oil separator/ everyone needs one.

[don_w]

True, but a separator is the right solution only in N/A cars. I think forced induction cars should use breathers, or a breather/catch can like mine.

Why is that? I have one on my car and it seems to be working fine...

The best explanation I have seen posted was here (from Jim Sr at JDM).

There is no right or wrong with oil seperators. We just choose not to use them because to make it work properly you have to have a sealed system. What I mean by sealed system is no breather caps or any other evacuation device hooked to the engine. Some of the oil buildup in the supercharged cars is from reversion on decel. These motors are extremely tight and on hard decel you can pull 30 inches of vaccuum, which will allow oil to be sucked back through the guides. With a sealed system that will still occur. With an oil breather cap, that will not occur. If a car is running enough power, say 500whp+, we will stick a breather cap on it. This helps two things. 1 is to control the oil being sucked through the guides on a hard decel and 2 pressure or boost that seeps past the rings will get blown out the breather cap. Once oil goes past the guides, it actually goes back up through the intake tract and gets sucked up into the supercharger. On a sealed system, under hard accel, as soon as you shut the throttle body, the motor is going to do everything it can to pull air from somewhere. The path of least resistance is the crankcase - it will pull it past the rings, from the PCV system, and even from the rear main seal - with the breather cap, you're giving it a path of least resistance. It is useless to use an oil breather cap and an oil seperator device because the oil seperator device only works properly on a sealed system. We just chose to use a breather cap so that when the motor needs to pull air, it does it from the atmosphere instead.

We have run tests here on the dyno that shows an oil breather cap cuts nearly 80% of the oil ingestion on a high horsepower supercharged vehicle.

Hope this helps,
Jim @ JDM

 

[don_w]

BTW, I run breathers on my car too... no catch can.

 

[BLKS197]

I have a related question to the use of breathers. Do they do anything that would affect emissions of prevention of any monitors being set? NYS is incredibly stupid about all types of emission related issues.

 

[goldenpony]

UPR Sepatator

I went a head and ordered the Separator from UPR. To anybody that has one of these. Does the (I assume) bottom just unscrew to empty out?

 

[AutoXRacer]

I went a head and ordered the Separator from UPR. To anybody that has one of these. Does the (I assume) bottom just unscrew to empty out?

Yep, once installed the top portion stays in the engine bay and the lower half screws off to empty it. Its great because it holds a lot of fluid and you don't have to empty it every few days... Just make sure your hoses don't collapse when the engine/hoses are hot. Mine did and I had to replace the hoses with firmer ones that were oil and fuel resistant. Mine came with heat hose...

 

[goldenpony]

Yep, once installed the top portion stays in the engine bay and the lower half screws off to empty it. Its great because it holds a lot of fluid and you don't have to empty it every few days... Just make sure your hoses don't collapse when the engine/hoses are hot. Mine did and I had to replace the hoses with firmer ones that we oil and fuel resistant. Mine came with heat hose...

Thanks, and thanks for the heads up about the hoses.

 

[doogie]

Here's another good option that I plan on buying once the black gets back in stock.

http://www.haneymotorsport.com/HMS%20Oil%20Separator%20Catch%20Can.htm

 

[AutoXRacer]

Here's another good option that I plan on buying once the black gets back in stock.

http://www.haneymotorsport.com/HMS Oil Separator Catch Can.htm

That was my other choice...but black was out of stock...

 

[fin1]

I have a related question to the use of breathers. Do they do anything that would affect emissions of prevention of any monitors being set? NYS is incredibly stupid about all types of emission related issues.

I can't speak for you state/county but they don't affect OBD emission monitors when they do a scan. However, in the strictest sense of emissions, they are not legal in most states. If you get an inspections shop looking at everything, they may visually see that your PCV is not connect and flag it. If you get a "mod friendly" shop, it should be OK. I had mine at the dealer and other inspection shops without issue but just be warned.

 

[SVTsupremecy]

Ok so ive been reading these threads very recently and I have decided to do something about the crankcase ventilation.

im still confused on a proper N/A set up. I was thinking just a BBR catchcan would be fine, but should I also run breathers? couldnt really find a definitive answer when I did a search here.

 

[fin1]

I was thinking just a BBR catchcan would be fine, but should I also run breathers? couldnt really find a definitive answer when I did a search here.

There is no definitive answer. It comes down to choice based on your power level. For NA it not as much as an issue as it is for forced induction but that's not to say it won't help some. Each choice has pros & cons. The basic choices are.

