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Oil Condenser


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#1 Northernpower

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Posted 07 September 2017 - 10:45 AM

When I came back after a rather quick run I checked the top of the rocker cover. As always there was a slight oil mist where the fumes have come out of the filler cap breather. It's not a problem but I've decided to see if there's a different way of stopping this so with that in mind I'm going to build an oil condenser to take the fumes from the timing chain cover, the rocker cover and the transfer case.

 

My idea is I'll connect up the rocker cover (through a new outlet) and the timing chain cover breather to the top of the condenser and connect the bottom of the condenser to the transfer case breather. The idea behind the transfer case one is to enable the bottom breather to also act as a drain back into the engine. I'm not worried about water condensing in the breather and running back into the engine for two reasons, the first is I change the oil regularly and the second is I'm going to mount it to the side of the clutch master cylinder so the heat from the exhaust manifold will reduce any vaporisation in the condenser.

 

I've had this in mind for some time so in May I bought a condenser at Stoneleigh Kit Car Show.

 

lDXRK2Y.jpg

 

I've now bought a couple of fittings, they are a gas fitting elbow with a 1/4 BSP thread and a 12mm barb along with a straight connector again 1/4 BSP and 12mm tail.

 

WCs9FiA.jpg

 

The idea is to manufacture a bracket to hold the Condenser and bolt it to the servo mount. I'm going to make it out of 3mm alloy.

 

Marking out the alloy

 

h9zoX4z.jpg

 

lastly for now the brackets cut out bent and painted.

 

ofN4X4z.jpg

 

The next job is to remove the level tube from the condenser and screw some bolts in to seal off the holes and then remove the bung from the bottom of it and tap it with a 1/4 BSP tapered thread to accept the elbow. After that I'll drill and tap the rocker cover to fit the straight connector.



#2 r3k1355

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Posted 07 September 2017 - 10:52 AM

Is the catch can baffled/filled?? 

Alot aren't, and are basically useless because of it as thats what helps the oil drop out of suspension and collect in the can.

 

Also when the can has an open breather filter you need to be careful when introducing it into some breather systems as they may draw un-metered air into the engine.



#3 nicklouse

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Posted 07 September 2017 - 10:53 AM

just fit a non vented cap?



#4 Northernpower

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Posted 07 September 2017 - 10:56 AM

Is the catch can baffled/filled?? 

Alot aren't, and are basically useless because of it as thats what helps the oil drop out of suspension and collect in the can.

 

Also when the can has an open breather filter you need to be careful when introducing it into some breather systems as they may draw un-metered air into the engine.

My intention is to fill the condenser with stainless wire wool to enable it condense on that. The breather will be no different to what I have at the moment on the timing chain and the transfer case.



#5 Northernpower

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Posted 07 September 2017 - 10:58 AM

just fit a non vented cap?

I've also thought about that but I have a little time on my hands at the monent recovering from some surgery and I like a little project. :-)



#6 nicklouse

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Posted 07 September 2017 - 11:56 AM

now I have had a look at the pics.

 

you will just have two points misting. that will not stop the "issue" of oil on the cover

 

so you want to heat oil vapour and water vapour ....... so nothing will actually condense and just head out of the "filter"

 

the condensers on the existing breathers are designed to work and they do. change in cross section to change the pressure and some "fiber" for the oil to collect on.

 

 

where do your current hoses go?



#7 Northernpower

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Posted 07 September 2017 - 01:27 PM

now I have had a look at the pics.

 

you will just have two points misting. that will not stop the "issue" of oil on the cover

 

so you want to heat oil vapour and water vapour ....... so nothing will actually condense and just head out of the "filter"

 

the condensers on the existing breathers are designed to work and they do. change in cross section to change the pressure and some "fiber" for the oil to collect on.

 

 

where do your current hoses go?

The hose from the timing cover goes through its condenser to a filter, this hose I plan to run into the top of the new condenser.

 

The transfer hose is straight off the casing using a DSN fitting through a pipe to a filter without a condenser; this is because there isn't sufficient room to fit an original condenser in between the extended side of the 7 port head and the servo.

 

I've now sealed the oil filler cap but I did notice before I did there was some slight pressure coming through the vent in the top of it. Having had trouble in the past with the rocker gasket leaking I've now fitted a silicone one and have had no trouble. I didn't want pressure building up in the rocker cover and the gasket leaking again hence putting a separate vent pipe on the cover to the other inlet on the new condenser.

 

Are you thinking the oil won't condense in the location I'm planning to fit it?



#8 nicklouse

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Posted 07 September 2017 - 02:13 PM

yes. heat will stop it. (don't know exact location though).

 

have you thought about a breather in Rocker cover to the tank so it can still breath but not through the cap.



#9 Northernpower

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Posted 07 September 2017 - 02:23 PM

have you thought about a breather in Rocker cover to the tank so it can still breath but not through the cap.

