I thought I would share my version of an oil catch can. It is made up primarily of two - 2" PVC endcaps glued together. The total cost was about 10.00.

The biggest concern I had with this design was heat so I installed a dummy and put a couple 100 miles on it. There were no signs of "melting" so I made one up and have 200 miles on it so far.

 

I'm not sure if that white PVC can handle the chemical components in motor oil. I was trying to find a definitive answer online...I did find this guide, which is actually pretty useful for plastics in general:

http://www.pep-plastic.com/manufacturers/nibco/m.pdf#search='pvc%20chemical%20resistance'

Notice that PVC is rated only for motor oil up to 140F. That is pretty low considering the catch can has engine fumes blowing by. Notice that CPVC is actually rated a bit higher.

Not sure if this is a risk or not, but I would be concerned that over time the PVC might begin to break down and then the broken down residue could enter the engine.

 

An experiment in progress. I can tell you that I had a dummy in the car for a month and the PVC held up just fine. I then installed a working one as you see. These end caps are pretty thick plus the pipe to connect them together.

time will tell.

 

and has a Home Depot catch can!



Matt

 

He thinks and he's inventive, why wouldn't he wear a Rolex?

Bahamabart, Great idea. A long while ago I shared another one.
I like the idea of using the Mopar breather cap because it has the oil condensing mesh already in it.

http://www.allpar.com/fix/pcv-breather.html

There I fixed it, just playing. It is really easy to be mistaken on intent.
Bahamabart, I appreciate your work

 

I did the eBay can for less than $40, and wear an Omega. Maybe if I'd done what he did, I could afford the Rolex! Without the wink, I'm a *****. With the wink, I'm just teasing for no good reason!

Matt

 

You guys are a hoot! .

Rolex wrist installation guide.

1) order two Submariner 50th aniversery edition from an authorized Rolex dealer. Some dealers make you pay in full upon ordering, others will take a deposit.
2) Rolex sets dealer prices.
3) Sell one on Ebay - they are comanding about TWICE the price.
4) Place second one on wrist for FREE or sell both and all your MODS are free.

I ordered mine and waited almost 1 year to get them.

 

can you explain what parts you used for your sight gauge?

thanks!

-jac

 

2 brass 90 degree fittings
6" piece of what the guy called "refrigarator" tubing.

I found the tubing first and then went to see what brass fitting worked. I believe the tubing is 1/8 inch.

 

sweet..thank you!

 

I can't stress enough that this is an experiment. The concern is the PVC and heat under the hood. At the same time its 10 -12 bucks to "PLAY" so if any of you decide to do a Home depot run please bear this in mind. Please post any adverse effects.

 

I put off doing a catch can based on how many people installed one and said they say no oil. I installed this can about a month ago and was really surprised to see that it has collected about two table spoons already.

Maybe its my car in particular or perhaps the way I built it (i.e. I added an extension tube on the IN pipe, inside the can that runs 3/4 of the way down on the inside and then stuffed the can with copper stuffing top to bottom).

What ever the case may be this sucker is working

 

After having the Can on now for weeks, I wanted to update everyone that the PVC can has begun to change shape because of the heat. While its not "melting" it has changed shape due to the clamp I am using. On a long term basis, I don't think it will hold up and will eventually fail.

What did I learn -

1) PVC is not the way to go.
2) STUFFING the OCC with copper/brass "brillo like pads" noticably helps "catch" the oil.
3) Now that I have seen results on my car, I will be looking for a metal can solution.

All in all - it was a fun project.

 

thank you for the update!!!

 

Yup nice idea bec. the cap can help you fix it. ive done this before and bought a new cap then the spill stopped.