Catch Tank Design
Posted: April 28th, 2013, 2:20 am
I've just bought a Volvo V70 T5 estate.
It has a few mods by the previous owner, chipped, adjustable boost, tweaked intercooler, etc. but he has fitted a tiny little catch tank -- maybe 500ml -- which I don't believe is up to the job. I'm not sure that the relatively small bore single breather tube is really up to it either but currently I just want to address the capacity/design issue. Later I can see where I can take a second breather from.
As I see it:
1. There's plenty of space for me to custom design and fit a bigger catch tank.
2. Ease of draining is something I need to look at (if they're not easy to empty, they don't get emptied), so I thought a simple tap connected to a tube running down the side of the engine bay, so I can simply drain direct into a catch tray.
3. Some form of sight glass so it never gets more than half full.
4. This is a road car, so what goes to the catch tank is going to be moisture and blow-by products. It's important for engine health that these do not enter the inlet manifold, but under UK rules, they cannot vent directly to atmosphere.
5. I hear Cusco (probably amongst others) make catch tanks with some mechanism for condensing blow-by, but I've never seen one, have no idea of the design, and I'd sooner make something to use the available space anyway.
I thought of a relatively deep tank, divided in two parts. The divider has holes which progressively get smaller toward the top, the inlet side is filled with stainless steel wool (or ASDA stainless pan scourers, if they still have them in the £1 section!).
The outlet side has the tap at the bottom but no filling.
Ideas and comments would be very welcome. Thanks.
It has a few mods by the previous owner, chipped, adjustable boost, tweaked intercooler, etc. but he has fitted a tiny little catch tank -- maybe 500ml -- which I don't believe is up to the job. I'm not sure that the relatively small bore single breather tube is really up to it either but currently I just want to address the capacity/design issue. Later I can see where I can take a second breather from.
As I see it:
1. There's plenty of space for me to custom design and fit a bigger catch tank.
2. Ease of draining is something I need to look at (if they're not easy to empty, they don't get emptied), so I thought a simple tap connected to a tube running down the side of the engine bay, so I can simply drain direct into a catch tray.
3. Some form of sight glass so it never gets more than half full.
4. This is a road car, so what goes to the catch tank is going to be moisture and blow-by products. It's important for engine health that these do not enter the inlet manifold, but under UK rules, they cannot vent directly to atmosphere.
5. I hear Cusco (probably amongst others) make catch tanks with some mechanism for condensing blow-by, but I've never seen one, have no idea of the design, and I'd sooner make something to use the available space anyway.
I thought of a relatively deep tank, divided in two parts. The divider has holes which progressively get smaller toward the top, the inlet side is filled with stainless steel wool (or ASDA stainless pan scourers, if they still have them in the £1 section!).
The outlet side has the tap at the bottom but no filling.
Ideas and comments would be very welcome. Thanks.