My DIY Oil Catch Can

[jacknifetoaswan]

I was able to pick up this C&L oil catch can for a Mustang from American Muscle for $17 a few weeks ago, and went about adapting it for use on the 2.7L in the Bronco. I also needed PCV quick disconnects so I didn't have to harvest the ones from the stock passenger side. I found these from Mighty Mouse Solutions, and ordered 2x of the Large Snap Post (15.5 mm), 90 degree bend, with 5/8" hose barb size. They shipped super quickly, and I had them a couple days later.

The first issue was to figure out where to mount it, but from there, it was pretty simple. I had initially planned to mount it near the firewall on the passenger side, but I'd have had to modify the mounting brackets, and I don't weld. Then I was going to use a mounting boss on top of the intake manifold, but the bracket wasn't quite right. I ended up settling on a mounting location at the battery hold down.

The mounting bracket hole was just a little too small, so I had to drill it out.

Then I installed the bracket with a little blue thread locker on the screws, and installed the valve with a hose barb on the bottom of the can.

Then I installed the PCV quick disconnects to the ends of the hoses.

Snapped the quick disconnects on the PCV nipples and routed the hoses.

Then I mounted the catch can temporarily...

...and installed the 5/8" hoses on the catch can using worm drive clamps after cutting . I'm going to replace these worm drive clamps because they're not quite strong enough to bite to into the hose. The hoses and clamps were included with the C&L kit. Then I mounted the catch can "permanently".

Finished product photos.

I'm keeping the stock hose in the box, just in case I need it. I've put about 500 miles on the catch can, and haven't noticed any leaks or driveability issues. I'm going to empty it before my 600 mile Easter trip this weekend, and see what I caught.

I also bought a second kit to use on the driver's side, but since that side is the CCV, I need to figure out a few more things before I go about building that.

Hope this helps someone save a couple hundred dollars! All told, I'm in $17 for the kit, $20 for the PCV connectors, and like $6 for the brass hose barb, plus shipping on the first two items.

JR

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[MileHighCitizen]

Hardly looks DIY, my friend. Well done.

 

[Ogre]

Thanks for the heads up. I ordered one for my 2.3.

 

[jacknifetoaswan]

Thanks for the heads up. I ordered one for my 2.3.

At $17, it's a ridiculous steal. If I didn't already have one on my Mustang (Bob's), I'd be ordering another two for that.

JR

 

[G-Waggin]

What does a catch can help with? Nice looking install.

 

[Chadillac]

What does a catch can help with? Nice looking install.

Catches oil blow-by and prevents it from re-entering the intake.

 

[jacknifetoaswan]

Catches oil blow-by and prevents it from re-entering the intake.

Yup. Air circulates from the crankcase to the intake via the PCV system. This air contains oil droplets that can gum up intake valves on a Direct Injection engine without Port Injection (which the 2.7L is not) and the throttle body and intake manifold on all engines.

JR

 

[Tex]

Catch can is in a good spot for easy access. Although that's a whole lot of hose length, it actually benefits you in an air/oil separator, as the oil mist has more time to condense along the hose wall on its way to the separator. The ideal configuration is having the hose going to the catch can on an incline, so that the oil mist condensing in the hose will drip back into the engine, as opposed to draining into the can. Lots of R&D was spent on aircraft trying to keep the belly clean (for us that's the intake manifold), and that's one of the tricks used. Breather tube vents to atmosphere at the bottom of the cowling, and most don't even have an air/oil separator, so all that oil ends up coating the belly. Having a long breather tube on an incline cuts down on that oil considerably, installing a separator virtually eliminates it.

 

[friethmiller]

One of my first upgrades on my 4cyl. Bronco! With direct injection engines, like Ford's 2.3L, there is a problem with sludge build-up on the values/valve stems. Since the fuel is injected directly into the cylinders, no fuel is present in the intake part of the head that would normally keep the values clean - like a port injected engine. Thankfully, the latest gen of the 2.7L has both direct and port injection to mitigate this issue. However, keeping oil out of the combustion chamber, IMO, is always better no matter what's going on.

I have used catch cans on both of my 1st gen 3.5L engines in my F-150s (2011 & 2013) and have installed a catch/return system (like above) on my high performance Type IV VW engine in my 1974 Porsche 914.

 

[murphtron]

Very cool. Looks like you used only one of the brackets that it came with, that correct? Where did you get the hose barb for the bottom? Is the plan to drain it from that hose barb with a temp hose to the bottom of the car into an oil pan?

What will you use to replace the worm drive clamps?

 

[jacknifetoaswan]

Very cool. Looks like you used only one of the brackets that it came with, that correct? Where did you get the hose barb for the bottom? Is the plan to drain it from that hose barb with a temp hose to the bottom of the car into an oil pan?

What will you use to replace the worm drive clamps?

Correct. I really only needed the one. If I find that it's not well supported enough, I'll have my neighbor fab something up. The barb is just a NPT brass nipple that I grabbed at Ace Hardware for like $4. I don't remember the size, but it's easy to find. When it's time to drain, I'll connect a long section of fuel line to the barb, then run it down to a catch vessel on the ground, drain, then remove the hose.

As for the clamps, I could either use Pex clamps or new worm drive clamps. These just don't seem to have large enough teeth, so I wasn't able to get them as tight as I'd have liked.

JR

 

[Tex]

If you can get them in the right size, the spring clamps that Ford uses on all of their hoses are the most secure option. They can be kind of a pain in the ass unless you have the right tool but they're absolutely worth it.

 

[BigMeatsBronco]

At $17, it's a ridiculous steal. If I didn't already have one on my Mustang (Bob's), I'd be ordering another two for that.

JR

no the other ones are just WAY over priced...they are the theives.

 

[Ogre]

I'm trying to verify the quick disconnects on the 2.7 are the same on the 2.3. Does anyone know for sure?

 

[jacknifetoaswan]

I'm trying to verify the quick disconnects on the 2.7 are the same on the 2.3. Does anyone know for sure?

If you have a pair of calipers, you can remove the PCV connector and measure it. I'm pretty sure that all Ford engines use the same connector, as my Coyote has the same.

JR

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