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any LS3 owners using a catch can?

Old 08-25-2008, 10:58 PM
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02gt350
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Default any LS3 owners using a catch can?

id like to hear about yoru set up.i have a LS3 to a 416 and im curious as to how you LS3 guys are running the system
Old 08-25-2008, 11:37 PM
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LS1LT1
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Yes, I know Bruno0825 (Anthony) is using one on his Cartek cammed LS3, as far as I know Cartek does their own special little modifications to their catch can set up and it really works.
www.cartek.net
Old 08-25-2008, 11:45 PM
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nwc6
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I'm using a Mike Norris can, plumbed as per Chip at CCA's instructions.
The top fitting comes from the valley hose, and the bottom fitting goes to the fitting behind the throttle body. I have a picture somewhere, just have to find it..http://www.customcorvetteaccessories...lcatchcan.html

Last edited by nwc6; 08-25-2008 at 11:48 PM.
Old 08-26-2008, 07:38 AM
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I am using this catch can with the oil cap breather http://revxtreme.com/specials.htm

I haven't drained it yet, but I do like the design. Only complaint would be that the oil cap breath is tearing a hole in the underlining of my hood.
Old 08-26-2008, 09:19 AM
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AintQik
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I had mine set up as mentioned above. Didn't work. Took a guy's car apart last week with it set up as mentioned and it was full of oil. I'm not impressed.
Old 08-26-2008, 09:45 AM
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Ben Diss
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St. Jude Donor '08-'09

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Originally Posted by AintQik
I had mine set up as mentioned above. Didn't work. Took a guy's car apart last week with it set up as mentioned and it was full of oil. I'm not impressed.
Which one are you referring to?
Old 08-26-2008, 10:10 AM
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Craigster05
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St. Jude Donor '07-'08-'09-'11-'12

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Originally Posted by AintQik
I had mine set up as mentioned above. Didn't work. Took a guy's car apart last week with it set up as mentioned and it was full of oil. I'm not impressed.
What do you mean? If it had oil in it, it would be working....do you think that by being full, it is sucking out more oil than it should be?
Old 08-26-2008, 10:26 AM
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AintQik
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I'm not going to publically bash vendors. The intake was full of oil not the catch can. Well, the catch did have some in it, but it was by no means full. We're talking in the ozs. After seeing my own car and several others I decided to remove the intake all together and I run a vented giant, 12AN can in my fenderwell. I know this is not for everybody, but I want no oil in my intake running boost and a crappy 91 octane fuel which is all that is available here. I need all the help I can get. I think after seeing 4 or more catch cans, hooked up in the way that is instructed per the manufacturer, and all 4 being sopping wet with oil in the intake, qualifies me to make a statement "that I'm not impressed".

I just did a FAST intake install for a guy with a popular catch can on the forum. It was installed as per the instructions. I chuckled and said, "hey watch this". I took off his stock intake and ran my finger around the intake runner of each cylinder. Each time it came out dripping with oil.

My suggestion is to run something AKA Cartek, or Rev's posts and route it like that with a valve, run a big dog like I use adn delete the vacuum all together, or run one as advertised and expect to still ingest oil.
Old 08-26-2008, 10:28 AM
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I drain mine every 1000-1500 miles, and usually get 1/2-3/4oz out of it. I have heard that it does not prevent all oil from entering the manifold.
Old 08-26-2008, 10:32 AM
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Yes, it does stop some oil from getting in and in that respect I guess it works... but after seeing how wet my intake, as well as 3 or 4 others were I decided this was not the route for me.
Old 08-26-2008, 10:38 AM
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St. Jude Donor '07-'08-'09-'11-'12

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Now I got what you mean. I saw the same thing when we did my engine, the catch can didnt catch much, the intake was still wet with oil. I have the Cartek can, just have to get around to installing this week, it's the best design Ive seen.
Old 08-26-2008, 10:49 AM
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Lol, you should see mine. I have radiator hoses coming out of each valve cover. Ask Spin.
Old 08-26-2008, 12:34 PM
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PeterM
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Default Catch Can

I recenty had Cartek install their unit on my 08 C6 Z51, along with a few other goodies

Old 08-26-2008, 06:45 PM
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Ben Diss
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St. Jude Donor '08-'09

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Originally Posted by Craigster05
Now I got what you mean. I saw the same thing when we did my engine, the catch can didnt catch much, the intake was still wet with oil. I have the Cartek can, just have to get around to installing this week, it's the best design Ive seen.
Think about how you're going to drain it when you put it on. Granted, mine has been on for about 4000 miles and I've drained about a teaspoon by now, but you have to remove it to drain it. I'm looking for a fitting I can use on the bottom to route the drain somewhere useful.

