Save up to 15% with Adrian Flux insurance!

Oil catch can questions...

Currently reading:
Oil catch can questions...

J

JDS82

Member
Joined
May 10, 2022
Messages
52
Points
96
Location
Belgium
So! I'm going to instal an oil catch can. The model I want to instal it to is: fiat punto 3, petrol engine , build 2012 -->.
Now I did a quick peek under the hood, and I'm looking for a good spot to place it. So any ideas and tips where to place the can are welcome. Also, I need some new oil/gasoline hose to connect the pcv to the can, and then connect back to the intake, so what inner diameter do I need for this hose to fit it on the pcv and airbox nipple. Thanks!
 
www.fiatforum.com/threads/catch-can.485171/

The catch can in the breather is to catch excess water vapour. On a turbo engine oil would be the target. If you have oil blowing out of the top of the crank case you have a serious issue that a catch can will not fix. There is a small amount of oil passing up the breather but only trace level. Water in the sealed crankcase system is another matter and we take out 100cc a week in winter leaving the breather clear, the mayo in the manifold eliminated and the mayo under the oil filler at zero too. Both our 1.2 cars produce in my opinion far too much water from the crank case. We had a £650 bill for emissions gear that had failed so a catch can was fitted. On the 319 Panda I fitted the can on the o/s inner wing if you search on here I have posted pictures along with at leat one other members.
 
JDS82 said:
You have a link to the thread? And what you mean with water? Suppose to be oil right?
Click to expand...

I hsd some issues with an ancient Renault

It was a 1400 atmo petrol.. but ran at 70/80 mph for long periods

I made myself a can with fuel hose and a plastic wasing liquid bottle

Didnt catch much oil.. but obviously had an effect.. as oil the oil consumption dropped :)
 
I mostly drive short distances, so I keep an eye on my pcv hose, last time I cleaned it it had sludge in it. I also have to clean the MAP sensor every couple of months because it had little oil on it, wich effects gas mileage negatively. So after some research I decided to instal a catch can. Say, the original pcv hose, is that 15mm inner diameter? Anyone knows this?
 
The Panda Nut said:
www.fiatforum.com/threads/catch-can.485171/

The catch can in the breather is to catch excess water vapour. On a turbo engine oil would be the target. If you have oil blowing out of the top of the crank case you have a serious issue that a catch can will not fix. There is a small amount of oil passing up the breather but only trace level. Water in the sealed crankcase system is another matter and we take out 100cc a week in winter leaving the breather clear, the mayo in the manifold eliminated and the mayo under the oil filler at zero too. Both our 1.2 cars produce in my opinion far too much water from the crank case. We had a £650 bill for emissions gear that had failed so a catch can was fitted. On the 319 Panda I fitted the can on the o/s inner wing if you search on here I have posted pictures along with at leat one other members.
Click to expand...
That little breather on top of the can, doesn't that create a vacuum leak ? I might go for a can without a breather so I have a full closed system.
 
I have now removed the breather / filter supplied but there is no vacuum involved in the breather from the crank case its a positive pressure pushing out of the engine and the filter will not allow that much through. It made no difference one way or the other to the working of the can or the cars running. I think its been consistently better and less prone to playing up since fitted. I cant see any disadvanteges. There is no hint of mayo in either of teh cars and the breathers are clean and the manifold dry. Throttle body stays much cleaner too. My catch cans came with bungs for the unwanted outlets / inlets. Emptying MUST be done weekly or eventually neat water would enter the air box and end up in the manifold which would not be good for the sensors.

I would fit one to the TA but there is simply nowhere under the bonnet for it to fit, and the breather systemis sealed. Also the nature of this highly tuned and complex engine issuch I dont want to mess with it as I dont fully understand its intrcacies. I cant fit air horns either as they wont go either. Believe me, I have tried!
 
I had one on my 2011 Punto Evo. Mine was a diesel though so even less space in the engine to mount it.

Mine was mounted on the outside of the chassis leg (drivers side here in the UK) see picture below. The pipes to it were at least 25mm if not bigger ( forget now but they were pretty large) obviously the smaller the pipe the higher the chances of it clogging up.

It probably gave a little benifit to my diesel as after 170k+ miles, there was a lot of oil mist in the gases from the crank case. The can was about the size of a normal coke can and it had filled up within about 6 months, and bearing in mind this was not my main car so i was quite shocked by how much had accumulated.

