TOPIC: Home-built Breather hose Catch Can

OK, so I built a Breather catch-can for oil and water vapor separation. This would be installed using 5/8"ID heater hose--between PCV/Breather hose Tee junction and the air inlet duct breather hose nipple. This or an Air-Oil Separator(AOS) w/drain bottle as I showed days ago will trap entrained oil and water, removing these from our re-routed PCV/Breather mod.

I scoured Ebay and the Net, there are TONS of fancy Breather catch cans for sale, along w/modded air compressor AOS's. Most are expensive. There is also the Condensator which is over $200.00, plus it's bulky. Condensator is a good product IMHO, I use one on my 74 Dart Sport 225 Slant six.

But none of the fancy Breather catch cans offered a way to route crankcase gases back anywhere, all seem to have some type K&N filter allowing atmospheric venting. I wanted a way to combine a catch can w/routing gases back to air inlet duct or air cleaner. Something durable suitable for underhood use, not using glass jars, coffee cans etc. So here it is:


It's a Swiss-style water bottle. I found 2 at a thrift store $1.00 ea.

Here's a pic of the ingredients:


On top is a Wix valve cover breather for 72-up Chrysler products, P/N 42997
Grommet for the breather is: Dorman #42344 PCV Grommet in the Help! line.
Brass hose barb Watts A-493 5/8in. ID x 1/2in.MIP (for 5/8" hose w/1/2" Pipe
threads).
1/2" copper 90 deg. elbow (goes inside brass hose nipple at 45 deg down angle).

5/8" ID is a common Breather hose I.D. that's the ID for the nipple on the Wix breather. If inlet hose from PCV/Breather tee is diff., use a brass nipple to match.

It's 11" tall figure 12" min. vertical clearance accounting for hose angle on breather outlet.

These aluminum bottles are surprisingly tough, I used a small Harbor Freight diamond cutting disc on arbor in my Dremel to cut top hole for the grommet. A 1-1/2"
O.D. steel washer was used to mark outline for top hole, cut w/diamond disc & deburred w/ rat tail file. The Dorman PCV grommet fits this hole perfectly and its inner groove matched the bottle thickness perfectly.

Next I used Harbor Freight step drill, marked correct shoulder on bit to match Pipe thread size on brass nipple(match up to bottom O.D. of thread grooves). I put a small flat dent in side of bottle, punched a dimple and used step drill. Brass nipple threaded in well, fairly tightly. Thickness of the aluminum bottle side matched thread pitch on brass nipple well.

To aid the separation process I pushed a copper 1/2" 90 deg. elbow into the inner end of brass nipple, it fit tightly. Then I used Sharpie pen on nipple's side to match copper elbow's opening so I could aim the elbow 45 Deg off horizontal installed:


Used regular JB Weld to cement nipple & elbow in place,first removing paint & scuffing bottle w/ small wire wheel in die grinder:






This bottle will hold a LOT of oil& water condensate, and there's a screw-in drain plug built in. The drain plug & gasket are plastic so can't be too close to high heat.
Probably put a radiator hose clamp around it and clamp to some type bracket.

I think the copper elbow will cause initial separation from the 90 deg change in flow path. Aimed 45 deg. down will use gravity, centrifugal force & small amount coriolis effect(drain swirl) plus condensation on interior walls in cold weather.

Then the Wix breather on top has a baffled filter element to boot. And it will swivel in any direction in it's grommet aiding installation of outlet hose.

The gold Breather filter is the top, black drain plug at bottom as installed.

This thing holds vacuum well I can suck on breather nipple w/ finger on brass nipple till my toungue hurts!

Inlet hose from PCV tee goes on brass nipple; outlet hose from Wix breather nipple to breather fitting on engine air inlet duct. Adapt hose fittings & sizes as needed.

I'd like to find smaller version of this aluminum water bottle for a compact version.

So there you go, GadgetmanLand!

TracyG Gadgetman Reno

PS Prices: bottle $1.00 thrift store
Wix #42997 Mopar valve cover Breather filter $5.49 O'Reilly Auto Parts
Dorman/Help! #42344 PCV grommet $3.99 O'Reilly auto Parts
brass 5/8" barb X 1/2"MIP hose nipple Watts#A-493 $3.67 Home Depot
Copper 1/2" 90 degree elbow $1.41 Home Depot
Titanium Nitride coated Step Drill 2-pc. set about $18.00 Harbor Freight
Diamond cutting discs dont remember not that much Harbor Freight

Very inspiring! Thanks for the Pics and thorough explanations. That may be my next mod, after I make my high-temp magnetic oil plug.

The only thing I can think of 'possibly' being an issue would be vacuum. Since by adding extra 'area' into the system, more air will need to fill in, resulting in dropping of vacuum(at least for a period of time). Is that a reasonable theory?

Hey

Nice design, wouldn't it work better by stuffing it with some copper scouring pads ?
Just wondering

Thanks christoph

Hi JV, I wouldn't worry about that. We're dealing w/ crankcase gases, below the rings. Ant those are directed back into the intake stream, merging before the throttle blade. This air and gas mix is after/before the manifold vacuum region. The additional volume capacity from the breather bottle and hoses won't matter here.

Just that that gas mix will be cleaner going back into the engine.

TracyG Gadgetman Reno

Loving it!

I have one question for you, though. Is the "Suck Method" something for veteran Groovers to consider or can the amateur use that for vac testing?

Sounds kinda dangerous!

Well Ron I guess that would depend on what 'yer suckin' on, eh mate? I personally HAVE tasted gasoline and other un-desirables in small quantity...ugh!

And I need not mention the usefulness of this technique for, ahem, other applications...

But I was satisfied with its application in this case:P

You know these aluminum bottles are pretty darn strong, bet they would stand up to a VERY strong vacuum without collapsing....hmmmm.....

TracyG Gadgetman Reno

Thanks, Chris I was wondering 'bout the threads for the cap.

Here is a pic of when I was measuring the groove on the rubber grommet. Above is the small diamond cutting disc from Harbor Freight I used to cut the big hole in the bottom of the bottle, which becomes the new top. And to right top is the 1.5" washer I used to mark outline of the hole for grommet.

That hole w/ a tiny bit of dressing w/ a rattail file was just what that grommet wanted, and the thickness of the alumnum matched the grommet's groove. Grommet and Wix breather fit like it was manufactured.

My idea was for a flow thru bottle that would catch gunk.

I bought those diamond discs years ago, and they go right onto the mandrel that came w/ my Dremel. Only tool I had that would cut this bottle. Works OK just took it slow for a good cut lots of short straight cuts then the rattail file.

Tracyg Gadgetman Reno

Tracy,
I've called because I need to chat with you!

Hopefully, we'll have messaging on the new site...

Ron