Anything wrong with running breathers?...(PCV question)PICS*

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Anything wrong with running breathers?...(PCV question)PICS*

Post by Black94 5.0 » Sat Sep 03, 2005 4:00 pm

Ok guys, I'm undecided right now about what to do with getting rid of the oil in my intake manifold.... :twisted:

My first idea was to run an oil seperator....So, I was planning on installing one of these on my breather line... http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=p ... lpage=none

Then I was going to run that oil seperator on the breather line (off valve cover) with a Ford (EV127-A) PCV valve in conjunction with brake booster check valve...Then I started thinking that I probably need an oil seperator on the PCV line too!...Most "oil catch cans" go inline with the PCV..(I believe)....

After thinking of all the costs of all these parts (on a tight budget), why not just run an open elament (K&N) filter on the valve cover and one on the PCV line??......I know not running a PCV system will contaminate my oil faster, but will I loose hp becuase I'm not creating a vacuum in the crankcase anymore?....

What should I do?...
Last edited by Black94 5.0 on Tue Oct 11, 2005 11:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
*Bilsteins, MC2 250# coil overs front, 600# rear, BAT sway bars, full 3" exh, Gillis valve, K&N, MC2 Diff mount and bushings, 17x7 Team Dynamics Monza's, 225/45-17's, Eaton Posi, RS500 (clone) intercooler/radiator, Forge BOV and LA computer and big VAM...
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Post by Black94 5.0 » Sat Sep 03, 2005 4:43 pm

BTW~I'm not to thrilled about using breathers since they're not C.A. smog legal....And I'm aware that oil in my intake is probably costing more hp than actually not having a PCV system on the car....

Some info on the car: Engine is stock, except for 3" exhuast and gillis boost valve(set to 17psi)

Again, what should I do?...

Thanks Guys....
*Bilsteins, MC2 250# coil overs front, 600# rear, BAT sway bars, full 3" exh, Gillis valve, K&N, MC2 Diff mount and bushings, 17x7 Team Dynamics Monza's, 225/45-17's, Eaton Posi, RS500 (clone) intercooler/radiator, Forge BOV and LA computer and big VAM...
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Post by vcallaway » Sat Sep 03, 2005 8:50 pm

The factory valve cover breather is an oil seperator. When it is clean it will keep oil out of the intake stream.

If you are doing a LOT of high RPM driving under boost you can still blow oil.

Moroso makes a nice breather with oil seperator. You can plumb it so that instead of manually draining it you can plumb it into the turbo oil return line. You will also need to cap the breather element off so that it vents into your intake stream. Doing it that way will keep it CA and track legal.

I've seen several turbo charged cars plumbed this way.

Leave your stock PCV valve in place.
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Post by Black94 5.0 » Sat Sep 03, 2005 11:29 pm

Ok, so you're saying to get an oil seperator on the valve cover breather line and keep the PCV?....

Well, that's what I was originally thinking, but that still leaves the PCV line open for oil to get sucked in...I wanted to know of someone whos actually running it on their car...It looks like I might have to just find out for myself, but I was hoping to get a little more input...

Oil catch cans seem to be really popular among Cossie's, WRX's, SRT's, but for some reason I've just never really heard of the XR4TI's popularly using them....If I don't have to buy a part I'd much rather not...

Do any of you guys run a check valve with your PCV?....Does it make that much of a difference?....

Sorry for the long posts, any help is appreciated...
*Bilsteins, MC2 250# coil overs front, 600# rear, BAT sway bars, full 3" exh, Gillis valve, K&N, MC2 Diff mount and bushings, 17x7 Team Dynamics Monza's, 225/45-17's, Eaton Posi, RS500 (clone) intercooler/radiator, Forge BOV and LA computer and big VAM...
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Post by mangostick » Sun Sep 04, 2005 12:36 am

This is the setup Im runnin right now... instead of the breather you could run a hose into a carbon canister and it should then be leagal in cali..but check anyway :wink: If you want more pics I can send em on. Lemme know.
http://www.cardomain.com/member_pages/s ... 0_full.jpg

http://www.cardomain.com/member_pages/s ... 2_full.jpg
where'd I put that damned hammer?? :-D

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Catch Can

Post by John R. Rowlands » Sun Sep 04, 2005 10:08 am

Black94 5.0,

Run a very simple catch can. Go to the junk yard and get a receiver/drier from a Chevy S10 pickup, take the bracket with it. The receiver/driers are aluminum.

There are two fittings on these receiver/drier. Plumb one of the these to the breather on the valve cover, the other to the EGR hose that come out of the upper intake, leave the PCV valve in the system. Have someone weld a female fitting in the bottom, tap it. Run a hose into your oil pan and your in business.

You don't use a breather on the catch can as you need the system to be pressurized, same as existing system.

There should be no questions from the law as all you have done is re-route your PVC system AND got the scummy oil out of your intake system.

You can also remove the breather element if you tap the hole in the valve cover and put a fitting in there.