I did check my intake and it's bone dry of course, as nothing is routed there anymore.
Old 08-26-2008, 07:01 PM
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Originally Posted by PeterM
I recenty had Cartek install their unit on my 08 C6 Z51, along with a few other goodies

so with this, you have a line going to the valley, a breather, and one going to the valve cover correct? and no PCV valve?
is your intake capped?
Old 08-26-2008, 07:02 PM
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Originally Posted by nwc6
I'm using a Mike Norris can, plumbed as per Chip at CCA's instructions.
The top fitting comes from the valley hose, and the bottom fitting goes to the fitting behind the throttle body. I have a picture somewhere, just have to find it..http://www.customcorvetteaccessories...lcatchcan.html
i had it that way. check your intake, i bet its covered in oil
Old 08-26-2008, 07:45 PM
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St. Jude Donor '07-'08-'09-'11-'12

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Originally Posted by Ben Diss
Think about how you're going to drain it when you put it on. Granted, mine has been on for about 4000 miles and I've drained about a teaspoon by now, but you have to remove it to drain it. I'm looking for a fitting I can use on the bottom to route the drain somewhere useful.

I did check my intake and it's bone dry of course, as nothing is routed there anymore.
That's the only reason mine ISNT on yet, Ben....We'll come up with something, us IT guys can make anything work.

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To any LS3 owners using a catch can?

Old 08-26-2008, 09:09 PM
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Ben Diss
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St. Jude Donor '08-'09

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Originally Posted by Craigster05
That's the only reason mine ISNT on yet, Ben....We'll come up with something, us IT guys can make anything work.


Here's what it looks like with the covers mod'd to fit.

Old 08-26-2008, 09:28 PM
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This is relation to the cars that have quite a bit of oil in the intake even though there is one of my catch cans on the car. I would be curious as to how much oil is in actually being caught in the can??

If the can is dry or catches very little, I would suspect that the oil is getting in through the breather hose off the valve cover rather then through the PCV hose itself. If the can is getting full in a short amount of time to not be able to empty it and then allowing oil into the intake, there are much worse problems then an ineffective catch can.

On cars that get a lot of oil through the breather hose, it is due to excessive crankcase pressure, at least by normal standards. If the car is driven hard quite a bit or is supercharged and does not have a one way check valve on the PCV hose, this can happen quite easily.

A normal PCV catch can is designed for mainly daily drivers, occasional hard drives or foced induction with a check valve. For those with more aggressive driving habits, forced induction or aggressive forged rotating assemblies, a second catch can on the breather hose will take care of most issues.

For those running competitively, high boost or a bunch of nitrous, the only sure cure may be to vent to atmosphere which for me is a last alternative.

Hope this helps and please let me know the answer to the question early in this post. Thanks.

Mike Norris
Old 08-27-2008, 01:13 AM
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OK, I decided to try a slightly different system. The car has H&C. Tried no catch cans, result was plenty of oil in the intake, real quick. BTW, I am sure these cars burp oil bone stock, I just think no one notices. Anyway, next setup was to pull crankcase vacuum with a catch can. Line from TB pulls full vacuum through can, with hoses from the valve cover and the valley cover plumbed into the can. The results were serious case vacuum, no case ventilation, and some oil in the can after a number of hard runs. The intake remained quite dry. Problem is, I became concerned about pulling in a seal, and that the oil would go bad quickly due to gas and HC contamination.

So my new setup is as follows. Hose from manifold to catchcan pulling vacuum through the catchcan as before, except it now has a PCV valve on it. This valve is not a pure one-way (some reverse flow is possible), but it does control the amount of vacuum being pulled and the flow though the case. Hose from the valley cover to the catchcan as before.

The third connection on the catchcan (top, prev. connected to valve cover) is set up with a checkvalve, allowing the catchan to vent positive pressure to the atmosphere, but not to draw air in when under vacuum.

The valvecover hose is also fitted with a checkvalve, and a breather filter. This checkvalve allows it to pull air in (functioning in it's original OEM role as supplier of fresh air), but not to vent any pressure (or oil). This line is also fitted with a small t-valve fitting, which would allow me to adjust airflow into the engine so that I can run a very slight amount of crank vacuum if I see fit.

How much vacuum I want can be determined by the size and flow of the PCV valve I select, in conjunction with my little t-valve.

My current setup produces modest crank ventilation, with a very slight amount of crank vacuum at idle.

My hope is that this system provides adequate crankcase ventilation, but eliminates the biggest culprit of oil (the valvecover), and minimizes the likelihood of oil getting into the intake from the valleycover tube by restricting flow (PCV), providing a long run of hose with the catchcan in the middle (hose from VC goes to can at front of car, then from can to intake), and providing an alternative outlet for case pressure (the checkvalve fitting on the can) so that pressurized air column does not force oil back to the intake.

Whadday'all think?

Last edited by TTRotary; 08-27-2008 at 01:21 AM.

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