do you guys use an oil catch can?
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Mechanicsville Virginia
Posts: 715
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 1989 Turbo Trans Am gta
Engine: 383 78mm turbo
Transmission: Th350 rmvb with brake
Axle/Gears: 9 bolt 3.45s
do you guys use an oil catch can?
i have breathers on my valve cover but at high rpms some oil comes out through the breathers, have you guys considered using an oil catch can setup with a breater?
I was thinking about getting a catch can with a breater and two ports, one going to each valve cover.
what should i do? i'm trying to keep my engine bay clean
I was thinking about getting a catch can with a breater and two ports, one going to each valve cover.
what should i do? i'm trying to keep my engine bay clean
#2
Senior Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Mechanicsville Virginia
Posts: 715
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 1989 Turbo Trans Am gta
Engine: 383 78mm turbo
Transmission: Th350 rmvb with brake
Axle/Gears: 9 bolt 3.45s
Re: do you guys use an oil catch can?
mmhmm maybe noone runs it
#3
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: MA
Posts: 1,141
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
Car: '87 IROC/'68 SS
Engine: 5.7L/350
Transmission: 700R4/Muncie 4-spd
Axle/Gears: 3.27 9 bolt / 3.31 12 bolt
Re: do you guys use an oil catch can?
Do you have a working PCV valve and valve covers with baffles? If you do, and you're getting oil out the breather, you have excessive blow-by.
#4
Senior Member
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Peoria, IL
Posts: 990
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Car: 1988 Camaro Sport Coupe
Engine: 5.0 305 Carb'd
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.23
Re: do you guys use an oil catch can?
noboostnogo - im gettin ready to run a breather in my driver side valve cover, and my PCV valve is in the passenger. this is a daily driver, i dont hit RPMs over 3000, think ill leak? and if i do what to do to fix it? im running it for appearance mostly, but dont want oil in my engine bay.
#5
Supreme Member
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: sunny so cal.
Posts: 1,531
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Car: 1990
Engine: 305
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: stock
Re: do you guys use an oil catch can?
you need to find the reason why the blow by - you are the first one that has reported it that i have read.
#6
Senior Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Mechanicsville Virginia
Posts: 715
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 1989 Turbo Trans Am gta
Engine: 383 78mm turbo
Transmission: Th350 rmvb with brake
Axle/Gears: 9 bolt 3.45s
Re: do you guys use an oil catch can?
interesting.....
The two big air breathers are the ones that leak, the other chrome ones have a sealed grommet. I do not run a PCV valve, i asked all the guys at my local speed shop and they all recommended NOT to run one.
For some reason i dont think its blow-by but instead because the grommets are the "see through" kind i think at higher rpms oil comes out due to ~70psi of oil pressure
what causes blow by btw?? i remember hearing about it when i was in the turbo cars scene. a while ago
The two big air breathers are the ones that leak, the other chrome ones have a sealed grommet. I do not run a PCV valve, i asked all the guys at my local speed shop and they all recommended NOT to run one.
For some reason i dont think its blow-by but instead because the grommets are the "see through" kind i think at higher rpms oil comes out due to ~70psi of oil pressure
what causes blow by btw?? i remember hearing about it when i was in the turbo cars scene. a while ago
#7
Senior Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Mechanicsville Virginia
Posts: 715
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 1989 Turbo Trans Am gta
Engine: 383 78mm turbo
Transmission: Th350 rmvb with brake
Axle/Gears: 9 bolt 3.45s
Re: do you guys use an oil catch can?
noboostnogo - im gettin ready to run a breather in my driver side valve cover, and my PCV valve is in the passenger. this is a daily driver, i dont hit RPMs over 3000, think ill leak? and if i do what to do to fix it? im running it for appearance mostly, but dont want oil in my engine bay.
