Air/Oil Separator Filling Up Too Fast
01-09-2018, 02:40 PM
#43
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From what I understand, you don't want to plumb it back to the pan unless you have the fancy heated AOS, to prevent condensation of water or blowby gasses. And reinstalling the PCV will just put the oil right back into the IM, where I don't want it.
I have a daily. While this car may not be competitive (nor the driver), it has seen many track days when it was n/a and is really more of a track toy than anything. No i dont have afcos, nor hoosiers, but what really defines a track miata other than a spirit thats willing and a functioning safety system?
I have a daily. While this car may not be competitive (nor the driver), it has seen many track days when it was n/a and is really more of a track toy than anything. No i dont have afcos, nor hoosiers, but what really defines a track miata other than a spirit thats willing and a functioning safety system?
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01-09-2018, 03:47 PM
#45
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From what I understand, you don't want to plumb it back to the pan unless you have the fancy heated AOS, to prevent condensation of water or blowby gasses. And reinstalling the PCV will just put the oil right back into the IM, where I don't want it.
I have a daily. While this car may not be competitive (nor the driver), it has seen many track days when it was n/a and is really more of a track toy than anything. No i dont have afcos, nor hoosiers, but what really defines a track miata other than a spirit thats willing and a functioning safety system?
I have a daily. While this car may not be competitive (nor the driver), it has seen many track days when it was n/a and is really more of a track toy than anything. No i dont have afcos, nor hoosiers, but what really defines a track miata other than a spirit thats willing and a functioning safety system?
The blowby gasses and fractional water are going to do what to your motor during a oil change interval when can contents are dumped into the pan?
No catch can is 100% efficient - you are STILL ingesting blow-by gasses through the motor with or without a can.
Honestly, it's all guessing until you return the catch can oil line to the pan, change your oil and send an oil sample to a lab (example Blackstone) to tell you about the content and if it is really doing anything negative the short time it's in there (and at low concentrations). I'd guess the answer is little to nothing... which is why there are no catch cans on the stock Miata. Not bashing your curiosity or approach, just the assumptions being made. There is little to no benefit for this mod but more of a preference based on theory. It's great that it catches blow-by... but does that improve your MPGs on a tank by tank basis? Maybe it reduces long-term engine wear? Most of us won't keep the car long enough to realize that benefit if there is one, but there is no way to measure that advantage.
Setting it up the wrong way can hurt, the right way won't help much. Yes, I do have a proper catch can and would not necessarily tell all my Miata bros to go do it.
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01-11-2018, 07:07 PM
#46
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Just figured I would update. 150 miles later and only a teaspoon of oil maybe. Looks like this setup, whether 100% correct or not, collects way less oil than before. I think it was brains first suggestion before resorting to vulgarities. Anyways, boost gauge and ebc go in tonight/tmrw. Thanks for the help
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01-11-2018, 08:57 PM
#47
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What are you guys using to cap the PCV side of the valve cover? It's a bit of an awkward hole.
I've had three different welders tell me they won't weld it because cast aluminum cracks when welded.
I've had three different welders tell me they won't weld it because cast aluminum cracks when welded.
Last edited by LukeG; 01-11-2018 at 09:11 PM.
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01-11-2018, 09:55 PM
#48
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It is kind of like plumbing both sides of a valve cover into a catch can and not having it fill up with oil. My last track weekend didn't put more than two teaspoons of oil in my catch can and I was running very large bungs and very large hoses to my catch can at 300-plus horsepower. Opening up the holes inside the valve cover and using large diameter fittings and hoses slows down the speed of the gases exiting the valve cover and allows the oils to fall out of suspension in those gases. It's a fairly simple idea that slowing down the velocity of those gases trying to escape will allow those heavier elements to fall out and drain back rather than to be expelled. Trying to use stock sized openings that were designed for 100 horsepower at 300 horsepower levels isn't good. You are theoretically putting three times the blow by through them. And only using one side of the valve cover to vent rather than both would only add to the velocity. But I'm a sample size of one so take this with a grain of salt.
Try some things and see what works for you.
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01-12-2018, 12:06 AM
#49
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Alternatively, drill and tap it for a pipe plug, or find a welder who doesn't wear a dress
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01-12-2018, 11:05 AM
#51
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Savington - Are you modifying the valve cover in any way for engines under 300whp aside from capping the PCV? Drilling out the driver side internal passage or upgrading to a bigger outlet barb?
