I was reading that you could place a fuel filter on the tube that runs from your valvecover to your intake and filter out a little bit of oil instead of using a catch can, so I thought about trying it. Well I put one on my LS and my R about the same time to see how well this would work. I also got my buddy Anthony(ITRacer121) to try it on his EK to see what the results would be.

My LS started to collect a little bit of oil the first week, then I started to beat on it and it ended up looking like Anthony's after a few days of hard driving.


I put the filter on the R and ragg the **** out of it a lot more than the LS expecting it to fill up pretty quick. To my suprise, after a few months it still looks like this.....


I know I shouldn't want it to fill up too fast, but shouldn't there be some oil after a few months of hard driving???

 

I've tried that before

try the one underneath the fuel rail (there is a small pipe connected to the intake manifold)

put the fuel filter there and see for urself
u will be getting oil in a day !!!!!

 

FWIW: Actually you shouldn't be getting oil in the filter in that set up. Air should be going from the intake to the valve cover. Not the other way around. The OEM intake system is cleverly designed to accomplish that.

Some after-market air intakes screw it up and orient the pick-up tube in such a way that it creates a vacuum sucking oil from the valve cover and allow it to go into the intake manifold. This effectively lowers the octane rating of your air/fuel mixture resulting in possible detonation.

John

 

All the more reason to keep my stock intake arm.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by boszyen &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">try the one underneath the fuel rail (there is a small pipe connected to the intake manifold)</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yup thats the PCV (Positive Crankcase Ventalation).

I have my catchcan setup throug the PCV.



And after one 45 minute track session:



To think I actually had all that oil going back into my combustion chamber...yuk! Although from what I understand, this only happens at very very high RPM deccell....as in 7500-9000rpms and using your compression to slow you down...thats when all the positive pressure is created in the crankcase.

 

I'm young and trying to learn, this idea is totally new to me. If you were to do something like this, what maintenance should you undertake?? Like would I need to empty this line out weekly, monthly, etc. And how? Sorry for being a noob but you gotta start somewhere, thanks in advance

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Racebrewer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Air should be going from the intake to the valve cover.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

its other way around.. if you ever happend to have that hose disconnected, you should see for yourself.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Bryce &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I'm young and trying to learn, this idea is totally new to me. If you were to do something like this, what maintenance should you undertake?? Like would I need to empty this line out weekly, monthly, etc. And how? Sorry for being a noob but you gotta start somewhere, thanks in advance</TD></TR></TABLE>

Well first of all, do you need to have a catchcan? I get NO oil whatsoever during daily driving, or even spirited driving. ONLY time I ever get oil in my catchcan is on the track. If you catch oil in a catchcan during daily driving there is something wrong with your motor. I dont even think dragracing would require one, you're not in the higher RPM's long enough for there to be a buildup of pressure...

Anyways. Maintenance wise, you wouldnt need to check it unless you're at the track, as mentioned above, you do not collect oil during daily driving. Same thing with the line. But if you collect oil in the line from the valvecover to the intake tube, you'll have 10x as much oil coming through your PCV...

 

Thanks man. Nothings wrong with mine, but I was just aiming more for that "ounce of prevention" side of things

 

I know the general concept of how the catch can is suppose to be connected to the PCV valve and what it's there for.

MY QUESTION: Why doesn't my filter look like his?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ITR 98 1162 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

MY QUESTION: Why doesn't my filter look like his?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Answer: Because your motor is in better shape than his. There should be a very minimal amount of accumulations on the filter even during spirited driving. His looks like an indication of bad valveseats perhaps. Most of the oil that shoots up through the valve cover like that is commonly due to bad valve seats or just an overwhelming amout of pressure that the PCV cant take all of...I dont think "blowby" is the cause...because blowby comes out of the intake/exhaust ports, and thats about it. So unless he burns a ton of oil, I dont see it being his rings.

Hopefully its nothing serious

 

Thank you for finally answering the question.

 

where did you get that filter from? Do any of you know if the aem cai causes the vaccuum and the reverse flow of air and oil?

 

It's a Fram fuel filter you can get at Auto Zone for like $3.00. I have no idea about this vaccum you're talking about.

 

ON my ITR since I am running 12.58:1 compression and shift at 9500rpm, I am running a oil catch can and a filter as you are.. I have yet to see oil in either of them, but also haven't really gotten on the car for a long period of time at high RPM.. I mean I bought my ITR from LIP soo, I know little about the car, but am learning quickly... Good Luck
Kevin