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mavhopefull

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Sure. I'll try to explain the system. I'll try to type this out to make it make sense.

The crankshaft is spinning in the engine splashing oil around, same goes for the camshafts. The combustion process causes a lot of cylinder pressure, some of that sneaks past the rings and into the block. The cylinder heads have holes that drain the oil back to the oil pan, those same holes allow that combustion gas that ends up in the crank case to make it into the cylinder head area. So you end up with all these spent combustion gasses and oil inside your engine. The valve cover has a vent on it that, in this case, goes directly to the air intake tube. That tube is always under vacuum sucking those vapors and oil out of the valve cover and into the intake. Those gases and oil is then sucked into the turbo, compressed and travels through the intercooler pipes, intercooler and then back into the intake manifold, cylinder head/valves re-burnt and the processes goes on and on.

Over time, and in many cases not a lot of time, that oil/vapor builds up on the valves/pistons and combustion chamber. It also lowers octane values and the worst part is the oil coats the inside of the intercooler and keeps building up inside of it. We have dumped a solid 1/2 quart of oil out of intercoolers in the past.

The oil separator is put into this system and catches that oil and separates it by a filtering media that is in the can. You occasionally drain it and it keeps the largest majority of the oil in the can, that is the closed system you see here.

A vented can has a filter on the top of it and is not recirculated (I should say should not be). The valve cover vent goes to the can, the crankcase vents directly to the can and catches 100% of the oil and vapors and the intake tract where it use to re-circulate to is eliminated.

The system on the Maverick is good for performance but horrible for contaminating the intake tract. The performance side is good because it directly vents the crankcase pressure but it does so with no way to filter out the contaminates. So what you gain in a drop in crankcase pressure will soon be cancelled by an intercooler full of oil. Even a thin film of oil inside an intercooler drastically drops its efficiency.

Hope this helps.
Excellent Write Up. I will be purchasing one as soon as my Maverick gets here.
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Platinum2

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Sure. I'll try to explain the system. I'll try to type this out to make it make sense.

The crankshaft is spinning in the engine splashing oil around, same goes for the camshafts. The combustion process causes a lot of cylinder pressure, some of that sneaks past the rings and into the block. The cylinder heads have holes that drain the oil back to the oil pan, those same holes allow that combustion gas that ends up in the crank case to make it into the cylinder head area. So you end up with all these spent combustion gasses and oil inside your engine. The valve cover has a vent on it that, in this case, goes directly to the air intake tube. That tube is always under vacuum sucking those vapors and oil out of the valve cover and into the intake. Those gases and oil is then sucked into the turbo, compressed and travels through the intercooler pipes, intercooler and then back into the intake manifold, cylinder head/valves re-burnt and the processes goes on and on.

Over time, and in many cases not a lot of time, that oil/vapor builds up on the valves/pistons and combustion chamber. It also lowers octane values and the worst part is the oil coats the inside of the intercooler and keeps building up inside of it. We have dumped a solid 1/2 quart of oil out of intercoolers in the past.

The oil separator is put into this system and catches that oil and separates it by a filtering media that is in the can. You occasionally drain it and it keeps the largest majority of the oil in the can, that is the closed system you see here.

A vented can has a filter on the top of it and is not recirculated (I should say should not be). The valve cover vent goes to the can, the crankcase vents directly to the can and catches 100% of the oil and vapors and the intake tract where it use to re-circulate to is eliminated.

The system on the Maverick is good for performance but horrible for contaminating the intake tract. The performance side is good because it directly vents the crankcase pressure but it does so with no way to filter out the contaminates. So what you gain in a drop in crankcase pressure will soon be cancelled by an intercooler full of oil. Even a thin film of oil inside an intercooler drastically drops its efficiency.

Hope this helps.
Thank you for this detailed explanation. I never fully understood how this whole oil separator thing became a "thing." Now I understand the background of the problem.

Follow-up question: Are OEM's not aware of this situation? If so, do they not think it is a problem?
 
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Buschur

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Thank you for this detailed explanation. I never fully understood how this whole oil separator thing became a "thing." Now I understand the background of the problem.

