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Written By:
Jamie Harvey
Adding an oil catch can is a great way to keep your engine compartment from
getting covered in excess oil blow-by. Most oil catch cans cost between
$69-$199. If you need a quick solution, here is one that I have used which
costs under $15.00. I actually had all of these parts in my tool box except for the
water bottle and many of you might find appropriate parts hanging around your
house as well. Build time took me less than 4 minutes.
The Container
Many people like to use a 20 oz. soda bottle but I find a FIJI 500mL water bottle
to be a much better shape. The bottle is square with a tapers top with a flat
area on each of the four sides to easily mount your inlet. I like how the top
portion of the bottle allows the inlet to point downward slightly to minimize any
oil from being forced out of the breather filter. All you need to do is simply
remove the outer label and the entire cap. Cut off the small blue ring that
remains after unscrewing the cap.
Cost: $1.39
The Inlet
The fresh-air inlet on the valve cover is 3/8" in size so you'll need a 3/8" barb
fitting of some sort. I purchased a 90 degree 3/8" barbed inlet with 1/8" NPT
male threads on the other end. Yu can use any 3/8" inlet you choose but be
sure you have some way of bolting it to the side of the container. I purchased a
1/8" NPT-to-1/4" NPT adapter as my lockng nut. I then installed a flat washer
with a 7/16" through hole on the outside and inside of the container.
Cost: $4.97
The Air Breather
The air breather simply needs to have a 1" I.D. (which is the exact size of the
bottle opening) and needs to be a clamp-on style. Just slide it on the top of the
bottle and clamp it on.
Cost: $7.99
Mounting the container depends on your location. I removed my windshield
washer fluid bottle and have mine mounted in its place. I ended up replacing
the outside mounting washer with a metal strap bracket and I used the bracket
to hold the container onto the firewall. Some people simply zip tie the bottle to
an object under the hood that is away from excessive heat and moving parts
(i.e; shifter linkage, drivebelts, EGR piping, etc..). Its best to have the catch can
be higher than the valve cover in an ideal situation but isn't that critical if that
isn't possible in your setup.
