Dirty Howie

Below you will see pics of my catch can setup (AMW) which was placed up front to cool oil vapors. I was curious to see if any oil was getting past the can so I installed this feul filter before the intake manifold ONE week ago (easy daily driving) when I cleaned out the can (which does catch plenty of oil). If you look close you can see the oil inside (I rotated it so the dark spot is also oil, maybe burnt because it was on the bottom closer to the engine).

Also you will see another filter that is placed in the line from valve cover to air bridge. This line does not connect to the LS2 throttle body as it has no opening/attatchement like the LS1....instead to the air bridge. You will notice that I have replaced the filter element twice now....the oil saturation is clearly evident. One of those eliments was after just ONE track day. I am going to place another filter in this line or see if it can be tee-d into the line to the catch can.


DH

peter pan

Wow, I will have to check mine and that looks like a good mod. I also run a breather where the oil filler cap goes to assist with this

Dirty Howie

Are you running LS1 or LS2 TB

Do you have pics of your setup??

peter pan

I run a LS1 so maybe it will not be an issue, however I am going to check to see if any oil is making it to the intake. I have had some boosted fun lately and some 1/4 runs. When I checked the catch can I have about an ounce of oil so I was happy about that. The breather I use is the same one the F-Body crowd uses



My catch can is located in the battery compartment out of the way

see5

I don't think any catch device will trap it all.. The FAST intakes really suck oil it seems. If you think it is working, check the floor of the intake after a few thousand miles, worse a trackday. I think I have tried most everything.

MrLeadFoot

What you're seeing is EXACTLY why over a year ago I switched out my AMW for an air compressor filter installed backward, with a bead of RTV sealer ringed on the inside of the filter bowl. Believe it or not, the little air filter does a better job. I've often wondered if the metal used for the AMW retains too much heat compared to the the air compressor filter, thus not enough oil can get "condensed" out of the oil vapors. That's why I mounted my little air compressor filter in the battery compartment, away from the engine as much as possible.

I only wish I would've kept the AMW around longer. I would've made money selling it nowadays, 'cause the new ones are priced as if they were made of gold.

Dirty Howie

How much oil does the "LITTLE" filter hold. My AMW catch can IS catching a lot of oil..........and it is mounted WAY far away up front...cooler than battery compartment.


DH

MrLeadFoot

There are two sizes. The tiny one, which is the one I have for like $9 at home depot, and there's a larger one I considered, too about the size of the AMW can. But, I've only ever needed the little one, because it's so easy to see when to empty, since the bowl is clear, unlike the AMW can.

Mounted way up front and still that much oil passing? Maybe try the air compressor filter after the AMW can to see if that helps. If it does, you KNOW you should just run the air compressor filter.

Kolk1

Im running 2 of the 5$ fuel filters, and change them at every oil change.

Dirty Howie

Do you have some pics of your install and part no. or brand name at Home depot????


DH

LV Vette

Bump on that!

Thanks,

Clayton from Las Vegas

turboed

mr leadfoot,hopefully you can answer by later on today,i've done a lot of searching and i see you helped a lot and posted on the subject but i'm still confused on the line routing and don't want to do it wrong,i'm going to do the home depot style cause i rather save the big bucks for hp mods,so far i think is like this,from intake/throtle body area to air compressor filter and from filter to y behind intake?and reverse the filter,if i'm wrong please let me know,thanks

allmee

Howie, where did you get that clear fuel filter? All the ones I've seen were not transparant. I like it!

geocor2003

Wall mart ,thats where I got mine.They're Fram G3 fuel fileters. Many Auto parts stores also sell them.
In this thread it was posted about using 2 G3's ,I thought about that too.Do both filters have oil in them?Also there is an article on the net if you punch in "oil catch cans",it claims the G3 works = to an expensve catch can.Ebay has several inexpensive types, including GReddy replicas.I wonder if anyone here has tried one?

