Oil Catch Can, Eliminate that knock!

If you want to make your catch can more efficient (and avoid cans in series), why not increase the residence time?

This can be done by adding a demister style pad (steel wool) inside the can. It will take longer for the vapors to exit, leading to more condensing. Remember, vapors will take the path of least resistance while they have higher energy (once a liquid it takes a lot of energy to vaporize) and if you make it too difficult to leave, they’ll stay.

If you mount the can away from the inverter or ice block, the can will stay ambient which is cool enough to condense the vapors is one place.

You could always test with and without the steel wool and see if there is a difference in amount collected .

Or wait for the results after I install a catch can around Christmas .

 

I was thinking about that. You can see from the video above, the Moroso has a couple of steel wool biscuits, one at the both the intake and outlet (it's reversable, works either direction), and a fair bit of open space below. Put some more stainless steel wool in that extra space might help. OTOH, more hassle to clean, more clog prone?

 

Didn’t watch the video (on vacation with the wife and kids so getting a couple of minutes away is challenging at best).

Could you clean the steel wool? Sure, but Steel wool is cheap enough where you could just remove and replace at a desired frequency .

Could the steel wool clog? Possibly but not likely as:

• You’ll be pulling and inspecting long before it could even potentially plug.
• While you’ll add some mass that will reduce the volume slightly, steel wool is high surface area so it’ll take a lot to plug off the whole mass
• You’re passing vapors and liquids not solids through. The condensate will drip off of the steel wool and collect in the bottom. If it were solids, the chance of plugging would be greater.

Hope that helps.

 

You've sold me; think I'll try some extra steel wool after the spring check, see if it increases the catch, by fall. I'll put it in very loosely, try to rinse it clean with brake cleaner, put the run-off in my waste oil. I'm trying to avoid dumping oily junk into the garbage, and I'm not sure Mr. Lube would accept it as a used oil filter.

 

Or maybe just extend the baffle down: fashion something out tin can material, connect with the existing screws.

 

It's gonna be interesting when somebody's engine inhales a loose fragment of that steel wool!

 

there are no loose fragments/

 

Here are some minor updates 3 Saturdays since the Bay Area meet with OCC installation.

469 miles driven, the catch can collected about 10ml of gasoline, oil, and moisture mixture. Color looks like coffee so for sure water is there. It does smell like gasoline also. Moisture I believe comes from foggy morning cold starts, and about 1.2 miles of local streets in stop and go, red lifts/stop signs traffic before I can get on the freeway.

 

What can is that?

 

Still rollin’ with the can up top I see.

And you were able to install the insert.

 

For those that have installed a catch can and live in a CARB state, have you had any issues passing inspection? Thanks.

 

It would be advantageous in such locales, to use a compact and nondescript can, black hoses, minimum of clamps (they seem like total overkill with the hose barbs) and mount below the intake manifold.

 

Not sure but have a friend who might help as long as there are no engine codes.

 

... on plumbing that operates only below atmospheric pressure? Indubitably!

 

Thanks for the inspiration People! Now its time to put some miles on the car!

 

Any shots of where the hoses are going to?

I know it was mentioned in post #357 but it appears in that picture both connections are made before cutting the hose so I don't understand that once the tube is cut why would it be suggested to reconnect that rubber black elbow?? Makes me think the connection isn't made (hard to tell from the picture) and if not, where does it go?
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By the time I figure this out (since no mechanic seems to want to do this), my Prius will probably be sold! Maybe an option is to wait & see if someone will do a video/write up with good pictures or sell it at 100K, whichever comes first!

 

I just ordered my catch can. The square one with the lid and bottom that comes apart. I plan to mod it.

Many people mod the cheap can with the scotch bright stainless steel pads and a tube that brings the inlet air closer to the bottom of the can. This way the air must travel up toward the oulet where it condensates on the steel pad material on the way out.

my2 cents.

 

@danlatu yes i knew that will be their attitude. Never admit.
There is something i wanted to ask you. Just to get the whole thing understood. The OCC purpose is to eliminate oil and all other stuff from accumulating on the IM . i still dont understand where is the solution for Egr pipe cooler and valve from being clogged again. I think you agree that OCC will not prevent egr passages from being clogged again.