Installing an Oil Catch Can
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Joined: 05-01-2014
Posts: 8,512
From: California
In fact, now I have another theory.
2-can system - Let's says you're spinning the turbo up good, you start drawing vapors out, some vapors make it to your catch can, but some are still in the hose when you let off the throttle. Now the vacuum in the manifold takes over, and those vapors in the hose get pulled back into the valve cover and start moving towards the manifold. Then you hit it again, and the turbo starts pulling. This sounds to me like a bit of tug-o-war.
1-can system - With one vapor draw point, the 2 alternating sources of vacuum would keep that vapor flowing towards the can, never pulling it back towards the crankcase.
So a 1-can system may actually be better, but it will take quite a bit of time to test this theory.
2-can system - Let's says you're spinning the turbo up good, you start drawing vapors out, some vapors make it to your catch can, but some are still in the hose when you let off the throttle. Now the vacuum in the manifold takes over, and those vapors in the hose get pulled back into the valve cover and start moving towards the manifold. Then you hit it again, and the turbo starts pulling. This sounds to me like a bit of tug-o-war.
1-can system - With one vapor draw point, the 2 alternating sources of vacuum would keep that vapor flowing towards the can, never pulling it back towards the crankcase.
So a 1-can system may actually be better, but it will take quite a bit of time to test this theory.
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Joined: 05-01-2014
Posts: 8,512
From: California
Dan, I don't mean to clutter your thread, I can move these how-to type posts out on their own if you want, and you can link back to them whenever you get your new thread on this topic started. Lemme know. 
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: 05-29-2015
Posts: 542
From: Cleveland, OH
I don't consider it my thread RJ. It's the catch can thread! I just happened to start the ball rolling. I would much rather you keep contributing here. I haven't been on very often lately. I just had to catch up on 2 pages! Usually I check daily.
I got sent out to the Big Sky of Montana for work. Been doing 14 hour days in the Stillwater Mine for TBM repairs. My hotel is an hour drive where I have little to no reception, so what's left is pretty well tied up talking to the kids and wife.
I'm really glad how well your cans are working. Can't wait to see how your collection tanks help out. I did pick up some pieces to build my own from 6061 aluminum. I'm using 3" square tubing, plastic baffles and stainless screens. Built in check valves, ect. I'll get some pics as I'm building them.
My next major project is cleaning my intake valves, swapping in the new intake cam, and installing the opel fuel injectors. LoL, sounds like a lot when you run it all together.
I did want to post the media blaster I made out of an old fire extinguisher. I don't have time to start a thread so I'll just post a pic up here when I get a minute. It's a pressure/gravity system so it blasts anything I fill it with, even soda blasting! And I had no idea walnut shells were so large, they're huge! I had to make several modifications to the fire extinguisher nozzle to get things flowing. Once it's seal is torn up I'll swap it out for a real deadman nozzle.
-ugh, can't get images resized. Tomorrow hopefully.
Keep up the good work RJ. I'm curious to see what my larger turbo pulls for vacuum. I'm also going to remove the #1 pcv and catch there as well. The LDK has an option for a cam driven vacuum pump. I have it blocked off for now, if I need to, I can remove all engine sources and go external!
I got sent out to the Big Sky of Montana for work. Been doing 14 hour days in the Stillwater Mine for TBM repairs. My hotel is an hour drive where I have little to no reception, so what's left is pretty well tied up talking to the kids and wife.
I'm really glad how well your cans are working. Can't wait to see how your collection tanks help out. I did pick up some pieces to build my own from 6061 aluminum. I'm using 3" square tubing, plastic baffles and stainless screens. Built in check valves, ect. I'll get some pics as I'm building them.
My next major project is cleaning my intake valves, swapping in the new intake cam, and installing the opel fuel injectors. LoL, sounds like a lot when you run it all together.
I did want to post the media blaster I made out of an old fire extinguisher. I don't have time to start a thread so I'll just post a pic up here when I get a minute. It's a pressure/gravity system so it blasts anything I fill it with, even soda blasting! And I had no idea walnut shells were so large, they're huge! I had to make several modifications to the fire extinguisher nozzle to get things flowing. Once it's seal is torn up I'll swap it out for a real deadman nozzle.
-ugh, can't get images resized. Tomorrow hopefully.
