Dirty Howie

I don't want this to be another where does the catch can go or do I really need a catch can thread.........

Just this week I noticed an increase in the amount of oil I am getting in my cans (two of them) that are in the valley cover to intake manifold. No oil in the valve cover to air bridge line ( LS2 Throttle body setup).

Whats changed:

1. I have ended my engine breakin and switched to synthetic from dyno

2. The weather is very cold

3. More short trips than usual

4. Changed from Open Loop tune to Closed Loop

I suspect its probably from more short trips and the cold weather causing increased condensation in the oil. The oil that is catched is not pure oil. It is soupy. So can anyone with catch can experience confirm more fluid caught as weather or driving conditions change????


DH

allmee

I gather the oil you changed to is the same weight? Maybe the syn, even though the same weight, may thinner when hot, although I am sure protection will be superior to the conventional stuff. Thinner oil will be pulled out of your cans more easily. Are your short trips THAT short that the motor is not reaching normal operating temperature? I always thought condensation would arrive if you would not let an engine get to normal temp, & parts of the motor would stay kind of cool, versus other parts getting hot!

I dont understand what the open loop/closed loop tune is.

Anyway, you may want to make your short trips a little longer, at least long enough to get the motor good and hot!

Rob's 73

Do you have a breather?

craig04c5

When you say just ended engine break-in I take it you put a new motor in and it's a higher performance (looking at your profile) than what you had? That may account for more oil collection in the catch cans. Does the new engine have a higher compression? Mine collects more oil when I drive in a spirited manner :-)

ZeeOSix

Does that also mean you have been hammering it much harder than you were during the break in period? If so, that could have a lot to do with see more oil in the catch can.

LoneStarFRC

I've noticed an increase in the amount of water too.

Dirty Howie

Same weight oil.

Oil temps have barely cleared 200 and for just a few minutes on several cold starts lately. And coincidently the temps have dropped into the 50's.


DH

Dirty Howie

No breather....


DH

Dirty Howie

Although a new motor its not much different from what I had before. I have over 3K miles on it already. This is the most oil I have caught and I was not driving as hard as when the motor had 1500 miles on it. The changes are the ones I listed above ..... now more oil caught.


DH

Dirty Howie

I'm not sure what you mean .......

The engine did not get an easy breakin. RPM was varied from the get go to help seat the rings. Dyno oil was used for three oil changes during which street and dyno tuning were done and a hard canyon run and many short WOT bursts. During this time less oil was caught.

Now with the above listed changes I was surprized to see about twice as much oil in my cans with less miles and easier driving.


DH

Dirty Howie

What is the color of your fluid. Mine is like a brownish, yellowish and soupy.

I really was surpized when I checked it today as part of my track preparation for wednesday. I actually had twice the amount in half the time.

So I was hoping some of you guys that check it regualarly would confirm an increase either with the ambient temp change and/or with shorter drive times where oil is not heated high enough for long enough.


DH

Ikester

whats that all about? the car should be open loop when its a cold motor then it should switch to close loop after its warmed up.

Dirty Howie

Car was in forced Open Loop as this is how tuning is done. I have HPtuners and a WB for monitoring my AFR and other paramaters.

I doubt this is a contributing factor. But I listed all the variables since the last time (about 10 days ago) that I checked the catch cans.


DH

LoneStarFRC

Shortly after my engine install, and after a long drive (1300 mi.), I had what sounds like the same thing. It appeared to be like emulisified oil/water mix. About 3 to 4 oz total.

After cleaning the can and not many miles, mostly local stuff, I recently checked and found almost no oil (trace amount) whatsoever and about 1 1/2 to 2 oz of (clear) water. Like you say the weather has now taken a turn for the colder, plus I have my AMW mounted up forward on the frame rail so it is cooler there too.

I'm going to continue to monitor things.

Dave68

I'd say that cold weather is the culprit. The greater the variation in temperature of the air that passes through (and sits in) the cans, the greater the likelyhood that more of the moisture in the air will be visable. A compressor that is run indoors only, will take much longer to fill a particulate and/or coalescing filter compared to a compressor that is run outdoors. Our company has a large twin-cylinder oil-less compressor that is kept outside. Its airline runs 60 feet on the inside of the building and over to a particulate and coalescing filter, before being connected to oxygen concentrators. During the Winter months and anytime daytime temperatures are drastically different from nightime temps, the filters collect much more water, compared to typical Summertime days and nights.

Dave

Dirty Howie

CLEAR WATER !!!!

Mine will be WATERY but still have obvious oil content as well


DH

Dirty Howie

Dave

I hope your right and that my new engine is coming apart inside

Its amazing how much the Watts/Coalescing catches that passes by the AMW But if I didn't have the AMW I would have over filled that custom can this last time !!!!!!!!!!!!

Have you checked yours with the recent weather cooling ???????


DH

LoneStarFRC

Yeah, I know. That was my initial reaction too. But, like I say, this is a new engine with maybe 1700-1800 miles on it combined with the fact that I re-checked the can after very few (maybe 100 or so?) local miles after finding the gumbo.
I'm thinking (hoping) that that initial emulsified crap was more a function of various engine assembly lubes, dino break-in oil used during initial breakin and then changed to synthetic, just prior to my drive back to Houston from Phoenix.

hotwheels57

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...post1563099973 ???

Dave68

Howie,

I'm currently running an experiment, whereby a Watts particulate filter (with extended can) precedes the Watts Coalescing filter. Although the coalescing filter catches plenty of oil, frequently low vacuum pressure and air flow allow a very small amount of oil to get by. (obviously, you have seen this to a greater extent with your AMW can). Even though I installed this combo just a few weeks ago, I rarely add more than 100 miles per week to the odometer, so there may not be alot of oil in the extended can, yet. I will be checking it during Christmas break, at the latest, however.

Another experiment I will be conducting is data logging of PCV line air temperature. I just bought a temperature probe to hook up to my HOBO data logger. The probe will be teed into the PCV line (near the PCV, which is close to the hottest area in the engine bay) and the logger will be taped near the Watts filters. This way, I'll be able to log temps from the PCV area and at the Watts filters, simultaneously.

I'll post the results when they are available.

Dave