Custom Fabricated Catch Cans

This page is a work in progress, so please bear with us!

Introduction

During the course of a recent '92 Talon rebuild, I came up with a new catch can design that I feel works much better than most of the available commercial cans and DIY solutions out there. (You can read a bit more about why this came about in this article.) In a nutshell, the design is based on coalescence principles, and takes advantage of a special filter material that is designed specifically to remove oil aerosols and particles below 1 micron. The can itself is made from 6061 aluminum stock, and is permanently sealed with high-quality tig welds throughout.

The following picture is of the can I have installed between the IM and PCV valve. The bracket is a custom piece I made specifically for my car: The cans being produced have a generic bracket as seen in the drawings below.

Product Description

• Cans are made from 2-1/2" x 2-1/2" x 4" extruded 6061 aluminum, 1/8" wall thickness (no crappy sheetmetal here), completely TIG welded.
• Integrated coalescing filter and baffling
• 3/8" female NPT inlet/outlet ports
• 1/4" female NPT drain port
• Replaceable "boiler style" level indicator with reflector
• Beefy 3/16" thick welded mounting bracket with two 1/4" mounting holes (1" spacing)
• Each can is pressure tested to 40 psi
• Brushed finish is standard, with polishing as an option

Custom fittings, heights, etc. can be purchased for an additional cost.

The diagrams below show the basic can layout and dimensions (interior of can not shown). Custom heights may be ordered, as well as other options as shown below. Each can includes a 1/4" NPT port on the bottom which can be used to fit a drain valve, and a fine-brushed finish is standard.

Options

The base price of each can is $75. In addition, the following options can also be ordered:

Drain Valve	Polished Finish

We can include fittings (from Summit Racing) if desired, for the additional price of the fittings and a small charge to cover our shipping. The links below show some popular styles, although virtually any male 3/8" or 1/2" NPT fitting will work.

Earl's Performance 982266ERL - Earl's Performance AN to NPT Adapter Fittings
Spectre Performance 5946 - Spectre Hose Barb to Pipe Thread Adapters

Application Notes

1. The inlet is the top, the outlet is the side. This is important to remember for making sure the cans work as designed.
2. The internal filter is designed to have an indefinite life span...as long as the filter is being used to remove oil vapors and aerosols from the crankcase. If you are pushing a lot of liquid oil or crud through them, they will clog...just like any other filter would, and you should probably be looking into fixing your engine. :-). If for some reason they do clog or the flow drops considerably after a while, you can rinse the can out with some gas to help clear the filter. But again, this would probably mean you have some engine issues to deal with.
3. If you use aluminum fittings, BE ABSOLUTELY SURE to use teflon tape or a paste-type anaerobic thread sealer. If you don't, you will weld the fittings to the aluminum can due to galling.
4. The sight glass is made from a polyamide technopolymer plastic with an internal NBR seal. It should work with no problems in the most extreme engine bay conditions, but if for some reason it becomes clouded or fails in some way, it can be easily replaced. Please let us know if anything like this ever happens.
5. Raw unpolished aluminum is likely to oxidize and turn a dull grayish color over time. If so, you can buff the cans with some fine steel wool and/or polish to restore the finish.
6. You may notice that there is an internal baffle very close to the outlet port. This is by design...the baffle is there to direct airflow through the filter, rather than allowing the air to take a direct path to the outlet. Even with just an 1/8" gap between the baffle and the outlet, the cross sectional area for air to enter the outlet is still quite a bit more than the area through the inlet, so it doesn't restrict the flow like you might think. (Air in the can will presumably always be under some higher pressure than the outlet, and will find it's way out regardless). Just be sure to not use some strange under-sized NPT fitting that will tighten all the way in and up against the baffle. Most NPT fittings should only go about half way into the outlet port.
7. Each can is individually pressure tested to 40 psi. The welds should easily hold much more than that, but we officially rate them at 40 psi. With that said, if you are pushing anything near 40 psi through them from your crankcase.... WOW! :D

FAQ

1. Why do you charge extra for polishing, when most cans come with a polished finish as standard?




For two simple reasons:

a). Many of our customers are very adept at fabricating or finishing their own parts, so this provides a way for those individuals to save a few bucks and do it themselves.

b). Every can we sell is CNC machined, built, and tested by hand...and polishing is no different. Hand polishing takes time and resources...and we would rather use our limited time and resources to design and build quality cans, rather than working on a nice shiny finish. ;)

But we do offer it as an option for those that would rather us do it for them.

2. Why do your cans have female NPT ports instead of welded AN fittings?




Mostly for flexibility for the end user. By using standard female 3/8" or 1/2" NPT ports, the can will work with anything from a massive -10AN setup to a stock 3/8" rubber hose setup, simply by using different fittings. And if you decide to change your hoses and routing at some point in the future (like switching from stock rubber hoses to all stainless -8AN lines for example), you simply have to change fittings at the can.

3. What fittings do I need to connect to your catch cans?




Our cans come with 3/8" or (optionally) 1/2" female inlet and outlet NPT ports...so any type of fitting with male NPT threads on one side will work. If you are running -6AN, -8AN, or 3/8" rubber hose, the standard 3/8" ports are ideal. For larger -10AN or 5/8" rubber lines, the optional 1/2" ports would be better.

The drain port is 1/4" female NPT. We can supply a 90° brass ball valve as an option.

4. What type of filter do you use, and how do I replace it?




We use a permanently sealed custom coalescing filter element, which is designed to remove sub-micron oil vapor and aerosols. Under "normal" operating conditions, the filter has an indefinite lifespan, meaning it shouldn't have to be replaced. However, if the engine is pushing a lot of liquid oil or heavier particles into the catch can, the filter will clog just like any other. Rinsing the can out may help temporarily, but other measures should be taken to truly fix the problem.

5. I haven't seen any other cans that use a "boiler-style level indicator". Why do your cans have this instead of the common "sight tube"?




For simplicity and reliability. We have tried several different types of "sight tubes" mounted on the can, and feel that the sight glass offers significant advantages. For one, it seals much better than the common tube which has at least two leak points, and two... the sight glass we use is specifically designed for this application...rather than a piece of plastic tubing spanning a couple of 90° fittings.

For those individuals who would rather add their own sight tube and save a few dollars, we offer the option of removing the standard sight glass altogether.

How To Order

1. Review our Terms and Conditions. Blah blah blah... but we have to do it. :)
2. Send an email to sales@jcsautomation.com. Please include the number of cans and any options you'd like, along with your name, address, and phone number.

We will look over your order, and respond with a quote for the total price including shipping. Once we have received payment, your can(s) will be built and shipped ASAP. Please note that we can only accept Paypal at this time. Note: New orders are currently shipping about 10 business days from receipt of payment.

We hope to have a more streamlined ordering process in place soon and apologize for any inconvenience, but for now it is what it is. :)

Feel free to contact us with any questions!