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01-12-2018, 11:09 AM
#52
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The welder I used was able to weld threaded bungs in two places in three different valve covers for me and for my friends on the forum here. You need to enlist the help of a more diversified welder. Just because they've never done something successfully doesn't mean it can't be done. It just means they don't know how to do it.
It is kind of like plumbing both sides of a valve cover into a catch can and not having it fill up with oil. My last track weekend didn't put more than two teaspoons of oil in my catch can and I was running very large bungs and very large hoses to my catch can at 300-plus horsepower. Opening up the holes inside the valve cover and using large diameter fittings and hoses slows down the speed of the gases exiting the valve cover and allows the oils to fall out of suspension in those gases. It's a fairly simple idea that slowing down the velocity of those gases trying to escape will allow those heavier elements to fall out and drain back rather than to be expelled. Trying to use stock sized openings that were designed for 100 horsepower at 300 horsepower levels isn't good. You are theoretically putting three times the blow by through them. And only using one side of the valve cover to vent rather than both would only add to the velocity. But I'm a sample size of one so take this with a grain of salt.
Try some things and see what works for you.
It is kind of like plumbing both sides of a valve cover into a catch can and not having it fill up with oil. My last track weekend didn't put more than two teaspoons of oil in my catch can and I was running very large bungs and very large hoses to my catch can at 300-plus horsepower. Opening up the holes inside the valve cover and using large diameter fittings and hoses slows down the speed of the gases exiting the valve cover and allows the oils to fall out of suspension in those gases. It's a fairly simple idea that slowing down the velocity of those gases trying to escape will allow those heavier elements to fall out and drain back rather than to be expelled. Trying to use stock sized openings that were designed for 100 horsepower at 300 horsepower levels isn't good. You are theoretically putting three times the blow by through them. And only using one side of the valve cover to vent rather than both would only add to the velocity. But I'm a sample size of one so take this with a grain of salt.
Try some things and see what works for you.
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01-12-2018, 01:20 PM
#53
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I have tried a few things, nothing I've been 100% happy with. IIRC there is a correlation between the velocity of the escaping gases and the ability for those gases to hold oil in suspension (the faster the airflow, the more oil comes out). Since the pressure should be fairly constant at WOT, increasing the orifices should reduce the velocity and help that oil fall out of suspension, but I suspect there's more at play than just that, based on the differences I've seen between 94-00 and 01-05s.
I think my current best practice is to open up the passage between the center and left baffles, run a slightly larger hose (-8 or -10) to a Radium AOS, then drain it back to the pan through a large check valve. The Radium AOS should do a good enough job that you shouldn't need to worry about routing the vacuum-side hose back to the turbo intake (via venturi), which I want to do to reduce the blowby smell at WOT (it's, um, substantial at 400whp).
I think my current best practice is to open up the passage between the center and left baffles, run a slightly larger hose (-8 or -10) to a Radium AOS, then drain it back to the pan through a large check valve. The Radium AOS should do a good enough job that you shouldn't need to worry about routing the vacuum-side hose back to the turbo intake (via venturi), which I want to do to reduce the blowby smell at WOT (it's, um, substantial at 400whp).
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01-12-2018, 02:03 PM
#54
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I have tried a few things, nothing I've been 100% happy with. IIRC there is a correlation between the velocity of the escaping gases and the ability for those gases to hold oil in suspension (the faster the airflow, the more oil comes out). Since the pressure should be fairly constant at WOT, increasing the orifices should reduce the velocity and help that oil fall out of suspension, but I suspect there's more at play than just that, based on the differences I've seen between 94-00 and 01-05s.
I think my current best practice is to open up the passage between the center and left baffles, run a slightly larger hose (-8 or -10) to a Radium AOS, then drain it back to the pan through a large check valve. The Radium AOS should do a good enough job that you shouldn't need to worry about routing the vacuum-side hose back to the turbo intake (via venturi), which I want to do to reduce the blowby smell at WOT (it's, um, substantial at 400whp).
I think my current best practice is to open up the passage between the center and left baffles, run a slightly larger hose (-8 or -10) to a Radium AOS, then drain it back to the pan through a large check valve. The Radium AOS should do a good enough job that you shouldn't need to worry about routing the vacuum-side hose back to the turbo intake (via venturi), which I want to do to reduce the blowby smell at WOT (it's, um, substantial at 400whp).
That Radium AOS is pretty trick!
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01-13-2018, 10:18 AM
#58
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What would your alternative be? Just Vent?
# 19 https://www.miataturbo.net/engine-pe...3/#post1117420
# 19 https://www.miataturbo.net/engine-pe...3/#post1117420
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