Great minds think alike, I can't have explained it correctly but if you get time to re read the posts you'll see that's what I am doing. I plan to fit it above the left hand rocker post (so it doesn't interfere with the rockers) and feed it into the top of the tank.



#10 imack

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Posted 07 September 2017 - 07:34 PM

I'm interested to see what you do here, I've recently been thinking about adding another breather to my 1380 as I get a small amount of oil out of my filler cap after a hard drive, although it's not out of the vent hole, it's either the seal or it's oil getting inside the cap via the inner vent hole and then coming out between in inner and outer cap sections.
I currently have 2 breathers open to atmosphere, one on the timing cover with condenser/oil separator with small k&n filter and the early austin 1300 open type breather/oil separator on the transfer case.
I don't want to fit a catch tank as I don't want additional pipe work under the bonnet.
I'm considering tapping the back of the rocker cover and making a small open to atmosphere separator/breather on the lathe and filling it with the steel wool/gauze from an oil filler cap the try a get a bit more crankcase ventilation

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#11 Dusky

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Posted 07 September 2017 - 07:43 PM

Easiest fix would be to connect the breathers to the carb/manifold.
Or if you Worry about 1/4bhp make An evacusump system.Thats what they run on nearly all race Mustangs i know,and it works. Vizard has it in his book too

I hate those small breather filters with a Passion.

#12 Northernpower

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Posted 07 September 2017 - 09:27 PM

I'm interested to see what you do here, I've recently been thinking about adding another breather to my 1380 as I get a small amount of oil out of my filler cap after a hard drive, although it's not out of the vent hole, it's either the seal or it's oil getting inside the cap via the inner vent hole and then coming out between in inner and outer cap sections.
I currently have 2 breathers open to atmosphere, one on the timing cover with condenser/oil separator with small k&n filter and the early austin 1300 open type breather/oil separator on the transfer case.
I don't want to fit a catch tank as I don't want additional pipe work under the bonnet.
I'm considering tapping the back of the rocker cover and making a small open to atmosphere separator/breather on the lathe and filling it with the steel wool/gauze from an oil filler cap the try a get a bit more crankcase ventilation

I've done some more on it tonight I'll post the pictures when I get a minute.

#13 Northernpower

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Posted 07 September 2017 - 09:30 PM

Easiest fix would be to connect the breathers to the carb/manifold.
Or if you Worry about 1/4bhp make An evacusump system.Thats what they run on nearly all race Mustangs i know,and it works. Vizard has it in his book too

I hate those small breather filters with a Passion.

I'm thinking of connecting it to the air filter but I don't know what effect if any it will have on emissions and performance.

#14 Northernpower

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Posted 08 September 2017 - 08:41 AM

So, I did a little more last night, the first thing was to mark out the position on the rocker cover to drill and tap the hole for the new outlet. I wanted it to be in line with the rocker post so it did'nt foul the high lift rockers.

hoGTCyt.jpg

 

Having drilled and tapped the hole I noticed when screwed into the rocker cover the new outlet would be long enough to screw a thin locking nut on so I got a bit anal at this point and found a length of hex bar ,but not having a lathe I had to cut a very slim piece off it with a hacksaw, then file it flat and then drill and tap it to make a lock nut.

smbv3aV.jpg

 

The new outlet has a sealing ring on it but I decided to seal it with some grey RTV as well. I think it's come out well.

MFSqlg4.jpg

 

Next I turned my attention into turning the catch tank into the new condenser. I removed the level tube and fittings and drilled and tapped the holes for some stainless bolts and again using the grey RTV sealed the holes up. Next I removed the drain plug from the bottom and drilled and taper tapped it to accept the 1/4 BSP elbow but I wasn't convinced this would give a full seal, so I fully tapped it and fitted the elbow used a 5 minute cure epoxy sealer.

W4iFj7c.jpg

 

Lastly I trial fitted the condenser to the brackets.

9bEqyN2.jpg



#15 Northernpower

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Posted 11 September 2017 - 08:44 PM

Some more progress, before filling up the catch tank with the wire wool I trial fitted the condenser to the bracket and connected up the hoses.

 

tz09h8B.jpg

 

The blindingly obvious problem is the hose from the rocker cover is going straight into the top of the condenser therefore the oil mist from it won't condense. I needed to change the route of the rocker cover oil hose. I removed the bolt I'd RTV'd into the bottom level tube fitting and drilled and tapped it to take another 1/4 BSP 12mm tail elbow. I then filled up the tank with the stainless wire wool to turn it from a catch tank to a condenser and then washed out any excess wire wool fragments.

 

AKFsrE3.jpg

 

I made a cover plate for the wire wool access hole and RTV'd it into place. I also fitted the elbow.

 

nDx6fK0.jpg

 

Hopefully it'll all go together tomorrow night without any leaks.






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