If it were just oil in the can then it wouldn't be that much of an issue, but there is a lot of moisture as well so what accumulated in the can is a grey emulsion of oil and water. I didn't notice any change in the running of the car, and it was a pain in the arse to empty it and check it, so had I kept the car I would have probably just removed it again.

The only catch cans that are probably worth it are the fancy ones that separate the oil out and then funnel it back into the sump.
 

Attachments

  • catchcan.JPG
    catchcan.JPG
    95 KB · Views: 50
So! Its installed! I used 16mm inner diameter hoses and they fit perfect. But I wanted to clean my pcv valve since I'm working on the engine, and I came across something strange, there is no valve!?its open on the inside.Or is it supposed te be like this on puntos 3 1.2 gasoline engines? ( check the fotos)
20230311_144216.jpg
20230311_141316.jpg
 

Attachments

  • 20230311_141311.jpg
    20230311_141311.jpg
    1.6 MB · Views: 46
There should be some baffles or sometimes a mesh or wire wool inside the catch can or lid, the idea being the vapours condense on the mesh and then he oil drips down into the can while the air carries on back into the air box
 
AndyRKett said:
There should be some baffles or sometimes a mesh or wire wool inside the catch can or lid, the idea being the vapours condense on the mesh and then he oil drips down into the can while the air carries on back into the air box
Click to expand...
Yes, i know, there is a baffle inside and steel mesh to catch the oil vapors ;)
 
JDS82 said:
there is no valve!?its open on the inside.Or is it supposed te be like this on puntos 3 1.2 gasoline engines? ( check the fotos)
Click to expand...
See my previous comment, I’m not sure what you were expecting, why would there be a valve in there. As I previously said the only thing that should be in there is something for the oil to condense on but there is no valve
 
AndyRKett said:
See my previous comment, I’m not sure what you were expecting, why would there be a valve in there. As I previously said the only thing that should be in there is something for the oil to condense on but there is no valve
Click to expand...
Yea a valve, PCV that opens when the pressure is high. But on my fotos it's not a valve it just a threaded open metal tube that was connected straight on the intake with a hose. I read somewhere that there are cars that don't use pcv valve but open breather pipe like mine in the picture. I never seen this before, most cars we worked on have pcv valves with little spring/ ball inside that open when it's under presure front the crankcase. So I wonder, since we all are fiat drivers, if anyone seen this on a fiat. Anyway. Been couple of days since the can is on, TB cleaned, and I can say that the engine is going smoother, it also accelerates faster under 3000 rpm. I know how my car feels, and it runs better. Might be the catch can, or might be all the factors combined ( catch can, cleaned TB, cold air feed, cleaned MAP sensor etc.) . Hey at least I wil keep most of the junk out of my engine now 👍
 
JDS82 said:
Yea a valve, PCV that opens when the pressure is high. But on my fotos it's not a valve it just a threaded open metal tube that was connected straight on the intake with a hose. I read somewhere that there are cars that don't use pcv valve but open breather pipe like mine in the picture. I never seen this before, most cars we worked on have pcv valves with little spring/ ball inside that open when it's under presure front the crankcase. So I wonder, since we all are fiat drivers, if anyone seen this on a fiat. Anyway. Been couple of days since the can is on, TB cleaned, and I can say that the engine is going smoother, it also accelerates faster under 3000 rpm. I know how my car feels, and it runs better. Might be the catch can, or might be all the factors combined ( catch can, cleaned TB, cold air feed, cleaned MAP sensor etc.) . Hey at least I wil keep most of the junk out of my engine now 👍
Click to expand...
None turbo cars don't usually need a valve I. The system then tend to have a basic breather pipe
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

J4MALD1N
Incorrect but 'correct' Oil Filter
Replies
1
Views
468
chris3234
C
The Panda Nut
TA dip stick for engine oil.
Replies
1
Views
487
porta
porta
D
Fiat multi jet engines Oil light is flashing at start-up for 30 seconds
Replies
0
Views
429
Donegood
D
johncard007
Oil level warning query.
2
Replies
23
Views
1K
s130
s130
Pugglt Auld Jock
Looking for high quality oils at good prices?
2
Replies
25
Views
983
Mike1alike
Mike1alike
Back
Top