Trending Topics
#8
Senior Member
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Peoria, IL
Posts: 990
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Car: 1988 Camaro Sport Coupe
Engine: 5.0 305 Carb'd
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.23
Re: do you guys use an oil catch can?
blow by, what 'I' think its for is that the crank case needs some vacuum? so they use that for ventilation. hence the PCV valve stands for 'something Crankcase Ventilation. and if its not on there it will blow your dipstick out and push out oil.
#12
Supreme Member
iTrader: (25)
Re: do you guys use an oil catch can?
If you're worries about cosmetics, earls has a nice looking AN style PCV:
#13
Senior Member
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Peoria, IL
Posts: 990
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Car: 1988 Camaro Sport Coupe
Engine: 5.0 305 Carb'd
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.23
Re: do you guys use an oil catch can?
what kind of car is that twin turbo?? not a camaro.. the strut tower braces arnt.. there. and you have diff windshield wipers.
#14
Member
iTrader: (6)
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: WA
Posts: 320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 1989 Camaro Iroc-Z
Engine: 305 TPI (LB9)
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 2.77 posi
Re: do you guys use an oil catch can?
Excessive blowby would be caused by bad rings... Some blowby is always present though, I think, so no matter what you are going to have some vapors coming out of the breathers. The vapors condense as they cool, so maybe that is what you are seeing is condensed oil vapors coming out of the breathers...?
A PCV w/catch can is the ideal setup for a mostly street driven car.
No PCV is not all that great because the blowby vapors are somewhat acidic and moisture laden which is bad for the oil and metal when they condense in the crankcase. The PCV system serves to "flush" these vapors out increasing oil life.
If you run a catch can you can have all the benefits of the PCV system, w/o the down side of the crap getting all up in your intake. Or, well, it at least significantly decreases the amount of crap that gets in your intake.
There was a great extensive thread about the whole concept of the PCV system on LS1tech.com that I would reference here, but of course now that I want to, I can't find it...
I apologize for the somewhat inarticulate post, but I hope it makes sense...
A PCV w/catch can is the ideal setup for a mostly street driven car.
No PCV is not all that great because the blowby vapors are somewhat acidic and moisture laden which is bad for the oil and metal when they condense in the crankcase. The PCV system serves to "flush" these vapors out increasing oil life.
If you run a catch can you can have all the benefits of the PCV system, w/o the down side of the crap getting all up in your intake. Or, well, it at least significantly decreases the amount of crap that gets in your intake.
There was a great extensive thread about the whole concept of the PCV system on LS1tech.com that I would reference here, but of course now that I want to, I can't find it...
I apologize for the somewhat inarticulate post, but I hope it makes sense...
#16
Moderator
iTrader: (14)
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Littleton, CO USA
Posts: 43,169
Likes: 0
Received 36 Likes
on
34 Posts
Car: 82 Berlinetta/57 Bel Air
Engine: LS1/LQ4
Transmission: 4L60E/4L80E
Axle/Gears: 12B-3.73/9"-3.89
PCV - "Positive Crankcase Ventilation". Interesting name since it uses vacuum to provide the positive ventilation. But, since it replaced the passive "road draft tube" system that used the somewhat lower pressure under the car and somewhat higher pressure in the engine compartment to drive a small flow through the crankcase and remove blow-by gases, it makes a little more sense when viewed from that perspective. Since those gases contained unburned hydrocarbons, PCV was an emissions reduction device. But, it had other advantages - read on.
The crankcase benefits from being in a relative vacuum state. A couple of reasons, but from a performance standpoint, the less air there is in the crankcase, the less resistance the pistons have moving up and down. You might not think that would be all that significant, but a racer buddy put a crankcase evacuation pump on his 9-sec 454 '84 Monte Carlo a couple of years ago and picked up a consistent tenth. The first one he put on wasn't a very high dollar unit, and he could tell when it was failing because his ET's would start to rise. But, for a street car, or mild performance strip car, the effect would be less noticeable (if at all, especially on a street car).
