Empty catchtank

  1. Saxperience Post Whore Joined: Mar 2007 Reading Posts: 8980 French tin can
    #1
    I haven't started a thread in ages, so I thought I'd have a wee crack!

    With regard to catchtanks. I've heard the general consensus is these should start to show signs of oil (albeit only tiny amounts) in a fairly short period of time. In my case, I've had one installed for about 8 - 10 thousand miles, and not only is there no sign of any oil, there's not even any oil residue in the pipe leading to the tank.

    So with all that in mind, is that a bad thing? Or is this a sign of a healthy engine?
  2. Saxperience Forum Bum Joined: May 2006 Kent Posts: 3669 Fiat Seicento, MK2 Furio 2000 X, Pug 206
    #2
    I can't see why there would be much if anything at all in there anyway. As the pipe is normally attached to the standard air intake. I have never had oil in my air filter or signs of it? So why would oil be in the catch tank? Unless the engine was boosted causing alot of pressure that would result in oil being pushed through?
  3. Saxperience Post Whore Joined: Mar 2007 Reading Posts: 8980 French tin can
    #3
    With the blow-by that you get, it produces somewhat ugly emissions which normally get routed back into the intake system to be combusted. With my catchtank setup, the blow-by is directed straight into the catchtank, so I would expect a build-up of sorts in the catchtank...
  4. Saxperience Forum Bum Joined: May 2006 Kent Posts: 3669 Fiat Seicento, MK2 Furio 2000 X, Pug 206
    #4
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Toad View Post
    With the blow-by that you get, it produces somewhat ugly emissions which normally get routed back into the intake system to be combusted. With my catchtank setup, the blow-by is directed straight into the catchtank, so I would expect a build-up of sorts in the catchtank...
    Are you sure there are no leaks?
  5. Saxperience Post Whore Joined: Mar 2007 Reading Posts: 8980 French tin can
    #5
    Not from the engine / tubing to the catchtank, no.
  6. Saxperience Post Whore Joined: Jan 2007 Posts: 7705 Saxo VTS
    #6
    Depends how you drive it..

    My dad's rally cars used to breathe alot of oil because they were being nailed all the time..

    If you only cruise about and not flooring it, hardly anything will come out anyway..
  7. Saxperience Post Whore Joined: Mar 2007 Yorkshire Posts: 5415 Saxo
    #7
    Id check the pipe work, i dont have a catch tank but i have a breather with heatsheild.

    The heatsheild is on the breather to divert the oil from going on my rocker as a temp until i clean it because it builds up over the weeks pretty quickly.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by James_Bristol View Post
    Depends how you drive it..
    If you only cruise about and not flooring it, hardly anything will come out anyway..
  8. Saxperience Post Whore Joined: Mar 2007 Reading Posts: 8980 French tin can
    #8
    It get's "driven" alright. Don't worry about that!

    Pipe is fine.
  9. Saxperience Post Whore Joined: Jan 2007 Posts: 7705 Saxo VTS
    #9
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Toad View Post
    It get's "driven" alright. Don't worry about that!

    Pipe is fine.


    Thats what i like to hear..

    How many miles has it done?

    I'm pretty sure the more an engine ages etc the more it will breathe..
  10. Saxperience Post Whore Joined: Mar 2007 Reading Posts: 8980 French tin can
    #10
    About 47k now!
  11. Saxperience Post Whore Joined: Jan 2007 Posts: 7705 Saxo VTS
    #11
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Toad View Post
    About 47k now!
    lol

    What you worrying about?!

    Mine somn 116k now..Still loves abuse..No smoke, knocks or nothing..Plenty of life left..

    Not sure then mate..Engines usually breathe when driven hard..If its all running spot on then i wouldnt worry about..
  12. Saxperience Post Whore Joined: Mar 2007 Reading Posts: 8980 French tin can
    #12
    It will run a lot better when I get a decent ECU installed!
  13. Saxperience Post Whore Joined: Jan 2007 Posts: 7705 Saxo VTS
    #13
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Toad View Post
    It will run a lot better when I get a decent ECU installed!
    Oh ah..
  14. Saxperience Hardcore! Joined: May 2006 Bristol Posts: 16575 JP4urio, 306 DTurbo SportShed
    #14
    I think i remember DaveVTS i.e Gapman off here telling me his got very full in just one track session, and he was told this meant the engine was in top condition.
  15. Saxperience Post Whore Joined: Mar 2007 Reading Posts: 8980 French tin can
    #15
    Hmm. That's not what I would expect. After all, the tank is really only there to catch the engine oil if something goes wrong during a race. The offender wouldn't be very popular after holding up a race because of spilling 4 litres of oil all over the track...
  16. Saxperience Hardcore! Joined: May 2006 Bristol Posts: 16575 JP4urio, 306 DTurbo SportShed
    #16
    Aye thats true maybe it was overfilled with oil. Mine spits out a bit of oil though, my pipe came loose the other day and it had let out some, its hardly a high performance engine
  17. Saxperience Forum Bum Joined: May 2006 Kent Posts: 3669 Fiat Seicento, MK2 Furio 2000 X, Pug 206
    #17
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ben_Saxo View Post
    I think i remember DaveVTS i.e Gapman off here telling me his got very full in just one track session, and he was told this meant the engine was in top condition.
    You don't see rally drivers stopping every lap to empty there catch tanks. Sounds like alot of oil. You would notice that much on the dipstick!!
  18. Saxperience Post Whore Joined: Jan 2007 Posts: 7705 Saxo VTS
    #18
    The catch tank is there to stop the oil being put back into the induction system which reduces power ever so slightly and also routing it through the induction system helps emissions iirc..