1) Keep stock PCV (closed)
2) Use a oil separator attached to the stock PCV system (closed)
3) Put breathers on both valve covers (open)
4) Put breathers on both valve covers w/ catch can (open)

I've gone through all four options as my power level increased and ended at #4 but I'm running over 20 lbs of boost and the blow-by is high. I actually run two breathers and a catch-can/breather.

For NA it's not necessary to anything other than stock PCV system but if you want you could go with an oil separator (option #2). When I went with #3, my passenger side breather eventually became saturated w/ oil and once that happens the oil & water vapor mists into the engine bay. Again I am running high boost. The catch can w/ the breather help eliminate the oil mess as I was able to capture most blow-by.

Another con of #3 & #4 is that you may smell the vapor and it's not 100% emissions legal in some states.

Just keep in mind that if you vent one valve cover to the atmosphere, vent both to the atmosphere (open). If you route one back into the manifold, route both back into the manifold (closed), which is the stock setup.

 

[Thereaper]

I don''t need one but the breather looks like it would be the route to go.

 

[06Stang]

Holy crap. Get a seperator, dont get one. Only breathers, one breather, two breathers, three breathers. Now I'm way lost.

 

[GT John]

With the engine crankcase running under vacuum (approx. 20”) fresh air is drawn in through the passenger side, (the hose is connected to the intake tube after the MAFS) sucked through the crankcase and out the driver side (open) pcv valve and into the intake where it is mixed with fresh air. Any airborne products will be carried along and deposited into the cylinders for burning.

With the engine under a positive pressure the pcv valve is closed. Any pressure build up in the crankcase will exit through the passenger side and, once again, any airborne products will be carried along through the intake and deposited into the cylinders for burning.

Depending on the amount of boost and pressure build up (when the engine is creating pressure in the crankcase from the piston moving up and down) airborne products could be expelled into the intake and sent to the cylinders for burning.

Crankcase ventilation is very important as is relieving the crankcase of any pressure build up is. (the pressure has got to go somewhere…..it will find a path)

A good way to help your engine is to install an Stefs 5122, or similar size separator, why because of the volume of air passing through the devise. The Lowes and Steeda brands cannot handle the volume of air that’s being used.
N/A
Use a Stefs or similar separator on the drivers side, on the passenger side use a breather piped to the front of the car, you don’t want to suck in under hood air temperatures. It gets hot under there, a lot hotter than ambient. No sense in getting the oil any hotter than it already is.

Boosted
Use a Stefs or similar separator on the drivers side, on the passenger side use a separator with an intake filter on it (mounted outside of the engine bay) piped to the engine passenger side valve cover, Now, under vacuum the system is going to work just like the N/A system but under boost and with pressure building up in the crancase air is allowed to exit the crankcase through the passenger side with any byproducts being captured by the catch can (no oil mess), You don’t want to suck in under hood air temperatures. It gets hot under there, a lot hotter than ambient. No sense in getting the oil any hotter than it already is.

You may have to put the car back on the rollers to double check the Mass Air Flow Function just to make sure it’s reading accurately. If you dont know exactly how much air is coming into the engine the software wont know exacly what the Load is and this affects spark and fueling. (performance)

 

[goldenpony]

I got my separator from UPR. Do I need to substitute a different type of hose? It came with Gates heater hose.

 

[bigray327]

I got my seperator from UPR. Do I need to substitute a different type of hose? It came with Gates heater hose.

Yes, you need thicker hose that's rated for the heat and pressure it will see. If you don't, the line will collapse and that's bad. I used 3/8" fuel line.

 

[goldenpony]

Yes, you need thicker hose that's rated for the heat and pressure it will see. If you don't, the line will collapse and that's bad. I used 3/8" fuel line.

3/8"?? That's awful small, isn't it?

 

[Styre]

subscribing

 

[Maverick]

I installed my UPR Catch can about 3 weeks ago and as everyone has stated, its the best investment for our cars to protect from carbon buildup and blow by that can result in lowering octane and detonation! I'm F/I with the whipple and it works great! Installed on the driver side. Here was my thread.....

http://s197forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24340

 

[goldenpony]

I installed my UPR Catch can about 3 weeks ago and as everyone has stated, its the best investment for our cars to protect from carbon buildup and blow by that can result in lowering octane and detonation! I'm F/I with the whipple and it works great! Installed on the driver side. Here was my thread.....

http://s197forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24340

You said you used the supplied hose. Did you have any problem with them collapsing when hot?