The other reason is crankcase contamination - those gases don't do any good when they stay in the crankcase. Based on your photos, I would take off the driver side breather and put in a PCV valve connected to the bottom of the carb or that spacer - a runner is not a good place to put it, because there is a small flow at all times through the PCV, and you'll tend to lean out that cylinder if you put it to a manifold runner. If the non-filter looking caps are also breathers, I'd replace the one on the driver side (same side you put the PCV valve on) with a cap. The opposite side can have two breathers, that won't affect anything.
And, the hole you're using for the PCV valve should have a baffle on the inside of the valve cover to keep the PCV from sucking up oil.
Bottom line - your speed shop gave you bad advice.
The crankcase benefits from being in a relative vacuum state. A couple of reasons, but from a performance standpoint, the less air there is in the crankcase, the less resistance the pistons have moving up and down. You might not think that would be all that significant, but a racer buddy put a crankcase evacuation pump on his 9-sec 454 '84 Monte Carlo a couple of years ago and picked up a consistent tenth. The first one he put on wasn't a very high dollar unit, and he could tell when it was failing because his ET's would start to rise. But, for a street car, or mild performance strip car, the effect would be less noticeable (if at all, especially on a street car).
The other reason is crankcase contamination - those gases don't do any good when they stay in the crankcase. Based on your photos, I would take off the driver side breather and put in a PCV valve connected to the bottom of the carb or that spacer - a runner is not a good place to put it, because there is a small flow at all times through the PCV, and you'll tend to lean out that cylinder if you put it to a manifold runner. If the non-filter looking caps are also breathers, I'd replace the one on the driver side (same side you put the PCV valve on) with a cap. The opposite side can have two breathers, that won't affect anything.
And, the hole you're using for the PCV valve should have a baffle on the inside of the valve cover to keep the PCV from sucking up oil.
Bottom line - your speed shop gave you bad advice.
#17
Senior Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Mechanicsville Virginia
Posts: 715
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 1989 Turbo Trans Am gta
Engine: 383 78mm turbo
Transmission: Th350 rmvb with brake
Axle/Gears: 9 bolt 3.45s
Re: do you guys use an oil catch can?
...
A PCV w/catch can is the ideal setup for a mostly street driven car.
...
If you run a catch can you can have all the benefits of the PCV system, w/o the down side of the crap getting all up in your intake. Or, well, it at least significantly decreases the amount of crap that gets in your intake.
A PCV w/catch can is the ideal setup for a mostly street driven car.
...
If you run a catch can you can have all the benefits of the PCV system, w/o the down side of the crap getting all up in your intake. Or, well, it at least significantly decreases the amount of crap that gets in your intake.
five7kid
Thanks for the explanation that really helped. What do you personally run in your cars??
BTW this car is no where close to being my DD, its my weekend/strip car for right now but it is slowly turning into my car that i only drive to and fromt he track and race while im there..
#18
Moderator
iTrader: (14)
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Littleton, CO USA
Posts: 43,169
Likes: 0
Received 36 Likes
on
34 Posts
Car: 82 Berlinetta/57 Bel Air
Engine: LS1/LQ4
Transmission: 4L60E/4L80E
Axle/Gears: 12B-3.73/9"-3.89
five7kid
Thanks for the explanation that really helped. What do you personally run in your cars??
BTW this car is no where close to being my DD, its my weekend/strip car for right now but it is slowly turning into my car that i only drive to and fromt he track and race while im there..
Thanks for the explanation that really helped. What do you personally run in your cars??
BTW this car is no where close to being my DD, its my weekend/strip car for right now but it is slowly turning into my car that i only drive to and fromt he track and race while im there..
Your description of the use of the car pretty much mirrors mine with the '57.
#19
Member
iTrader: (6)
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: WA
Posts: 320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 1989 Camaro Iroc-Z
Engine: 305 TPI (LB9)
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 2.77 posi
Re: do you guys use an oil catch can?
could you explain how i would hook that up?? valve cover with pcv to catch can to intake?? a catch can with no breather??
BTW this car is no where close to being my DD, its my weekend/strip car for right now but it is slowly turning into my car that i only drive to and fromt he track and race while im there..
