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No oil in Catch Can after 300miles

B

BAD SVT

Addicted CEG'er
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Dec 19, 2005
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Formerly Las Vegas, now Dallas TX
Hey peeps. I recently installed a non baffled oil catch can in my turbod 3L. I pulled the turbo inlet piping after 300miles only to find out that oil is getting into the turbo. The weird thing tho is that the catch can is empty, and the hoses that run through are clean. Is my routing wrong? One hose goes to the small piping below the uim, while the other goes to the stock pcv nipple. From my search, this was the way to do it. Help...

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I don't think you routed it incorrectly, but you might get a better benefit from running that hose straight out of the pcv separator "black box" then back into the pcv. This setup is really for blow by in the pcv system that goes into your intake manifold/engine.

Im guessing your pipe that is before the throttle body is the one you took off and the one that has the valve cover breathers on it???
 
assuming you dont drive around in boost all the time, and are actually in vacuum most of the time, then how you have it routed is correct. sounds like the oil is likely coming from the valve cover vents as when you are in boost they will be what relieves any crankcase pressure. in order to catch all the blow by gases/oil you need 2 catch cans.
 
Beans said:
I don't think you routed it incorrectly, but you might get a better benefit from running that hose straight out of the pcv separator "black box" then back into the pcv. This setup is really for blow by in the pcv system that goes into your intake manifold/engine.

Im guessing your pipe that is before the throttle body is the one you took off and the one that has the valve cover breathers on it???
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I'm not sure i'm following you beans. And i misunderstand your second question, sorry
 
striker2 said:
assuming you dont drive around in boost all the time, and are actually in vacuum most of the time, then how you have it routed is correct. sounds like the oil is likely coming from the valve cover vents as when you are in boost they will be what relieves any crankcase pressure. in order to catch all the blow by gases/oil you need 2 catch cans.
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The oil from valve cover vents makes sense. The first few miles were breaking in mileage & dyno. Lots of hard pulls. I dunno if i have enough room for another catch can in the bay, but i'll try. Thanks all.
 
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My statement reflects strikers. Its your valve covers pulling oil.

The other part i was saying. Run directly from the black box between the head then to the catch can then back to the pcv valve.
 
PCV on boosted engines gets complicated, more-so than N/A.

I'll echo Beans suggestion, the oil trap needs to go between the oil separator output on the engine block and the PCV valve. When the engine is operating off-boost with vacuum in the intake manifold, this is where most of the air and oil movement is going to occur. You need to have a PCV valve or check valve of some kind in this line to keep the line from the intake manifold from pressurizing the crankcase when under boost.

The engine and PCV system also needs a fresh air source, and that's what the hose from the intake tube (prior to the throttle body) and the nipple on the forward valve cover does. This last connection is what makes problems with boosted engines, because the fresh air hose from the intake to the valve cover will pressurize the crankcase under boost, and this can blow out crankshaft seals, this happened to me in my boosted SHO motor. The calibration in these motors is counting on the PCV flow to be metered by the MAF, so it isn't always as easy as just throwing a little filter vented to atmosphere on the valve cover port and saying I'll just pull in un-metered air while not under boost.

Frequently on boosted engines, the valve cover fresh air source is connected to the turbo compressor suction side. It works two ways here:
1. Under low to no boost with vacuum in the intake manifold, it's a source of fresh air that flows IN the valve cover so the PCV system can pull on the crankcase through the PCV valve. So, you need oil trap number 1 between the engine block oil separator and the PCV valve to keep from oiling the intake manifold.
2. Under boost, the PCV valve closes so we don't pressurize the crankcase, and the suction side of the turbo goes pretty low pressure, so the crankcase is scaveged through the valve cover back to the turbo inlet. Unfortunately, this oils up the turbo, so you will need oil trap number 2 in this line as well.

Make sense?
 
Exactly ^ Might be worth your time to move the OCC to the valve cover breathers. I don't think you should be getting so much in 300 miles.

BAD SVT said:
The oil from valve cover vents makes sense. The first few miles were breaking in mileage & dyno. Lots of hard pulls. I dunno if i have enough room for another catch can in the bay, but i'll try. Thanks all.
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I hear that lol. :crazy: Hoping i don't have any issues with mine, but i have clear hose on now to keep an eye on it. I still need to find a place for a Accusump.
 
Ok makes sense now. Thanks you guys. Since i seem to be in boost most of the time, i'll route this through my valve covers instead of going with two catch cans. But if i do decide to move my catch can to the middle of the oil separator and pcv, that means the stock pcv location & the hard plastic piping it sits in will change, correct?
 
Beans said:
No... Your just changing where the hose gets put on.
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Ah. Well, i ended up cutting in half the pipe that goes into the stock oil separator, and simply attached the catch can hoses to both ends of the pipe. So that covers the blowback to the manifolds. Now i'll purchase another CC and intercept the valve cover breather hoses right before it plumbs into my turbo inlet piping. Voila. Thanks guys. Much appreciated.
 
Good Lord, after a hundred miles, that little tube is about a quarter full. I'm guessing i should ease up on the throttle. I might have to switch the cans, so the bigger one intercepts the valve covers, & i don't have to empty it too often.
 
Had to resurrect this topic. I used a different method and have interesting results. For those of us with turbo or supercharged engines this may help. I had to find a way to completely block any boost from pressurizing the engine. I figured the best way was a one way valve, such as those used in every single vehicle's brake booster. Most brake boosters have 2 check valves, one smaller valve to limit most of the problems and a "Mac Daddy" one that stops what the first one couldn't.

Since I was at the junk yard I decided to pick 2 of them up, they were free. I also picked up quite a few vacuum lines, 90 degree and other connectors, and hard plastic lines.

How I plumbed it was ghetto but it works. I used a 90 degree out of the intake towards the block. Put a hard plastic line with a 90 degree curve on the 90 degree. On the hard line I used clear tubing to the suction side of the One Way valve. After the one way valve I used an old spark plug boot which was a perfect size on the fat end, and also had a built in reducer for the other end. This other end plugged into the PCV valve in the original location.

Here is an important note: Once you get the lines where they fit and work you MUST put plastic glue on all the connections and hose clamp the lines on the pressure side. I found this out the hard way when driving in a spirited fashion at 15 lbs of boost. No PCV seal, no idle.

Now I have a regular PCV on vacuum, and a complete seal once boost goes positive. I tested it before installing and it will hold 40 lbs of pressure yet is completely free flowing the other direction.

I have no oil in my catch can that is plumbed to the low pressure side of the turbo. I liked the OP method of routing the catch can but there is already so many tubes under the hood I tried to simplify mine.

I will try to post pictures tomorrow.
 
Pictures would be great. I installed a PVC valve from a turbo coupe. It was suggested as a good option as they did seal completely.
 
BrApple said:
Pictures would be great. I installed a PVC valve from a turbo coupe. It was suggested as a good option as they did seal completely.
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I originally tried that route but they would not hold over 10 lbs before they leaked ( at least the 2 I tried ). I used to see oil coming up around where the PCV plugged into the hose for the oil separator, so far it is dry.
 
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Here are the pictures: If you can find a way to route it differently I would take advantage of an existing hose with both check valves exactly as it came off from a donor car. I used a truck but every single vehicle has the same thing and they are all free from a U-Pick it yard.
 

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Interesting...I probably woulda gone this route first had i not completed my setup. The hoses under the hood aren't that overwhelming to me, so i think i'll leave mine as is. I rarely drive the thing anyway. So emptying the can post weekend driving is manageable
 
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