*DIY* Oil Separator/Catch Can w/Pics & Write Up!!! :)

[HandsomeRob]

Hey Guys,
I made my own Catch can Today!
Ive seen alot of the 03-04 Cobra guys do it so i decided to give it a try.
Steeda makes a similiar Catch Can for about $70 shipped minus the SS Braided Lines and XRP fittings!
Heres whats involved:
3 Feet SS line-$24 (Only used about 2.5 Feet)
4 XRP fittings-$28
Husky Water Seperator-$11.95 (Home Depot)(Take out the 5 micron filter)No filter is necessary)
2x of 1/4-3/8 Brass Nipples-$4
Purolator PCV Valve (Remember PCV Valves are one Way Valves)-$5
3M Dual Lock Fastener-$5 (Target Store-Hardware Section-Not Stationary!!)
Just an FYI my Passenger side Valve cover Vents to my AFM Powerpipe!

Stock PCV Valve

Here is the finished Product!!

Full motor Shot

all in all this was pretty easy to do.
Just alot of shopping!
I put a piece of Loofah in the seperator so the oil would have something to grab onto!
Loofah= the cute lil fluffy thing your girl washes her butt with!
Also, I epoxied the bottom nipple so oil wouldnt drip out of the container.
The Dual Lock fastener works great but I would like to Fab up a braket for the oil Separator!
Its definitely not moving anywhere though!
So now there is no more oil getting sucked into the engine.
Ill be back to let you guys know how much oil is collectied when driving!
Hopefully i can drain it every 3000 miles or so....
p.s. Make sure to mount the Separator in the Right direction. Arrow on Husky unit should be headed towards the intake not the PCV Valve!

Ill be putting my AFM Powerpipe on tomorrow
Thanks
Rob

***UPDATE***
Oil separator works so well I upgraded to a bigger unit From Kobalt! "Lowes Brand" $22
I drilled and tapped 4 screws. I had to fab up some Brackets! Epoxied the bottom nipple.
Free Machine Shop at work!

*Update*
After 3500 miles of easy driving
I used a piece of loofa!

*Update*
Instead of a loofah this time I bought a pure copper scrubber from Target.

Im curious to see if it works any better.
All in all im happy with my seperator. I installed my IRMC Deletes awhile back after this install and the intake manifolds were clean as a whistle.

*Final Update*
4000 miles with the copper mesh!
Works great!! That's a lot of oil!!

 

[Mystic-SVT]

Looks good!!! Im thinking of doing this to my 96 cobra...great write up

 

[flowgoode]

Looks nice. I did the same thing a long time ago...you'll be suprised at how much oil is actually getting caught!

I didn't do the fancy braided line and fastners, but your's does look better :thumbsup:

 

[hardcore35th]

That wont work like on a PD blower car. When you are under boost, you are pressurizing your crankcase, and you will blow out your main seals.

 

[kwikie]

I already have one two but the braided line is a nice touch might go back and change it out but one question. Was it necessary to change out the pcv valve I didn't do that part. Just wondering? Thanks and yours looks good by the way though lowes sells a blue one just like the husky might match under your hood better if you have lowes where you live.:beer:

 

[flowgoode]

That wont work like on a PD blower car. When you are under boost, you are pressurizing your crankcase, and you will blow out your main seals.

What do you mean by "PD"?

My car has a procharger and the catch can works perfectly. The stock pcv system is routed the exact same way, we just put a can in the middle to catch the oil from the pressurization of the crank case and the intake manifold sucking action.

 

[HandsomeRob]

Shoot i just started the car and noticed u cant close off the petcock no matter what position its in!! Off to Pep Boys for a Vacuum Cap.
These water separators are made to compress not suck!
Anybody else have to cap the bottom??

 

[HandsomeRob]

My PCV valve was in since 1997 i thought i might just buy a new one. Its not necessary though

 

[flowgoode]

These water separators are made to compress not suck!

Are you aiming that statement at me?

Also, the seperator I have doesn't have a petcock on it, it has a button your press in and the "water" would drain out of. But I don't use it, I just unscrew the can and pour it out.