Follow-up question: Are OEM's not aware of this situation? If so, do they not think it is a problem?
They are aware but also limited by EPA on how and what they can do. They are also concerned more with keeping costs down, profits up. Thank goodness though, it leaves room for guys like me to have a business improving on their products!
 
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Buschur

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starquestbd22

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@Buschur Thanks for the lengthy and detailed reply. I reread my post and I meant to say what is the difference between vented and sealed...but obviously you knew what I meant, lol.

To make sure I'm understanding correctly...the vented catch can does not return the vapors and oil to the engine but instead vents it into the engine bay through a filter.

Whereas a sealed catch can returns the vapors to the engine just as occurs normally but (hopefully) with less oil contaminants in it.

Is that right? Why did you say earlier that you prefer a vented CC for a turbo engine? I would assume that since not returning these vapors to the engine, it does the best job at keeping the engine and forced induction components clean?
 
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Buschur

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@Buschur Thanks for the lengthy and detailed reply. I reread my post and I meant to say what is the difference between vented and sealed...but obviously you knew what I meant, lol.

To make sure I'm understanding correctly...the vented catch can does not return the vapors and oil to the engine but instead vents it into the engine bay through a filter.

Whereas a sealed catch can returns the vapors to the engine just as occurs normally but (hopefully) with less oil contaminants in it.

Is that right? Why did you say earlier that you prefer a vented CC for a turbo engine? I would assume that since not returning these vapors to the engine, it does the best job at keeping the engine and forced induction components clean?
You are correct on everything!

Yes, I prefer a vented can on a turbo engine. We developed a catch can system for the GTR's years ago, that has no been copied like most things we do, that's another story. DSport Magazine actually did a big write up and dyno test to verify the facts we put out. The GTR was mine we did the dyno testing on here and at the time was making around 900 whp if I remember right, the whp gains were substantial by eliminating the crank case pressure. I can go back and find the articles and testing if anyone wanted solid numbers but I remember the gains being in the 40 whp range. The pressure in the crank case keeps the piston from traveling back down the bore, imagine the crank case having boost pressure in it, which it actually does, by venting that out the piston travels easier on the down stroke increasing power.
 

starquestbd22

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Awesome! Thanks again for the info. I'll be keeping my eye on these. This has probably moved to the top of my mod list.
 

Fotomoto

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Follow-up question: Are OEM's not aware of this situation? If so, do they not think it is a problem?
Issues like these are increasing along side fuel economy and emissions requirements that keep getting tougher. AKA trying to squeeze a little more life out of old tech. Direct injection and increasingly complex transmissions are more “new” problems.

Easiest way to avoid is not have the emissions in the first place so an EV is the ultimate answer but those aren’t ready yet for everyone and every application so hybrids and plug-in hybrids are a good compromise till then.

I’m not trying to spread FUD here but in 2021/22, I personally wouldn’t buy a new ICE vehicle if A) I want keep it for a long time when these issues finally pop up and B) not see a lot of depreciation down the road as the market transitions to a non-ICE world.

YMMV :)
 
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Buschur

Buschur

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Here is a test from back in 2007 from a Mitsubishi EVO8 I had on our dyno. This is the write up I did 14 years ago on that particular issue with an contaminated intercooler:

"
I have a very good customer/friend that comes to our shop for work and parts. He has a mix match of parts on his car, not all our stuff but all good parts. Very avid autocrosser, very good, intelligent guy.

His car was recently fitted with our EVO Green turbo. This was after switching from the 20g-9-5.

Anyway, the car has an AEM EMS on it so it is very easy to monitor boost and air temps after the intercooler.

This particular car had a turbo failure, freak thing and the turbo put a lot of oil through his intercooler. Oil in the intercooler is common on Mitsubishi vehicles because the emmision laws will not allow you to vent a crankcase to atmosphere. Use to be you had a nice big fat breather on the valve cover, not allowed anymore. So on the drivers side of the EVO valve cover is a hose that runs down to the rubber turbo inlet hose. There is a LOT of suction on that hose and it evacuates the pressure from the engine whenever the car is running. Even more when the car is under boost as the turbo is sucking hard and you have more blow by at that time in the engine. The problem with this is oil in an intercooler RUINS the efficiency of the intercooler. A light coating of oil in the intercooler can really ruin how well it can cool the intake charge.

