Oil from valve covers ea81

Tweety · Post by **Tweety** » Mon Nov 19, 2012 6:51 pm

most of you know I'm runing the ea81 minus anti pollution stuff (legal on trikes). I plumbed the valve cover top breather tubes thus:

dizzy side. simply a mini air filter on a 120mm heater hose.

Alt side. this has a heater hose to a mini filter (on T peice) then onto the PCV valve then into the manifold from carbie to supercharger.

Since the conversion from VW I've always had some oil splatter onto the exhaust dizzy side. Only last week did I realise it is coming from the mini filter. So I placed a one way valve into the short heater hose and no more oil came from it. eg the air can only get sucked in.

Last few days noticed now that oil comes out of the other side Alt side mini filter. tonight I took off that filter altogether. But am worried oil will be sucked into the engine from this hose. Two days driving and there was a film of oil over that side of the engine...mostly from moist oil vapour I suspect- not huge amounts. oil level hasnt changed for example.

Questions: how much oil emanating from the engine is acceptable? The PCV valve works eg it rattle in you hand. but am going to renew it anyway tomorrow. whats your thoughts?

Tweety · Post by **Tweety** » Wed Nov 21, 2012 6:40 am

Purchased a new PCV. did away with the mini filter ALT side of the engine, so the pipe goes to the manifold direct with the inline valve. hope that fixes things. I read up whereby the PCV have a mesh inside them. this helps to stop oil passing. this might fix things.

Tweety · Post by **Tweety** » Thu Nov 22, 2012 7:20 am

have read up a lot on the set up without anti pollution gear on an ea81. It is correct that the ea81 needs a circulation system eg filtered air into the number one cylinder side of the engine via valve cover. the one way valve idea I have is fine too but prior to placing the valve in there I was getting oil mist emanating from the mini filter. This means one thing- that the pressure inside the engine as it builds particularly at higher revs on freeways was too great. The pcv on the other side valve cover wasnt, for whatrever reason,sufficient.

Further reading found that ultralight guys have a 'T' fitting between the other valve cover and the pcv with a small tube coming out of it to a mini filter. this limits the sucking amount the pcv does so it wont suck engine oil up to it. on ultimate subaru some guys recommend a oil catching canister/box that this small tube can go in so any oil finding its way up to the pcv can be captured. one guy had a problem in that pressure inside the engine was so great oil came up along the dipstick and out from there.

any other ideas to stop oil from going through the pcv?

Tweety · Post by **Tweety** » Thu Nov 22, 2012 8:00 pm

The almost universal way of stopping oil from being sucked up through the pcv is the "catch can".

http://mikenorrismotorsports.com/Billet ... _Cans.html

Thats a commercial one. this is a youtube example

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsOeO_Wr42A

Concept is easy and straight forward. I'm also wondering if boost has an effect on crankcase pressure. Pcv's are suppose to allow just enough crank pressure back through the engine eg a measured amount. But taking off all the anti pollution stuff and under boost sometimes...this could alter things.

So I'm thinking of making a catch can. I'd prefer a non serviceable unit. eg some catch cans have a petcock at the bottom to drain the oil. wonder if there is a easy way of letting it drain naturally back to the sump/crankcase???

so many questions...so few erections...

Tweety · Post by **Tweety** » Thu Nov 22, 2012 10:06 pm

Not getting responses but will plug away.

Boost can increase pressure in the crankcase apparently. Could explain the oil coming up the Alt side valve cover exit.

I've decided to install a home made catch can as the phrase is. Found a good temp plastic container 130mm diameter (ex vitamin C container). The plan is to instal it. One 5/8th hose from the valve cover to the lid. Inside the container lid will have a mini air filter under the cover that will lead to a 1/2 inch barb on the outside that will lead to the pcv on the carbie manifold. should stop oil passing to the SC and into the engine and collect sludgy oil deposits.

There are youtube vids on this. one guy captured about 2 oz of oil after 1600 kms on a 5 year old SS Camaro. suck oil in my case was blowing/misting out of the mini air filters prior to the pcv and on the dizzy side mini filter also. that side now has the one way valve and is clean as a whistle as no oil can escape there.