Joe_G

I followed your lead a month ago except I installed mine up front by the TB. I can't believe how much oil the little compressor filter installed backwards catches. I empty it every week, I bet it catches 1/4-1/2 teaspoon each week depending on how hard I drive.

Z06ufgrad2002

I've been wanting to install the AMW can for quite some time.

Who's got the best price on them now?

04c5ragtop

I believe the best price (and the worst price, heck the only price) is direct from AMW. Unless you can find someone willing to part with theirs.

Joe_G

Might want to try the Campbell Hausfeld compressor filter from Wal Mart - $9, plus $3 for 2 fittings, plus $3 for a pcv hose from the parts store, and you're in business for $15. You really don't notice it in the engine compartment, and it works, I promise you that.

I just checked the AMW site... $160 for the can, plus $25 for the bracket And they are out of stock until March 27.

MrLeadFoot

I've been getting quite a few requests on how I installed my catch-can/air compressor filter, so here are my instructions. I apologize to those for whom I am beating a dead horse. If it's a Mustang that I'm beating, would that at least garner your forgiveness?

Preface
While I originally installed an AMW can in these instructions, I ended up swapping it out for a Campbell Haus air compressor filter. I've edited these instructions to accomodate for the air compressor filter instead.

Read these instructions in their entirety before proceeding, in case you need to get some extra little parts or hose. The one thing I hate is having to stop in the middle of a project to get some stupid little parts!

Note that a catch-can gets installed "inline" in the PCV system. In other words, the can is really a filter, thus, do NOT use a T connector to try to split the airflow to the catch-can. The can MUST be installed inline to filter the PCV vapors.

Getting Started
While first reading these instructions, try to visualize if you'll need any hose clamps or connectors. I needed two connectors; I opted for 1/2" brass connectors for a snugger-than-stock fit, even though the hose sizes are 3/8". I also got a bag of hose clamps to fit the 3/8" hose. You can never have too many clamps, right? You also need two brass 1/4" threaded-to-1/2" barb connectors (I think that's the size) to thread into both sides of the air compressor filter. (Go, Home Depot stock!)

Note that I also included some variations on plumbing below, as well. Although I originally used just rubber hose, I later got some aluminum tubing from a hardware store to use as hard tubing in some places instead. I didn't NEED to do it; I just did it because I could! :-) I must've been in DIY mode at the time, because when I came across the metal tubing at the hardware store one day, I thought it would be cool to run the metal tubing in some places. With that said, here goes:

Mounting the Catch-can
First, mount the filter. Do this first so that when "plumbing" to it, you can cut your hoses perfectly. Mount it loosely at this point, because you might want to remove it again to give yourself room to route your hoses, once you've measured your hose distance.

You want to mount the catch-can along the battery side of the wall that separates the battery from the engine compartment, which will keep it cooler than if it was mounted directly inside the engine compartment. The cooler the better for optimum oil extraction from the PCV vapors. This location will also make it super easy to remove and drain. The optimum location is on the wall in the gap between the battery and the computer housing. This may be a stupid note, but be sure to position the can vertically because it won't work effectively in any other position, and I've heard of people mounting these cans horizontally, then later wondering why there was still oil going into their intakes!

See the pic below for correct vertical positioning of the unit, and what I believe to be an excellent location. I drilled two small holes 2 inches apart in the battery compartment plastic wall, through which I threaded a zip tie that was long enough to LOOSELY encircle the air compressor filter. As you can see in the pic below, when installed, you just hang the filter in the loose zip tie.



Routing Your Hose/Plumbing
The stock PCV routing consists of 3 hoses: two rubber hoses, a hard plastic hose, and the PCV valve itself, which is located on the passenger side of the intake manifold, up by the throttle body.

All three hoses connect at a Y connector located behind the intake near the firewall. Each rubber hose goes from the Y connector directly into the valve covers. The hard plastic hose goes from the Y connector along the passenger side of the intake manifold to the PCV valve.