Keep up the good work RJ. I'm curious to see what my larger turbo pulls for vacuum. I'm also going to remove the #1 pcv and catch there as well. The LDK has an option for a cam driven vacuum pump. I have it blocked off for now, if I need to, I can remove all engine sources and go external!
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Joined: 01-23-2009
Posts: 26,533
From: Fredericksburg,VA
In fact, now I have another theory.
2-can system - Let's says you're spinning the turbo up good, you start drawing vapors out, some vapors make it to your catch can, but some are still in the hose when you let off the throttle. Now the vacuum in the manifold takes over, and those vapors in the hose get pulled back into the valve cover and start moving towards the manifold. Then you hit it again, and the turbo starts pulling. This sounds to me like a bit of tug-o-war.
1-can system - With one vapor draw point, the 2 alternating sources of vacuum would keep that vapor flowing towards the can, never pulling it back towards the crankcase.
So a 1-can system may actually be better, but it will take quite a bit of time to test this theory.
2-can system - Let's says you're spinning the turbo up good, you start drawing vapors out, some vapors make it to your catch can, but some are still in the hose when you let off the throttle. Now the vacuum in the manifold takes over, and those vapors in the hose get pulled back into the valve cover and start moving towards the manifold. Then you hit it again, and the turbo starts pulling. This sounds to me like a bit of tug-o-war.
1-can system - With one vapor draw point, the 2 alternating sources of vacuum would keep that vapor flowing towards the can, never pulling it back towards the crankcase.
So a 1-can system may actually be better, but it will take quite a bit of time to test this theory.
Isn't that what PCV valves are for? A one-way valve in line, I'm sure you could adapt one from the "Help!" section of the auto parts store.
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Joined: 05-01-2014
Posts: 8,512
From: California
Yes! Thank you donbrew! Here I've been talking about check valves for a 1-can system, but my brain couldn't seem to get one inserted into that line on a Toucan Sam... er, I mean 2-can system! That would put an end to the Tug-O-War.
Senior Member
Joined: 09-02-2010
Posts: 383
From: Philadelphia, PA
Alright, I took the SS for a trip yesterday, close to 500 miles, and I have some more results for our science experiment, good and not so good.
The top edge of the blue tape is at the muck level. I caught what seemed like a lot of muck. Nearly filled both cans, with a slight edge to the turbo side can. However, once I got the cans drained, it turns out I only caught about 25 ml. or about 5 teaspoons. This demonstrates that I need bigger cans
I'm allowing the muck to separate in a glass jar, I'll take a pic, then spread it out on paper towels and take another pic, probably tomorrow.
These dang cans, when negative pressure is applied, the drain valve opens. Furthermore, the rubber cap that I put on the drain nipple to seal the slight vacuum leak, apparently is not enough to keep the muck from seeping out, soiling the area around the can. And although the oil can seep out, the drain valve will not let the muck drain out for collection, I had to remove the cans and unscrew the bowls! These home depot filters are not going to work, and the larger ones use the same drain valve. Oh yeah, and a slight amount is getting by the filtration into the clean side hoses.
I looked at the filters at Lowe's, both of their filters use an automatic drain, so that's no good.
I am starting to consider buying a 2 valve can, like the RX, or the one 2005HHRauto posted looks good too. The fact that I filled both the small cans, just freeway driving, not much boosting, tells me that the vacuum at both points is good. Add to that the fact that the vacuum was strong enough to pull some of the muck through the 5 micron filter(some of it was probably leaking around it, tho), is very encouraging.
The top edge of the blue tape is at the muck level. I caught what seemed like a lot of muck. Nearly filled both cans, with a slight edge to the turbo side can. However, once I got the cans drained, it turns out I only caught about 25 ml. or about 5 teaspoons. This demonstrates that I need bigger cans
I'm allowing the muck to separate in a glass jar, I'll take a pic, then spread it out on paper towels and take another pic, probably tomorrow.These dang cans, when negative pressure is applied, the drain valve opens. Furthermore, the rubber cap that I put on the drain nipple to seal the slight vacuum leak, apparently is not enough to keep the muck from seeping out, soiling the area around the can. And although the oil can seep out, the drain valve will not let the muck drain out for collection, I had to remove the cans and unscrew the bowls! These home depot filters are not going to work, and the larger ones use the same drain valve. Oh yeah, and a slight amount is getting by the filtration into the clean side hoses.