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Thu Nov 22, 2012 10:21 pm

Tweety wrote:Boost can increase pressure in the crankcase apparently. Could explain the oil coming up the Alt side valve cover exit.

Yes it certainly can! Blow by is natural and gets worse with wear. A new engine or a freshly rebuilt one will have little to no blow by. A worn engine will have at least some - add the SC to it and you've got more again which could also lead to more wear - but I wouldn't worry about this unless you're leaving a smoke plume behind you, that's when you're in trouble!

A catch can on both heads could do the trick - set them up so they self drain back into the engine for easy "maintenance" free use.

Other than that I don't think there's really much I can say about it since you're now blown and not running the stock system.

Cheers

Bennie

Tweety · Post by **Tweety** » Fri Nov 23, 2012 9:45 pm

Thanks Bennie.

You confirmed my thoughts. To run it back into the sump though...dont know a way to do that efficiently.

Today I purchased $70 with of fittings. I'm showing the catch can system with a plastic container about the right side could be deeper.

Here is the set up with the bottom of the container unscrewed.

Misty oily air arrives in the right hand entry to the bottom of the container. Air has to escape through the washable mini air filter up through he left hand exit to a smaller hose 1/2" 3/8th maybe to the PCV.

Question: where can I obtain a steel alloy container with a screw cap this large?

Tweety · Post by **Tweety** » Sat Nov 24, 2012 7:53 am

Damn!!! $54 on ebay. some even less but not as good looking.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/UNIVERSAL-OI ... 1c140b8205

Post by **TOONGA** » Sat Nov 24, 2012 8:42 am

Yeah I wasn't going to post any from ebay since you had already spent 70 dollars

TOONGA

Tweety · Post by **Tweety** » Sat Nov 24, 2012 9:45 am

Thanks Toonga.

suppose you've come up for air after being down Gina's mines for a few days lol.

I'll take back the fittings and swap them for some hose...had no idea it was available and so common to use the catch can.

Post by **TOONGA** » Sat Nov 24, 2012 10:01 am

Tweety wrote:Thanks Toonga.

suppose you've come up for air after being down Gina's mines for a few days lol.

I'll take back the fittings and swap them for some hose...had no idea it was available and so common to use the catch can.

Is the innuendo about Gina's Mines to be read into as I would still have to think about it even if Gina paid me a couple of million to go mining her

As for work I'm working locally now for the same money I was earning away

Now back to the catch cans, this little search ignoring the first 2 items lists 7 pages of catch cans.

Sorry that's for the innuendo

TOONGA

Tweety · Post by **Tweety** » Sat Nov 24, 2012 9:09 pm

haha Jules.

Here it is and yes Bennie it compliments the engine bay. The clear line is temporary. I added the mini air filter but reduced the hole to it down to 1/8th inch.

I think chromed valve cover would be worthwhile now. lol

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:16 pm

I think enough time has gone by for the million dollar question (unless you're waiting on that rear end work):

Does it do the trick?

Cheers

Bennie

Brumby Kid · Post by **Brumby Kid** » Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:31 pm

What is this trick you speak of Bennie?

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:35 pm

Brumby Kid wrote:What is this trick you speak of Bennie?

Tweety is hoping that the oil catch can will catch the oil vapour that's been going places it shouldn't. I'm hoping for him that it's done the trick

Cheers

Bennie

Brumby Kid · Post by **Brumby Kid** » Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:52 pm

El_Freddo wrote:Tweety is hoping that the oil catch can will catch the oil vapour that's been going places it shouldn't. I'm hoping for him that it's done the trick

Cheers

Bennie

Ahh right. Yes I knew that, been having lengthy discussions with the genious.
I thought you were talking about some special trick tweety could do.

Cam

Tweety · Post by **Tweety** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 8:09 am

Genius? err thankyou. lol

Havent even started tweety up since the CC install. yes am waiting for parts from Germany for the VW axles shafts/hubs all brand new. bearings form Japan etc.

I did return several fittings to Enzed in Shepparton I didnt use when I was to make my own can. Swapped them for some very expensive oil proof rubber hose 5/8 and 1/2". too many joins in the loops and its heater hose. A whopping $25 a metre for 5/8 and $13.60 for 1/2". Imagine upkeeping a prime mover?