BTW this car is no where close to being my DD, its my weekend/strip car for right now but it is slowly turning into my car that i only drive to and fromt he track and race while im there..
But, as you say the main use of the car is actually the races... I was making my recommendation based on primarily street use. I'm not sure about race applications and stuff like that so I would defer to five7kid.
#20
Senior Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Mechanicsville Virginia
Posts: 715
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 1989 Turbo Trans Am gta
Engine: 383 78mm turbo
Transmission: Th350 rmvb with brake
Axle/Gears: 9 bolt 3.45s
Re: do you guys use an oil catch can?
Thanks for all the info i will def. get a pcv setup going. Thanks again
#21
Moderator
iTrader: (14)
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Littleton, CO USA
Posts: 43,169
Likes: 0
Received 36 Likes
on
34 Posts
Car: 82 Berlinetta/57 Bel Air
Engine: LS1/LQ4
Transmission: 4L60E/4L80E
Axle/Gears: 12B-3.73/9"-3.89
That is correct. The picture of the fancy set-up above isn't that way, as the catch can has the breather. Hook it up like that if you expect the PCV to be overwhelmed under power (which is likely because vacuum drops under WOT).
Last edited by five7kid; 07-16-2009 at 06:56 PM.
#22
Supreme Member
iTrader: (25)
Re: do you guys use an oil catch can?
using a pcv on a valve cover, hooked to vacuum with a catch can in between accomplishes nothing if the can is vented because the PCV will draw from the path of least restriction, being the breather and not the crankcase.
Last edited by five7kid; 07-16-2009 at 06:57 PM.
#23
Moderator
iTrader: (14)
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Littleton, CO USA
Posts: 43,169
Likes: 0
Received 36 Likes
on
34 Posts
Car: 82 Berlinetta/57 Bel Air
Engine: LS1/LQ4
Transmission: 4L60E/4L80E
Axle/Gears: 12B-3.73/9"-3.89
LS1 guys often use a system like that because they tend to get a lot of oil into the intake from the PCV.
#24
Senior Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Mechanicsville Virginia
Posts: 715
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 1989 Turbo Trans Am gta
Engine: 383 78mm turbo
Transmission: Th350 rmvb with brake
Axle/Gears: 9 bolt 3.45s
Re: do you guys use an oil catch can?
If you are referring to my system, the catch can is doubling as the breather and is mounted there so that there's no oil mist on the valve covers. Also, the PVC does not always evacuate the crankcase (WOT), so whenever there is crankcase pressure being forced out, it collects in the catch can.
...
...
#25
Moderator
iTrader: (14)
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Littleton, CO USA
Posts: 43,169
Likes: 0
Received 36 Likes
on
34 Posts
Car: 82 Berlinetta/57 Bel Air
Engine: LS1/LQ4
Transmission: 4L60E/4L80E
Axle/Gears: 12B-3.73/9"-3.89
"PCV" is the total system. I think what you were trying to say is no PCV valve on the side with the can, and the PCV valve hooked to vacuum on the other valve cover.
In that case, yes.
In that case, yes.
#26
Member
iTrader: (6)
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: WA
Posts: 320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 1989 Camaro Iroc-Z
Engine: 305 TPI (LB9)
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 2.77 posi
Re: do you guys use an oil catch can?
Ahhh, yes. Sorry about that. I was assuming a non-vented catch can. And, also, yeah, I learned what I know about PCV from ls1tech.com.
#27
Senior Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Mechanicsville Virginia
Posts: 715
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 1989 Turbo Trans Am gta
Engine: 383 78mm turbo
Transmission: Th350 rmvb with brake
Axle/Gears: 9 bolt 3.45s
Re: do you guys use an oil catch can?
I think i will end up going that route then.
guys for all the info and i hope this helps someone else in the future with my same problem.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
ambainb
Camaros for Sale
11
04-25-2016 09:21 PM
Navy8125
Engine/Drivetrain/Suspension Parts for Sale
4
08-21-2015 09:32 AM