[ChiDiddy]

Switched from a sealed catch can setup to a vented one with advice from Bob@BPC.





My setup:
JR 2.8 race tune with deletes.

My original sealed can setup with same routing was the source of my excess smoking and oil leaks out of the exhaust tips. I originally thought that my turbo seals were blown and asked for Bobs advice, and he mentioned my sealed setup could cause oil to be forced out due to excess crankcase pressure.

I had a blown valve cover gasket seal shortly after my deletes and tune, and this excess crankcase pressure could have been the cause of it. Bob advised to try a vented catch can setup.

Ordered one off eBay, $26 shipped. Installed it and the smoke was instantly gone. No more excess blue smoke out of the exhaust tips at a red light. Hardly any smoke at all. Still lots of oil residue from the prior can setup but the smoking is stopped. No codes as of yet, 200 miles in.

After a hard drive, the vented breather filter would be seen emitting the crankcase vapors out, but hardly compared to the excess plumage from the exhaust I had before. When stepping on the gas pedal, the fumes get sucked back in.

[32valves]

So isn't the turbo side sucking unmetered air in?

[ChiDiddy]

I initially thought about it too, but it's the PCV...it's job is not to draw air but more of recirc back to the intake. Even sealed, it's unmetered vapors. Forgot to mention that all the excess blow by and oil gunked up my primary o2 sensor and pretty much killed it. Replaced it.

Seeing how the car seems to behave a lot cleaner now, it works for my car. Only time will tell if the turbos are already broken or not. No loss in boost pressure or power.

[rkstar9]

for the price it's not bad at all!
how long have you had it?
and where does one connect the catch can to?

[ChiDiddy]

Originally Posted by rkstar9

for the price it's not bad at all!
how long have you had it?
and where does one connect the catch can to?

I've had this setup for less than 600 miles. Made his post after I finished.

I had the sealed setup for over 2k miles. If u look closely where th hose is connected, that's where I'm connecting between the PCV.

So far so good, no smoking from exhaust and all the excess blow-by is mostly vented out of the breather.

[rkstar9]

Nice
and what about the hoses where did you get those and how many feet?

[335dsleeper]

A sealed system works fine as long as the hose and fittings do not cause a restriction. When you have small fittings or hose, crankcase pressure will increase and will ultimately escape through a seal or gasket.

Your turbos are fine.

[335stoner]

question and not bashing. What is the point of a inline VTA setup?

Everyone says that VTA is bad and a it will cause more problems than good. With this your valve cover vacuum from the intake is lost at the catch can filter. If you have a restriction from cover to can then your intake is just pulling air from the filter.. if you have excessive pressure in the valve cover it will just pump it out the filter (which is the point of this I assume)

This setup seems like it is made to keep people who hate VTA happy.. its not really vented it returns to the intake.

At the same time it keeps the people who hate sealed setups happy... its not sealed its vented.

Anyone know the benefit?

[BB_cuda]

sorry, I'm ignorant. VTA=?

[TDIwyse]

Originally Posted by BB_cuda

sorry, I'm ignorant. VTA=?

I think that means Vent To Atmosphere?

I ran open crankcase ventilation for awhile and posted crankcase pressure/vacuum data. It worked well for me and kept the intake dry and clean. However I eventually switched back to closed crankcase ventilation and use a Fleetguard crankcase filter that offers essentially no restriction but filters crankcase oil vapor well (not as good as something like a Provent, but WAY less restrictive).

I kind of agree with 335dstoner on his evaluation the OP's setup ... Unless his old setup was restrictive, or had oil pooling in his long tubing runs, it's not obvious to me why this would be a good thing. However, it's pretty easy to setup a redneck manometer test and measure what the crankcase pressure/vacuum is doing with any crankcase setup. The oem setup produces a great vacuum at that intake snorkel which is useful for venting crankcase pressure.

[335stoner]

Correct “Vent To Atmosphere”

[ChiDiddy]

My sealed setup was causing oil to be pushed out from the turbo oil seals. Pools of oil would shoot out from both exhaust tips along with large plumes of blue smoke.

With this setup, it works for me as the oil loss is no longer so pronounced, and the blue smoke is nearly gone. Only crankcase blow by is seen coming out of the breather. I can easily take off the breather filter and screw on the plug to make it sealed.

[TDIwyse]

Originally Posted by ChiDiddy

My sealed setup was causing oil to be pushed out from the turbo oil seals. Pools of oil would shoot out from both exhaust tips along with large plumes of blue smoke.

With this setup, it works for me as the oil loss is no longer so pronounced, and the blue smoke is nearly gone. Only crankcase blow by is seen coming out of the breather. I can easily take off the breather filter and screw on the plug to make it sealed.

If you have crankcase fumes coming out the catch can filter when the OEM intake snorkel is pulling a vacuum (yes, it pulls a vacuum even at idle, and becomes quite large at full fueling and high rpm), then you have a restriction between the filter opening and the OEM intake snorkel connection that makes it easier for the fumes to evacuate to atmosphere at the filter as opposed to being sucked through your tubing into the intake snorkel connection.

