1. Not sure. I have the Micro Style which is a cylinder 2 inches in diameter and 4.5 inches tall. Not all of that area is available for "storage".

2. Didn't measure it, but I would guess around 3/4 of an inch at the bottom of one and about 1/2 inch at the bottom of the other.

3. Like a baby on the street, like an old fat guy on the track (only twice) ... car is not a DD so does not get driven every day.

4. Great idea to recirculate, I think. In looking at the stuff collected in my cans I don't think I am very interested in shooting it back into the block. Condensation makes it a little "watery" in texture and appearance. I'll just dump it out and be thankful I am keeping that out of my engine. :tup::tup:

Don't recirculate the catch can fluids back to the oil pan, it's a bad idea. It's not just oil trapped in them, it's also blowby gas and other vaporized crankcase gasses, which means it's got a high amount of both raw fuel and combustion byproducts (carbon, etc) blended into it. Just smell it once when you're dumping the cans and you'll smell the fuel in it (and as noted above, it picks up a bit of water vapor too).

(Also: you'd be creating a vacuum leak and/or another PCV flow path if you hooked up open drains back to the oilpan, too).

Indeed ... the whole point of doing them to start with was to keep all that stuff out of the motor. Seems a bit defeative to collect them just to put them back in. It is really not that hard to empty them, and only takes a few minutes.

So I'm a noob at this sort of thing, but if this can is catching all of this oil, where was it going in the first place? Seems like just wasting alot of oil. It didnt recirculate back into the engine?

Without a catch can, it does recirculate back into the engine. But it goes in through your intake and gets burned as part of combustion. Either way you lose the volume in the oil pan (which shouldn't be much, a few oz's every few thousand miles or whatever).

Oh ok, that makes sense. But does that mean that combustion will not happen as intended with the cans installed? Sorry, just tryin to get a feel for this

The blow by is created after (and by) combustion ... so no impact on combustion whatsoever.

It means your combustion (and whole upper end, really) will be slightly cleaner, because you're not tossing oily vapors back into the intake to be re-burned. Improves octane by 0.00001% or something probably, too.

In a nutshell:

(1) Why is the crankcase ventilated? If the crankcase wasn't ventilated, you'd get oil leaks at the engine seals due to pressure buildup.

(2) Why didn't Nissan just design it to ventilate to open air instead of recycling it into the intake? Emissions reasons, the EPA doesn't like you ventilating oily vapors.

(3) Why doesn't Nissan install a catch can from the factory, thus meeting EPA *and* not putting dirty oil vapors into the intake? Because you usually have to empty a catch can even more often than you change oil, and if you let it go too long and fill up, the liquid oil will get sucked into your intake via vacuum while the car's running, and that's *really* bad. Most people have a hard time even changing their oil on time, there's no way a consumer car can have catch cans from the factory. They'll just fill up and dump into the engine anyways, possibly catastrophically. Keep in mind cornering/braking/accel G-forces will make the fluid in the can crawl up the walls. You have to keep the level low enough to not walk up to the vacuum line and get sucked in as liquid. Good can design can help with those problems.

alright that really clears alot up. thanks guys

I'm currently looking to do this mod in my car....what are some companies you guys might recommend?

As far as this thread goes, I like this dual can design.....Good job SIXPAX:tiphat:

Saikou Michi

... link is at the beginning.

What happened to all the pretty pictures? :eek:

All I see are broken links....

oil catch cans
 

Any idea of the pressure level in the PVC lines before/after the dual oil catch can?

Must have been temporary, I see them all.

I'm not a scientist, but I would guess no change. Lines are longer after, but I figure the pressure is all the same.

Can you just run the lines to a point under the car and just let the overflow oil and vapors drip/flow out? I don't give a **** if the EPA doesn't like it. Would be simpler than the cans.

You would get a CEL and a crappy idle if you ran it open like that.

I don't think it would give a CEL really. You'd block off the PCV lines on the intake and vacuum sides (so no vacuum or intake path peaks for CELs), and run the lines from the valve covers to open air (probably with a simple filter). People do it on older V8's all the time (you see those tiny air filters they mount on the valve cover, that's their "PCV" straight to air). It would serve the basic purpose of not letting excess pressure build in the crankcase, and it would filter any air that was drawn inwards under conditions where the crankcase pressure goes negative. There are probably some subtle points being missed though (if nothing else, it might still be nice to have a pair of them with opposing one-ways so that you get some fresh-air exchange). I wouldn't recommend it just for all the subtle unknowns.

(Here's a discussion about doing such a thing on an LS1, you can see some of the smaller points being debated there: Can you replace the PCV valve and line with 2 breather filters? - LS1TECH )

Indeed, these are the little filters you see at the auto parts stores, called crankcase filters.

Also, I use a catch can on our 6.1L Hemi and it catches a hole lot of blow-back oil/sludge. It is a very nice quality piece that is very easy to empty as the bottom section unscrews. made by Billet Technology... I was thinking of getting these for my 370z, but getting 2 seemed expensive.

By the way, a note for California cars... both these crankcase filters and catch-cans do NOT pass SMOG (visual insp.). :(

http://billettechnology.com/wp-conte...stalled017.jpg

Good write up.

Had to bump this old thread because other cars have a few vents on the motor. Normally blow by comes from the crank vent which leads to the PCV valve since most the pressure comes from there and the PCV needs to open and close depending on the throttle %. But there are vents on the valve covers too. I'm not familiar with this motor yet but it looks like you caught the valve vents. Where is the crank vent with the PCV?