Back to the story.......this particular car is fitted with AMS's FMIC. Now I know when I see an AMS part on our dyno, just like when it is our part, it is going to perform in XX manner. This particular car was gaining a lot of air intake temps on each pull on the dyno. I pointed out to Jarrod that he should consider going to either AMS's race FMIC or ours, whichever he chose. He told me he had monitored the air intake temps before and they didn't go that high.

The car was left at the shop and we did a boost leak check, changed the upper i/c pipe and upon his request we took the intercooler off the car and cleaned it out. I had forgotten how important keeping an intercooler clean was. When he asked us to do it both my brother and I said it was a PITA blah blah blah (to ourselves, not to Jarrod).

Well folks, I put the car back on the dyno and the air temps were freaking unbelievably better. The car was previously gaining 30 degrees F in a single gear pull, which is not good. After the intercooler was cleaned the car would only gain 2-4 degrees F on a single gear pull, that is very good.

This is a small thing that is overlooked. I even admit to overlooking it, I did testing probably 10 years ago on it and it had since then just slipped my mind.

Tip of the day, make sure you are NOT pulling oil into your turbocharger from the crankcase and if you have a car with high miles on it that has been, I'd suggest pulling off whatever intercooler you have and giving it a good douche job, lots of douche bags around so it should be easy to find the equipment to do it
Ford Maverick Buschur's Maverick 2.0 oil separators DONE! wink


BTW, we used a very strong floor cleaning/oil degreaser solvent we have at the shop to do it. I use to use gasoline back in the day but that probably wasn't the best thing.

You can get a good cleaner at Home Depot for doing this. We use Greased Lightning and some other stuff called Purple something. Greased Lightning is the best you can buy commonly. Don't get it in a cut on your hand and if you has "office" hands don't even get it on your hands. It's pretty harsh. Also, don't put it on your paint on your car or aluminum.

Great for cleaning floors, grease, oil, engines, under the car etc. It will take light undercoating off.

There's a free tip for you................

Have a nice day."
 
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Buschur

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Issues like these are increasing along side fuel economy and emissions requirements that keep getting tougher. AKA trying to squeeze a little more life out of old tech. Direct injection and increasingly complex transmissions are more “new” problems.

Easiest way to avoid is not have the emissions in the first place so an EV is the ultimate answer but those aren’t ready yet for everyone and every application so hybrids and plug-in hybrids are a good compromise till then.

I’m not trying to spread FUD here but in 2021/22, I personally wouldn’t buy a new ICE vehicle if A) I want keep it for a long time when these issues finally pop up and B) not see a lot of depreciation down the road as the market transitions to a non-ICE world.

YMMV :)
and....I don't see myself every driving an EV.
 
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Buschur

Buschur

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I hear ya’.

20 years ago, I said the same thing about those new funky egg-mobiles (prius)
20 (32 actually) years ago I was racing and setting 4 cylinder turbo records, I'm not ready to stop doing that!
 

Platinum2

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They are aware but also limited by EPA on how and what they can do. They are also concerned more with keeping costs down, profits up. Thank goodness though, it leaves room for guys like me to have a business improving on their products!
Fair enough, but I don't see how the EPA views this issue as acceptable as it stands. Glad to have you around to solve these issues for us! đź‘Ť
 

Atisko

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Oil separators are done! The way the factory system sucks unfiltered oil/vapors directly from the valve cover and into the intake tract. This is HORRIBLE. I expected a PCV in line, there is nothing. So the key is to simply keep this oil out of the intake and even more importantly the intercooler. This can does that.

The pictured can is in raw aluminum, the production models will all be powder coated in wrinkle black. We will start welding those cans up tomorrow, we should be able to ship product next week, no issue.

We are able to do these for $279!
IMG_0334.jpg
IMG_0335.jpg
Does this product improve mpg or just prevent it from deteriorating?
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