Another Oil-Catch Can Install (moroso) - with Pics & theory.

"The engine computer may then think it’s getting more air, resulting in more fuel feed, which is creating a lean burning condition,"
more fuel with less air is a rich condition, so no overheating because of a lean condition /

 

I think I installed my OCC in a unique location, I've never seen another in the same place.

It's between the inverter coolant reservoir and the engine.

It's on an L-bracket, attached under a bolt holding an existing bracket for the AC refrigerant lines.

The hoses run between the engine and the intake manifold, and have a fiberglass heat sleeve around them.

Also, the PCV valve has been relocated to the outlet on the OCC. To all the sharp eyed people with Ruien OCC, yes I reversed the inlet and outlet on the OCC. I believe that the filter should be on the outlet side not the inlet for this design.

This location does require a 180 degree fitting or U-bend tubing to reverse the direction of the PCV valve outlet.



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That is not the inverter coolant, that is the engine coolant.

 

Yes, of course, correct.

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For me, the OCC would be very tight behind the headlight. Plus, I need easy access to the headlights. I have HIDs installed, and I need to remove them yearly to swap in halogen bulbs to pass inspection. Aftermarket lighting is technically illegal.

Regarding the inspection, I am still debating whether to go to the inspection with the highly visible OCC installed, or remove the OCC and put in a U-bend tube temporarily to reconnect the PCV valve/system before going to the inspection.

My neighbor who owns a shop that does inspections said it shouldn't be a problem, but I guess it depends on how picky the inspector is. He said they're only supposed to be looking for fuel leaks and electrical problems like worn wiring insulation.

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Yes, bright and blinding, especially SUVs and trucks that are pretty high.

I think the especially blinding ones are running 55w HIDs instead of 35w HIDs, or bright LEDs.

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that is food for thought /
looking at this image makes me think which way is better/more efficient /

 

Yes, I've seen illustrations like that.

My thinking is that most, if not all the oil is in vapor/small droplet form, carried by a warm/hot air mixture. Coming through a small inlet, there isn't much "cooling" of the gases before hitting the baffles and stainless steel pot scrubber material that most people put in there, so that filter material remains hot.

By reversing the flow, the oil/air mixture immediately expands into the OCC chamber. Gases naturally cool down and lose heat when allowed to expand. Then the cooled mixture will exit past the filtering material, that is already wet with previously condensed oil.

Additionally, I have installed much more surface area in my OCC for the oil droplets to condense on. I purchased micro stainless mesh and rolled it up into cylinders, then folded the ends over to make funnels that are 3-4 layers thick and installed them over both the inlet and outlet sides of the OCC. I have also stuffed more stainless potscrubber mesh into the larger funnel, further increasing the available surface area for the oil to condense onto.

Even at 4 layers thick, the micro mesh stainless screen does not affect air flow like some of the sintered brass filters found in air/oil separators, which can be plugged up and restrict air flow. The screen should catch and get wet from the oil. This should make the filter more efficient at grabbing more oil out of the vapor mixture, just like the oiled K&N filters are efficient because they are pre-oiled before use.

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Unfortunately I think all you can do is repost the pdf when revised. I did ask about this a while back, if I could get unlimited edit privileges, at least for some postings of mine, mainly the ones linked in my signature.

 

I'm also considering installing a modified air/oil separator after the OCC. I've replaced the sintered brass restrictive filter with rolled up micro mesh stainless steel screen that's about 4 layers thick.

The blue stuff at the bottom is there to seal the leaky valve for emptying the bowl. It's been suggested to use JB Weld for that, but I used Tru Blu thread sealant that is fuel and oil resistant.

I like the idea of having a filter with a clear bowl so I can see how much oil I'm catching. It will be secondary to the main OCC, so I'm not sure what kind of results I'll get.



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Why not take it to him to do the inspection? They you won't have to remove/install it every year?

"My neighbor who owns a shop that does inspections said it shouldn't be a problem, but I guess it depends on how picky the inspector is. He said they're only supposed to be looking for fuel leaks and electrical problems like worn wiring insulation."

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[/QUOTE]I have in the past, but he always refuses payment. I feel bad about that and I don't want to take advantage of his generosity. I know how hard it is to run a small business.

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Then you but him dinner, or leave the money anyway.
If you find a good technician, stick with him!

I have in the past, but he always refuses payment. I feel bad about that and I don't want to take advantage of his generosity. I know how hard it is to run a small business.

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When referring to Boyle's Law, that a gas cools as it expands in a container, don't forget an additional requirement for applying Boyle's Law: the container must be closed. This will cause pressure to drop as the container expands.

An OCC is an open container, having inlet and outlet. Other than any substantial flow resistance in the attached tubes or through filter media, there is little meaningful pressure drop at the container, thus causing little meaningful temperature change from this supposed 'expansion' that doesn't really happen.

Temperature drops due to heat loss through the surface of the container or tubing or any added 'heat exchanger' are another matter. Might this be a productive route for cooling the gas and condensing the oil vapor, by making more concerted efforts to extract or shed heat from this vapor flow? And of course, apply this cooling before the vapor reaches the filter media.