I looked at the filters at Lowe's, both of their filters use an automatic drain, so that's no good.
I am starting to consider buying a 2 valve can, like the RX, or the one 2005HHRauto posted looks good too. The fact that I filled both the small cans, just freeway driving, not much boosting, tells me that the vacuum at both points is good. Add to that the fact that the vacuum was strong enough to pull some of the muck through the 5 micron filter(some of it was probably leaking around it, tho), is very encouraging.
As for internals, you can't take the can apart (which I'm not a fan of but I get it - they don't want people taking them apart and possibly not putting them back together correctly) but this is the diagram they have on their site about the 2 valve can.
I plan on having Valve #2 and intake manifold t'ed into the B (in) of the can, then clean 1 (A) to the turbo inlet and clean 2 (C) to the intake manifold. I'm getting a TTR manifold with the PCV housing so it's just all plug and play.
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Joined: 05-01-2014
Posts: 8,512
From: California
Sounds great, drummerboy. You'll have X amount of suction at port B. If you run the same size line on all three ports of the tee, you'll have half of X in the line to the manifold, half of X in the line to port #2. Consider running smaller lines(if possible) to the manifold and to port #2, to help keep suction strong. What is the I.D. of the lines that came with the kit?
Senior Member
Joined: 09-02-2010
Posts: 383
From: Philadelphia, PA
Sounds great, drummerboy. You'll have X amount of suction at port B. If you run the same size line on all three ports of the tee, you'll have half of X in the line to the manifold, half of X in the line to port #2. Consider running smaller lines(if possible) to the manifold and to port #2, to help keep suction strong. What is the I.D. of the lines that came with the kit?
I was going to email Tom at RX before I installed just to confirm my setup to see if it will work. I talked to him before I purchased and he was saying you needed to catch vapors going to turbo inlet (which fried my old turbo) and the manifold - which is exactly what everyone was saying on this thread. He was unfamiliar with the ecotec since they're usually messing with the F-150 Ecoboost, or the LS series - but he was saying find a way to intercept the line that's feeding oil to the turbo (#2 of the valve cover) and the line that's from the PCV to the manifold so the can catches all the vapors and feeds clean air.
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Joined: 09-07-2008
Posts: 1,016
From: Mebane, NC
I requested the -6 3/8" braided lines 8' long because I was reading that 3/8" hose was the size people were using. It came with the normal rubber 3/8" hose as well, so I guess the braided you're suppose to cut.
I was going to email Tom at RX before I installed just to confirm my setup to see if it will work. I talked to him before I purchased and he was saying you needed to catch vapors going to turbo inlet (which fried my old turbo) and the manifold - which is exactly what everyone was saying on this thread. He was unfamiliar with the ecotec since they're usually messing with the F-150 Ecoboost, or the LS series - but he was saying find a way to intercept the line that's feeding oil to the turbo (#2 of the valve cover) and the line that's from the PCV to the manifold so the can catches all the vapors and feeds clean air.
I was going to email Tom at RX before I installed just to confirm my setup to see if it will work. I talked to him before I purchased and he was saying you needed to catch vapors going to turbo inlet (which fried my old turbo) and the manifold - which is exactly what everyone was saying on this thread. He was unfamiliar with the ecotec since they're usually messing with the F-150 Ecoboost, or the LS series - but he was saying find a way to intercept the line that's feeding oil to the turbo (#2 of the valve cover) and the line that's from the PCV to the manifold so the can catches all the vapors and feeds clean air.
That being said, Tom is suggesting a two can approach as well. While I know he is in the business to sell cans it appears that he agrees with our line of though and intent.
The manifold PCV valve down stream hole is .229 in diameter. so that and the orifice holes in the seat of the PCV will be the restriction. So 5/16 (.3125) hose would work as well.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: 05-29-2015
Posts: 542
From: Cleveland, OH
Here's the check valve I'm going with. It will be inside the cans.
VIAIR Check Valves 92825 - Free Shipping on Orders Over $99 at Summit Racing
I seriously can't wait to get home to work on these!
VIAIR Check Valves 92825 - Free Shipping on Orders Over $99 at Summit Racing
I seriously can't wait to get home to work on these!
