Hello,
I was searching around about information on oil catch cans, as apparently they are a good idea with a turboed car (through this website, and the internet). First off I am under the impression that there is an inlet, outlet, and a drain plug? And you run a tube comming from the crank case breather to the inlet of the catch can, then from outlet of the catch can to the intake nipple right behind the MAF sensor? I was thinking about just making one and was curious about another thing. I heard some people basically just have a empty can with 2 nipples on opposite ends on the top of the can for the inlet/outlet. Then I have heard people doing basically the same thing but they use some sort of a water filter? (I imagine this would be to filter out the oil mist from the air). Is it necissary to have some kind of a filter for the catch can, or just a big empty space for the oil to accumulate would be enough? If a filter is needed what would you guys recommend if I could get it from a place such as Home Depot, Lows, Mkgukens, etc.
Also, will the added restrictions/turbulence effect performance/idling at all? Thanks again for all the help!

Check out the DIY, if you haven't already:

http://www.elantraxd.com/DIY/catch.php

don't use a filter.

the filter will clog up and actually block air flow.

The reason for using an air compressor catch can is because it has a neat little diverter cast into the inlet that makes the air move around the inside of the catch before it goes back to the outlet, this helps to seperate the oil from the air better. :)

so in theory, traces of oil will go back out of the can, but not nearly as much as if it were not installed?

so in theory, traces of oil will go back out of the can, but not nearly as much as if it were not installed?


Exactly.


And remember, getting traces of oil back in the intake is not the worst thing ever... it helps to lubricate moving parts like the TB plate & the upper parts of the intake valves... :)

you just dont want too much? might that be the gunk that builds up on my TB plate?

Apparently it lowers the octane rating of your fuel thats getting burnt as well, and can eventually fill up your intercooler with oil...
I wasn't able to find a "air compressor catch can", this is not the same thing as the DIY link that they used right? Where would you get one of these at?

go to home depot they have husky filters which are the same thing, should be in the power tool section, then go to the aisle with all the air compressor brass tips and find the right pieces and assemble it, i also used blue compressor hose to hook it up cause its cheap and abundant.

O/T- i thought you were supposed to leave the filter in? is it bad if you do? why do you take it out?

I think they have you remove it because it will eventually get clogged, it seems they are just after the shape of it, not necissarily the other components...What I was thinking was fabricating one out of steel (cylinder shape with a top and bottom plate welded in) then wield in basically a divider sheet, but not one that reaches all the way top to bottom, have it only reach half way to the bottom at most from the top. Then on the top of each side of the divider is where the brass fittings will go for the inlet/outlet, and at the bottom somekind of a valve could be installed to drain when necissary. Also on the opposite side of the brass fittings a hole on the top and bottom of the side could be drilled and fitted with a clear tube leading between the two holes which will indicate how full the catch tank is. Also if necissary before the piece is completely seeled you could pack in some steel whool to avoid stuff splashing around...what do you guys think about this?

You can get plenty of real catch cans from places like www.jegs.com. The air-water seperator for compressors is just a cheap alternative. They look a lot nicer if that is part of your concern:

http://www.jegs.com/photos/026acrc.gif

Yeah I have looked at a lot of ones you can buy, they seemed a bit expensive for what they are, and they seem really simple to make thats why I wanted to make one. I am pretty confident I can make it look good/legit as well. I am also planning on making a vacuum line hub out of some spare aluminum I have laying around and putting like 5 or 6 ports on it (was thinking about the maximum number of ports someone would need such as MAP sensor, BOV, boost gauge, boost controller, wastegate, and return line) so wanted to do both projects at the same time.

I got the HKS-S(lol) one from ebay, very nice, kit comes compete for about 40$ shipped. I had to buy a bit of extra tubing though, as I mounted it behind the headlight. Although I will have to move it now in order to fit my IC piping ;)

I'd suggest make your own if you can. That way you can make it a custom fit. Also you want to plumb the catch can inline with the PCV valve. Alpine has you block the Breather port but that's not the best for emissions. My suggestion? Get a super stylin breather filter and put it on the breather port and run a line from the PCV valve to the catch can and then from the catch can to the turbo intake pipe.

how come you have to block the pcv line for the alpine???

I'd suggest make your own if you can. That way you can make it a custom fit. Also you want to plumb the catch can inline with the PCV valve. Alpine has you block the Breather port but that's not the best for emissions. My suggestion? Get a super stylin breather filter and put it on the breather port and run a line from the PCV valve to the catch can and then from the catch can to the turbo intake pipe.

How mine is setup so far, is there was originally a hose comming from the intake manifold going to the valve cover case (which is the pcv valve) I removed this hose and capped off both sides. Since my car has a MAF sensor I believe the breather hose has to be connected behind the MAF sensor on the intake. So I have a hose comming off the breather and connects to a nipple directly behind the MAF sensor on the intake tubing. So this hose I was thinking would be the hose to have the oil catch can be splied into? Do I have my setup not setup correct you think? BTW where would you recommend mounting this thing at? Normally I would mount it with a bracket to the right strut and have it hug the side vertically, but I do have the unichip chilling near that location for the time being, maybe there is room to put it next to it not sure. Thanks again for all the help!

EDIT:
I was thinking about it and had another idea, tell me what you guys think...What if I combined the two into a single device? Like build this so that the vacuum hub and oil catch can are attached together as a single device, then mount it to the bracket that is near where the spark plug wires connect, where the heat shield normally bolts down to. This way instead of having multiple devices scattered around the engine bay, I could just have this that has all of the lines connecting to it, would this be a good idea or not really?

lol apparently not such a good idea? :D

is there a company that sells the brass fittings, only not in brass but aluminum instead (so you can anodize them)?

check those local hardware stores, I bet they would have em in the plumbing sections.

I actually went with a dual filter set-up. (I think I'm the first person on here to do it this way.) I put an air compressor air/water seperator in line with both the line from the valve cover to the intake tube, AND in line between the PCV valve and the intake manifold. (Two seperate runs of hose to two seperate filter assemblies.) I'll get some pics posted up here one of these days. It seemed to me like that would be the best way to do it. As an old friend of mine used to always say, "If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing." :D

I actually went with a dual filter set-up. (I think I'm the first person on here to do it this way.) I put an air compressor air/water seperator in line with both the line from the valve cover to the intake tube, AND in line between the PCV valve and the intake manifold. (Two seperate runs of hose to two seperate filter assemblies.) I'll get some pics posted up here one of these days. It seemed to me like that would be the best way to do it. As an old friend of mine used to always say, "If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing." :D
Glad someone posted this. Only good way to do it.