as a company, and probably the US as a country... but would cost a heck of a whole lot more to DIY (the one thing the ebay ones have going for them.. cheap labor, cnc machines, and robot welders :P)
re: synthetics - - same applies... nitrile teflon used, glazed inner surface, non petrol based epoxies - permeability will be very low. as with anything plastic, a reaction WILL occur. but its a reaction so slow, that the pipes have a 100 yr service life as a safe interval.. would probably last 50 more before rupturing from material loss inside the pipe.
having built much much smaller catches before, i never noticed the oil being milky... (i use nothing but synthetic) however be aware that it could just as likely be a reaction with your hoses as it is with the catch... i've seen hoses get so mushy INSIDE, you could spoon off whole layers of hose "putty" and eventually dig through to the outer wall. (in my case, when i made the mistake of using heater core hose as a turbo oil drain. that lasted 6 months before dissolving itself into a ruptured hose lol.)*edit re-read the post, if you mean the clear bowl itself is deforming , i'd wager its made of acrylic - this at that - one of the more oil sensitive plastics... hell - they USE oil (and heat) when shaping flat sheets of acryllic into bowls :P
I'll keep an eye on it though, as obviously the goals become secondary if the thing simply doesnt stand up to the medium involved...
the short answer.. it should be ok.. and make sure to use good hoses. if you plan on 50-100 yr longevity of your vehicle, this item is not for you :P lol!!
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