Oil breather fittings for catch tank

[Peter Empson]

I was getting ready to fit an oil catch tank this afternoon and have discovered that the original breather hose was completely squashed flat rendering it useless anyway [].

My problem is the catch tank I have is suitable for 12 and 15mm pipes, but the air/oil separator seems to have a 17mm fitting. I've searched but don't seem to be able to find a suitable adaptor (the ideal would be a 17mm to 12mm reduction) . I am loathed to get Pirtek to make something up as I've yet to finalise the tanks location and would rather do it properly later on. Any ideas as to where I can get what I'm looking for?

 

[944 man]

I was about to suggest a braided hose Pete. Which locations are you considering; what capacity catch tank; whats it made of; does it have a sight glass? []

 

[Peter Empson]

It's just an ebay cheapie, made from aluminium, with a sight glass but doesn't vent to atmosphere (didn't want to drill out the air/oil separator at the moment). I may get something nicer later on, but as an experiment to see where my oil is going I thought it was worth a shot. I think I'll be putting it behind the headlight on the passenger side (need longer piping for this), it seems a good location that's out of the way with access underneath for easy emptying.

For the time being I've bodged a pipe to replace the damaged one (just for the record I've had another measure and think the pipe is larger than 17mm, but it's not exactly easily accessible under the intake to be too precise), I think it should last until I can get Pirtek to make up all the hoses I need (for the oil cooler etc).

 

[Hilux]

Peter,

Samco do 16-13, 19-13 and 19-16mm reducers hoses?

 

[944 man]

With their being silicone rubber you may be able to adapt a slightly off size to fit too. You can find cheaper silicone hoses too: similar quality for a good deal less money.

Ive been meaning to make a set of silicone coolant hoses for a 944, but Id need a set of new replacements first, whichd make the silicone hoses redundant, if you see what I mean...? []

 

[edh]

Peter

I'm sure you'll find everything you need on ebay - like this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/19mm-16mm-Plastic-Reducer-Connector-Hose-Joiner_W0QQitemZ270395230550

I'll take you a pic of my catch can - that has a couple of joiners that reduce the hose size. I fitted it just behind the rad - it was the main reason I swapped to a standard J-pipe/MAF rather than a "stealth" MAF.

 

[sawood12]

Where does the catch can connect between? Is it the AOS and J-Pipe?

 

[edh]

ORIGINAL: sawood12

Where does the catch can connect between? Is it the AOS and J-Pipe?

mine? - it connects between the crankcase breather (AOS?) and the intake - you're just inserting a bit of extra pipework in the normal route.

 

[Peter Empson]

Thanks all!
Paul, I hadn't thought of Samco (doh!), to be honest I only really think of them as making larger hoses.

Ed, I searched for ages on ebay and couldn't come up with anything, so thanks, a couple of those should get me to the size I need.

 

[Alexw]

What squashed the original? As soon as I get round to it I'm going to make myself a catch can[] Probably mount it next to the intake manifold on the inner wheel arch bit as itl be prett small.

 

[Peter Empson]

There are two pipes near the AOS and the breather line was trapped under the other pipe (it should have been on top and not underneath), squashing it completely over time. I took a pic yesterday so will post it if it came out clearly when I get home.

The location you mention is good, I was tempted to do the same but want to keep that space clear for easy SC fitting.

 

[Diver944]

Peter, could this crushed pipe have been one of the causes of your oil smoke/ consumption. I know it took us a while to get the breather system right on my engine after the rebuild and at various times it would produce huge clouds of smoke through the breather system as we tried different things out.

 

[sawood12]

ORIGINAL: edh

ORIGINAL: sawood12

Where does the catch can connect between? Is it the AOS and J-Pipe?

mine? - it connects between the crankcase breather (AOS?) and the intake - you're just inserting a bit of extra pipework in the normal route.

I was just meaning generally but I think you answered my question. The AOS is the Air/Oil Seperator which is the black bit that bolts onto the sump and is supposed to stop oil from being sucked up into the induction system. Clearly doesn't work 100% effectively hence the need for catch cans!

I am considering one of these as, when I eventually get round to getting the Vitesse MAF kit (come on $ vs £ exchange rate - I could do with a collapse of the $) I would like to mount the MAF upstream of the turbo just in front of the throttle body rather than in the usual place, so i'd like to have nice clean air going through the MAF rather than oily air - though John at Vitesse reckons that the oil air will have no effect on the operation of his MAF unit.

 

[Peter Empson]

ORIGINAL: Diver944

Peter, could this crushed pipe have been one of the causes of your oil smoke/ consumption.

That's what I'm hoping Paul, I can't see how there was any flow through the pipe at all, so there must have been a lot of pressure build up. I've not driven the car since sorting it, but I'm due to take it back to Gaydon on Sunday for an almost identical drive from the one I did for the Tipec meet, including test track laps [], so I will eagerly be watching the oil consumption. I still intend to have a new bottom end built up though []

For anyone trying to make sense of the pic below, the AOS is the round thing on the left, the breather pipe is attached to it with the jubilee clip, it should head off diagonally across the image in a straight line, but thanks to the other pipe being in front instead of behind it it became bent around it (the pipe at the top right of the 'X' is also the breather hose, it was really deformed!).

 

[edh]

I took a few pics in a dark garage with my phone - this was the only one that wasn't too blurry - you can see the hose joiners & the makeshift mount I made out of some oil cooler fitting bits I had left over. The bonnet catch has 2 bolt holes on the LHS that were just right. []

 

[Peter Empson]

Thanks Ed, I did consider it there, does seem a very logical place but not having pop up headlights saves so much space for this kind of thing []

 

[sawood12]

Where did you get that one from Ed? Is it one that doesn't vent to atmosphere?

 

[edh]

ORIGINAL: sawood12

Where did you get that one from Ed? Is it one that doesn't vent to atmosphere?

I bought it from a chap who was breaking a 944 turbo - a sprint car that he'd hit a tree with..[]
It doesn't vent to atmosphere - that's not a good idea as you don't want to pressurise the crankcase (leads to leaky sump gasket etc..)

You can see some posts on rennlist where peple have inadvertantly swapped the ISV and AOS hose over when they have installed a catch tank - leading to oil leaks.

 

[Diver944]

ORIGINAL: edh

I bought it from a chap who was breaking a 944 turbo - a sprint car that he'd hit a tree with..[]
It doesn't vent to atmosphere -

That's the same one that I have. Jon Mitchell sells them

 

[Peter Empson]

It also looks a lot like some of the generic ones available on eBay, see here for an example