    Like i said, when driven hard engines are supposed to breathe..The catch tank is just there like i said to stop the small amount of oil going back into the induction system etc..
  19. Saxperience Post Whore Joined: Mar 2007 Reading Posts: 8980 French tin can
    #19
    Well, not exactly, but I see what you are saying James. The blow-by created is harmful as far as the enviroment goes. So routing the blow-by back into the induction for combustion is good for emissions and the like... You're also correct about performance. The blow-by won't have the same level of oxygen that is found in normal air, hence mixing the blow-by with the normal air induction is not ideal when maximum performance is required.

    However, the actual catchtank is really used on race cars, for the reason I mentioned above. It's there to catch oil if something goes wrong with the engine, and not to allow oil to shoot across the track!
  20. Saxperience Post Whore Joined: Jan 2007 Posts: 7705 Saxo VTS
    #20
    Are you sure Toad?

    If a seal goes in the engine somewhere hows the catch tank going to catch it?

    The oil will run straight from the seal onto the track as it wont go throught the pipes going into the catch tank..
  21. Saxperience Post Whore Joined: Mar 2007 Reading Posts: 8980 French tin can
    #21
    Not sure mate...
  22. Super Moderator Joined: Feb 2004 Tonbridge United Kingdom (England) Posts: 38236 Vtr, 172, throttle bodied track slut
    #22
    why are you worrying, its having shit lots of oil in the catch tank you need to worry about from either fucked rings or valve stem seals.

    joshes engine pisses out tons of oil into the catch tank so i think hes planning on stripping it down to find out why.
  23. Super Moderator Joined: Feb 2004 Tonbridge United Kingdom (England) Posts: 38236 Vtr, 172, throttle bodied track slut
    #23
    and alot of race cars dont use a catch tank, they use a recirulating breather system, back to a dry sump and many filters.
  24. Saxperience Post Whore Joined: Mar 2007 Reading Posts: 8980 French tin can
    #24
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ryan View Post
    why are you worrying, its having shit lots of oil in the catch tank you need to worry about from either fucked rings or valve stem seals.

    joshes engine pisses out tons of oil into the catch tank so i think hes planning on stripping it down to find out why.
    Oh, interesting! Hope Josh's engine is OK...
  25. Super Moderator Joined: Feb 2004 Tonbridge United Kingdom (England) Posts: 38236 Vtr, 172, throttle bodied track slut
    #25
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Toad View Post
    Oh, interesting! Hope Josh's engine is OK...
    he pumps alot of oil into his catch tank. I know that for sure. good convo on ssc about it atm.
  26. Saxperience Post Whore Joined: Mar 2007 Reading Posts: 8980 French tin can
    #26
    Well, I don't give up a drop! So if he want's to ask me any questions about it, as we've got 2 extremes for examples... Let him know won't ya? Cheers.
  27. Established Member Joined: Mar 2007 Wolverhampton Posts: 1055 106 xsi 16v, Fiesta Tdci
    #27
    Hey Toad,
    Having just read yout thread i have also had a catchtank (fanta bottle) on my car for around 8,000 miles and mine has only produced a small amount of vapour, nothing like what people are saying there tanks have filled up in a short space of time.

    My car has been owned by my dad from new and he won't have given the engine death. So i can only presume not much oil/vapour can only be a good thing? Well i hope so.

    Let us know if you find out anymore information, as i would be quite interested to find out.

    Cheers Ste
  28. Saxperience Post Whore Joined: Mar 2007 Reading Posts: 8980 French tin can
    #28
    No worries. Watch this space as they say...
  29. Saxperience Addict Joined: Nov 2006 A farm shed in Aylesbury Posts: 14916 Corolla AE86 Peugeot 205 B18C (in bits)
    #29
    The catch tank is only a devise to allow the oil vapour to cool and condense. The oil can be collected and the air vented to to asmosphere or recirculated depending on the device.
    If your engine has a catastrophic failure then its will probably pee out a big hole in the block or from a broken pipe or turbo etc. Not a lot you can do in a race other than pull off the circuit quickly to help aid the clearup.
  30. Saxperience Post Whore Joined: Mar 2007 Reading Posts: 8980 French tin can
    #30
    OK mate, thanks for the correction. Do you have any idea with regard to the lack of, or in Josh's case, the excess amount of oil collected?