 

[hardcore35th]

You never ever want to purposly pressurize the crankcase. You are killing hp and risking blowing out your seals. PD= Positive displacement IE: Roots, Screw, TVS.With that type blower you are never pressurizing the PCV, whereas with a centri or a turbo you will if you run the valve cover to the intake that way.

 

[hardcore35th]

If you put the seperator inline reverse of the way it was designed, then the filter inside it will help keep turbulant oil from being sucked up and passed on through. Some people fill the seperators with a piece of loofah, beacuse its safer than steel wool, and wont degrade like manufactured sponge will when hit with oil.

 

[hardcore35th]

Shoot i just started the car and noticed u cant close off the petcock no matter what position its in!! Off to Pep Boys for a Vacuum Cap.
These water separators are made to compress not suck!
Anybody else have to cap the bottom??

Im telling you, you are going to blow out your main seals.

 

[flowgoode]

If you put the seperator inline reverse of the way it was designed, then the filter inside it will help keep turbulant oil from being sucked up and passed on through. Some people fill the seperators with a piece of loofah, beacuse its safer than steel wool, and wont degrade like manufactured sponge will when hit with oil.

I'm not sure what you mean by reverse of the way it is designed.

What are you supposed to do with the stock pcv valve on a 96-98 cobra with the line that comes from the intake to the valve cover? I've tried just filters on the valvecovers and all it does is blow oil out of the filters all over my engine bay. So the crank case is still getting pressurized by the boost. I have relieved some of this with the passanger valve cover being routed to the powerpipe on the procharger sucking the crankcase pressure out and back through.

 

[hardcore35th]

You can take the PCV out totally. By revers I mean exactly that. It has flow arrows on it, you go the opposite way with it. Point the arrows AWAY from the intake TOWARD the valve cover. this make the oil not so turbulant when it enters the seperator.

 

[HandsomeRob]

dude what are you talking about Blowing out Main Seals. Its working perfectly! All its doing is catching oil!!
http://www.svtperformance.com/forums/engine-tuning-214/173161-make-your-own-oil-seperator-21-a.html

 

[BMF42]

But I don't use it, I just unscrew the can and pour it out.

That's exactly what I do with mine.

Im telling you, you are going to blow out your main seals.

I'm not sure what you're talking about, but I've had this done for a few years now with no issues. That's with over 100 passes at the track. Maybe I'm the exception, but I've had zero issues.

Looks good Rob!:dancenana:

 

[HandsomeRob]

Read the 03-04 Cobra Thread!! How is this mod working for everybody else!! Someone correct me if im wrong

 

[HandsomeRob]

Thanks Dawg

That's exactly what I do with mine.



I'm not sure what you're talking about, but I've had this done for a few years now with no issues. That's with over 100 passes at the track. Maybe I'm the exception, but I've has zero issues.

Looks good Rob!:dancenana:

That other dude is trippin lol

 

[hardcore35th]

Sorry Im not "trippin". It doesnt work the same for the reason I already explained, because when you run the hose anywhere after the throttle body before the rotors on a POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT blower like a 03-04 Cobra has, it doesnt pressurize the valve cover under boost it puts VACCUM on it. I dont know how to make it any clearer. The way you have it ran, the hose will be putting pressure into the valve cover from the intake because the blower is pressurising the intake, thereby pressurizing the hose, pressurizing the valvecover, pressurizing the crankcase, thereby producing the OPPOSITE effect a vaccum pump produces. Anyone running their stuff like this who hasnt blown their rear main or timing cover seal out yet, great for you, I hope you dont ever. Let me assure you though you ARE most definitly pressurizing the crankcase, killing horsepower, and risking blowing the seals out. 9-10lbs probably wont kill the seals but big boost surely will. Why do you think racecars have vaccum pumps? To put vaccum on the crankcase to help seal the rings and to get the pressure off the back side of the pistons. All you have to do is run the hose to the inlet side of the blower and your problem is fixed.

 

[hardcore35th]

Where is the hose from your other valve cover going to? Im not trying to shoot holes in your write up, Im trying to help you out kid.