Did you ever measure the pressure/vacuum in your crankcase to try to understand what was going on with your original setup? For example, recommendations for crankcase tubing routing is that you never want to have "low spots" where oil/moisture can condense/collect, which will cause a restriction, and cause exactly what you describe above. And the longer your routing is, the larger diameter your tubing needs to be to avoid restriction. Your routing is very long and seems to offer places where moisture/oil/fluid could collect and block or restrict flow. Some simple measurements of vacuum/pressure from the dipstick tube would show you immediately if you have restriction in your CCV system. Even though the OEM intake snorkel will pull a good vacuum on the CCV inlet, if your crankcase filtration routing/system is causing a restriction, the crankcase pressure will become excessive and cause the problems you saw before this new modification. It's also possible that you will soon be back to this same situation as oil/moisture condenses and collects in low spots in your routing as time goes on.

[ChiDiddy]

I routed the hoses to where it will minimize chances of pooling, based off other DIYs. Used 1" diameter and 5/8" hoses. Have not measured vacuum at all, don't have the meter for that. I've contemplated about routing another hose, taking off the breather, and having the blow by recirc back into the intake filter.

I began this switch to a vented can with the advice of Bob@BPC. Seems to remedy the situation I had. I'm running a AFE filter connected to the stock intake pipe.

[rkstar9]

so maybe hose should be as short as possible and maybe locate the catch can towards the front of the engine bay close to where the op connected the hoses?

[TDIwyse]

Originally Posted by ChiDiddy

I routed the hoses to where it will minimize chances of pooling, based off other DIYs. Used 1" diameter and 5/8" hoses....

Those are good things. It's difficult to tell from your pics, but if you have no low spots anywhere along the routing where oil/fluid can pool, and your catch can isn't restrictive, then in the absence of vacuum/pressure measurements it would be difficult to pinpoint where the issue was in your original setup. It might just have been the really long routing, and the new vent at the can basically cut in half the routing/obstruction.

[Owen81]

I have seen a few people with oil consumption / blue smoke that thought their turbo seals were going, resolve their issue by replacing their valve cover gasket. If your vented setup hasn't completely eliminated the issue, perhaps this is something to look into?

[ChiDiddy]

Yes I have already replaced the valve cover gasket. Bob said they've seen excess crankcase pressure that causes blown valve cover gaskets (which happened to me already), so to help relieve this excess pressure, vented can was tried.

My sealed catch can setup could've caused a restriction it itself bc the inlet/outlet ports were only 3/8". I've tried setting up the catch as close as possible but no clearance in the front or intake area would provide enough clearance for the hood and breather filter, and also ease of oil dumping from the can.

Again, this is what worked for my setup, doesn't mean it'll apply to others automatically. But all the different views and inputs are very good to hav, to see other avenues of potential problems. Bc if this didn't work, I would've purchased new turbos already.

[rbreding]

Just to add a data point. Short hose runs don't give the vapors enough time to condense. My belief is that those with the can near the vac pump are too short. Can needs to be routed over to near the brake cylinder for length and cooler part of engine. My can is almost at it's first sr oil change and will be measuring the oil that I have captured. Heck I might even pull the IC to see how effective it's been at reducing oil pooling in the IC (which was my goal).

[BB_cuda]

Originally Posted by rbreding

Just to add a data point. Short hose runs don't give the vapors enough time to condense. My belief is that those with the can near the vac pump are too short. Can needs to be routed over to near the brake cylinder for length and cooler part of engine. My can is almost at it's first sr oil change and will be measuring the oil that I have captured. Heck I might even pull the IC to see how effective it's been at reducing oil pooling in the IC (which was my goal).

Here is a wierd one to consider. I temporarily ran a large open hose to straight down in front of engine. I was blowing a pretty good amount of oily smoke. The hose was about 20" long and i still got no liquid oil. I ran this way for about a week and went back to closed system. I didn't want to get the Law checking on me and discover other things too.

EDIT: i have a .MOV file showing the flow out of the hose but this forum won't let me attach that type of file.

[mainiac]

Originally Posted by rbreding

Just to add a data point. Short hose runs don't give the vapors enough time to condense. My belief is that those with the can near the vac pump are too short. Can needs to be routed over to near the brake cylinder for length and cooler part of engine. My can is almost at it's first sr oil change and will be measuring the oil that I have captured. Heck I might even pull the IC to see how effective it's been at reducing oil pooling in the IC (which was my goal).

I’ve commissioned Oil mist coalescing filters for 3000 HP slow speed diesels and the maximum allowable temperature going into the filters was 180F for proper separation.

Anyone know what the CCV temps are coming out of the M57? Also is anyone keeping the CCV heater in tact with the filter? Is this heater always active when the engine is running?

[Stormnorman]

Sorry can you reupload the pics? Lol