Total cost excluding the welding $25.00.

John
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Post by DPDISXR4Ti » Mon Sep 05, 2005 10:35 am

John- I've having trouble following your post. :? You seem to be suggesting that there is a PCV valve on the valve cover breather line, when in fact, there is not. Maybe I'm just interpreting something wrong?

Answering an earlier suggestion in this thread, never put any sort of check valve on this line, as it needs to be able to flow in BOTH directions. Obviously that is not the case with the crankcase ventilation line.
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Re: Catch Can

Post by John R. Rowlands » Mon Sep 05, 2005 11:58 am

John R. Rowlands wrote: Plumb one of the these to the breather on the valve cover, the other to the EGR hose that come out of the upper intake, leave the PCV valve in the system. Have someone weld a female fitting in the bottom, tap it. Run a hose into your oil pan and your in business.

John
My error (Oh Boy)!!!!

Again: Plumb the line from the breather on top of the valve cover to the catch can.
Disconnect the hose from the bottom of the upper intake manifold, thats the one that the PCV valve is in, (not the EGR). Plumb this one to the catch can, leaving the PCV valve in the line. The PCV valve, I believe, must remain in a vertical position or it may not work effectively.

In addition: I also took the S10 receiver/drier apart and took the tubing ETC out. I then shortened it to be more visually exceptable. The fittings, two, on this receiver/dried are huge. What I did was to use a 1/2" pipe tap. Tapped the inside of the fittings and used the appropriate size adapters to make the hose connections. Not hard to tap it's aluminum.

If this doesn't answer your question please let me know!

John
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Post by jbuffethed » Tue Sep 06, 2005 9:08 pm

Is this what the breather is suppose to look like?

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Breather

Post by John R. Rowlands » Tue Sep 06, 2005 9:33 pm

jbuffethed,

Heavens NO, Someone really rigged your car. The breather looks like a tuna fish can with a round top and a tube sticking out of the side. About 3 1/2 inches in diameter.

John
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Post by jbuffethed » Tue Sep 06, 2005 9:41 pm

Thats what I thought, its a freakin PCV isnt it. Can you post a pic of part # of what should be there?
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Post by DPDISXR4Ti » Tue Sep 06, 2005 10:18 pm

Good god man, get that thing out of there! If you can't find the stock canister, no sweat - just plumb some sort of in-line filter on that line. I run a big can with steel wool in it, but it totally replicates the stock routing. You can see it in the pic below - the canister is just forward of the power steering reservoir.

Image
Last edited by DPDISXR4Ti on Tue Sep 06, 2005 10:35 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by jbuffethed » Tue Sep 06, 2005 10:29 pm

are you talkin about that carbon canister that sits below the VAM? That is still there. Could that wrong valve be causing me to spray oil when I am boosting?

Sorry, but I'm not following the pic
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Post by vcallaway » Wed Sep 07, 2005 12:52 am

Under any boost at all the PCV closes. The vapors have to go somewhere.

That thing sticking out of your valve cover is just some generic PCV valve that happen to fit the hole. The stock system uses a device that as someone else described is about the size of a tuna can. It contains a fiberous material that catches the oil and allows it to drip back into the valve cover. This part is no longer available new.

You can probably get one from George Ross, it will be a used one and will need to be cleaned out.

You can reach him at gross98@Hotmail.com
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Post by Black94 5.0 » Wed Sep 07, 2005 1:56 am

Ok guys, well I've decided I'm going to go with the original theory...

I'm just gonna run the PCV with a brake booster check valve and also add the Lowes compressor filter on the breather line and moniter the oil comsumption....Then, atleast with the glass catch tube on the compressor filter it will be alot easier to moniter the oil...

Mangostick~I thought about how you have yours set up, but I'm trying to keep it smog legal...Your set up is basically like having to breathers only you have an additional catch can...Thanks for your pics though!....

John R~Thanks for the idea, but I'd rather buy a purpose made catch can then make one out of a GM part, hehe....I love all makes of cars, but I just don't have the time or patients right now to fabricate an oil separator/catch can....Espeically, when you include the price of gas (about $3.30 for 91oct) to and from the hardware store (5-6 times), welding shop (don't have a welder) as well as to the junkyard, and don't forget the $2.00 junkyard entry fee either...

Jbuffethead~No that's not a breather and is the top port even capped off?....Keep an eye on your IAC harness too...It looks like the plug is broken and will probably come loose and cause an idle problem.....

I'll keep everyone posted on my results...Hopefully I can contain my 200,000 mile engine for a while longer....

Thanks guys


Rob
*Bilsteins, MC2 250# coil overs front, 600# rear, BAT sway bars, full 3" exh, Gillis valve, K&N, MC2 Diff mount and bushings, 17x7 Team Dynamics Monza's, 225/45-17's, Eaton Posi, RS500 (clone) intercooler/radiator, Forge BOV and LA computer and big VAM...
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