Remove the hard plastic hose that runs from the PCV valve on the passenger side of the intake manifold to the Y connector behind the intake. All you do is pull it out of the PCV valve rubber boot, leaving the PCV valve right where it is, then pull the other end of the plastic hose straight out of the Y connector at the rear of the intake. Note to all the ADD people (like me): Try not to just yank violently on the hard plastic hose to disconnect it from the Y connector, because you don't want to cause the Y connector to work some nearby vaccum and electrical connections loose. Although you can actually disconnect the other two hoses from the Y connector to get the Y connector itself out from behind the intake if you like, I just pulled the hard plastic hose right out of the Y connector, and left the Y connector in place.

I bought two 1/2" brass barbed connectors at the hardware store, attached a 3/8" rubber hose I already had to one of the brass connector, and simply stuck the other end of the brass connector into the Y connector where I removed the hard plastic hose. I then ran the rubber hose to the battery compartment wall that separates the battery compartment from the engine bay. I threaded the rubber hose between the battery compartment separator and the firewall, then ran it to the catch-can.

Here is a variation: You can cut the hose right before you route it under the battery compartment wall, and attach to the hose a piece of 3/8" metal tubing (which you can get cheap at a hardware store), then route the metal tubing between the battery compartment separator and the firewall (the hardware store also sells a cheap tool for bending metal tubing). Bend the tubing toward the front of the car, so that it comes forward up along the battery compartment side of the separator. Attach another smaller piece of the rubber 3/8" hose to the end of the metal tubing near the catch-can, and slide that rubber hose over the input (in this case, it's really the output connector on the air compressor filter, because we want it installed backwards).

I inserted the other brass connector into the PCV valve boot, connected some rubber hose to that brass connector, then ran the hose under the front part of the battery compartment separator and up to the input side of the catch-can (remember, we're installing the filter in reverse flow).

Another variation: Again, you can cut the rubber hose right at the front of the battery compartment separator. Add another short piece of metal tubing, route it under the front part of the battery compartment separator and bend it up toward the rear of the car. Use another small piece of rubber hose to connect the metal tubing to the filter.

Rather than just leave the hard plastic hose sitting unattached along the passenger side of the intake, I removed it and saved it in case I ever want to put the system back to stock and let oil get back into my intake.

Draining the filter is a cakewalk, and because the filter is see-through, unlike the AMW can, you'll know when to empty it. To drain the filter, leave the filter in place and just unscrew the bowl off the filter housing. Make sure you don't drop the o-ring that seals the bowl onto the filter housing when you remove and replace the bowl.

Note that I also later removed the needle valve from the bottom of the air compressor filter, and added a 1/4" brass connector and ball valve (all parts from Home Depot), so I could drain the the oil from the bottom of the filter, instead of pouring it out. Not a big deal, but since I ringed the inside of the filter bowl with RTV sealer to prevent oil from creeping up the sides of the bowl (don't know if it even would), I figured why not add the drain thing so I wouldn't get ANY oil up high on the side of the filter bowl when emptying it.

Don't know part numbers for the filters, but if you go to the tool section at Home Depot, you'll see the little filter and the much bigger one. They're both designed to filter moisture from the air on air compressors, and either would work just fine. The little compressor is around $9, I think, and the big one is $20, or so, I think. I figured there's not much oil, and I wanted someting small, so I just got the small one. Don't forget to install either of them backwards.

If you want more details, just ask. :-)

Joe_G

Great write up Mrleadfoot. I did it a different way and thought I'd share too. My way is not as tidy as yours, but is quick to do.

I removed the rubber elbow that goes between the throttle body and the pvc valve. Then I cut a piece of pcv hose about 4", attached it to the outlet of the pcv valve and to the outlet side of the CH filter, then took another piece of pcv hose and put it from the inlet side of the CH filter to the throttle body. The hose holds it firmly where the AMW can goes in front of the head.

I strongly recommend specific pcv hose from the parts store - you may have to look for it or ask for it. Regular hose will get hard and crack in pretty short order from the caustic pcv fumes. Then you've got a nasty vacuum leak on your hands. I know this from experience on my old cars!