That's why you need a AOS. A air oil separator needs to be installed and then routed back to the block. On subis Crawfords AOS does this. Whatever pukes out the 2 valve vents or crank vent, goes into the AOS, is separated, and then drains back to the crank vent via a TEE or Y connector. This way in a race like around VIR the motor won't be down on oil.



I've done it on a subi. A few hard turns made me stop it since the motors sit sideways and the valve vents puked oil everywhere. :tup:


No you wouldn't, not as long as the intake manifold return ports are capped off. The vents are not metered air.


Youre correct. Only thing I'm not sure of though is when the lines are hooked up to the mani, its providing a sucking action so it pulls the blow by out of the block and valve covers. By letting the air just come out as pressure builds might effect the motor since its not getting "helped" out. I did run the vents to atmos before on a subi with no issues but you never know long term I guess.

That's why a AOS routed back to the mani is king!! Oil gets caught and sent back where it should be, clean air gets separated and put into the mani for no loss or power or sludge build up and you don't smell oil blow by fumes that venting to atmos will produce, and the intake still provides a vacuum on the block and valve covers to keep everything working like OEM.

The only thing I don't like about the AOS idea is that it's not only oil vapor in that catch can. If you smell what builds up in there, there's a fair amount of condensed fuel and exhaust stuff as well from combustion blow-by. I mean, I guess that stuff's in the crankcase normally anyways, but it's usually in there in vapor form temporarily. You'd be dumping it back into your oil pan in liquid form, and it doesn't smell or feel like good oil should. I guess if you're just doing events and changing your oil before/after it wouldn't be enough to matter, but at the other end of spectrum I wouldn't want to do that on an extended-interval street car.

Ok. so this is were I get confused. My 2012 is a daily driver (120 miles a day). I drive in all kinds of conditions; sit/go traffic, fast highway speeds, and back and forth between the two daily. Now I've got about 18k miles on my ride and have seen almost no oil consumption issue from day one. So either:
1) Im lucky
2) the 2012s have fewer issues
3) I'm thinking that you drive you car pretty hard to have the much blow-by
4) am I missing something here....?

Also, Love the setup. Just some advice if it matters. The SS hoses seem to be sitting on top of your intakes? Over time they will grind the steel down if you don't have something between them...lesson learned from my last set up.

You're right, its in there anyways. Same with condensation that condenses in the can. Every metal part will sweat. It's only in the hoses and in the AOS though for a second. It pukes out and drains right back in. There's no time for anything bad to happen. I ran this setup for 52,000 miles and my oil analysis's were perfect. I used Redline 5w30 at about 3000-3500 miles and they always told be try to go longer but stubborn me wanted to also keep it around 3k OCI.

How did you break the motor in? Or did you not and it was a test drive car a few others drove first? How often do you change your oil? How do you know you didn't lose any? Do you measure before and after a oil change? Every car will have blow by, just depends how much so you will lose some oil over a period of time.

Power and consumption are directly related to break in...Break In Secrets--How To Break In New Motorcycle and Car Engines For More Power. If you're doing good on oil than I bet the motor was done right. Hell maybe nissan broke it in right on the assembly line testing the motor to full power. I know one of the Japanese bikes (Suzuki?) does this!!

Great point ... and one I recently discovered emptying the cans. Rubbed a swath of paint off the intake tubes so going to remedy that.

Did anybody tried to install oil catch can with GTM turbo kit?
I heard that NA oil catch can setup is different than turbo cars, if that is true then what oil catch can we should get?

I don't think the can would be different. Pressuring the manifold now under boost might change the layout with the PCV valve but nothing major. Search for setups here, I know I found a lot before I finally found this one for a NA.

Found this old thread when installing my catch can in my SRT Jeep. It is definitely worth it on that car, but still unsure about the Z. Especially the price of two!

any idea on part number of catch can.... i want to buy this exact setup

S1 350Z OCC Page

Contact them and they will make you the same set up. there new cans are updated.

emailed them, thanks

ordered, will be here in 6 weeks

Subbed.

Any other good catch can alternatives? These look great but just wondering...

Husky 3/8 in. NPT Air Line Filter-24313HOM - The Home Depot

Seems like a lot of people actually use those. No personal experience....

Look at what ford is using for catch can! - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums - Camaro5.com

I had this on my Corvette:
Oil Catch Cans | Online Auto Parts Store | Aftermarket Auto Parts Distributors - Elite Engineering

This on my Hellcat:
https://www.custombilletstore.net/He...an_p/20707.htm

Both are super high quality...but this Saikou Michi you guys use look nice and they are lower cost too... still over 250 bucks for two...
Gotta be a high quality alternative for two at under 200? Not into the home depot version either did that with my Dodge SRT4 ...:icon17:

Also the catch can mounting areas ...I have the R2c and no way to put a catch can in those two areas...anyone mount them elsewhere?

Here is my install - test fitting everything
 

I have some clamps on order - but this is my initial test fit. I think it turned out great.

The guys at Saikou Michi are AMAZING to work with. I felt like I was their only customer. Quick friendly reply's to emails and questions I had, and so very helpful.

They custom painted them for me to try to match my theme too. This color is "true blue". Its a tad lighter than my CAI, but close enough for me to be happy with it.

http://www.the370z.com/members/jsutt...everything.jpg

http://www.the370z.com/members/jsutt...everything.jpg

http://www.the370z.com/members/jsutt...everything.jpg