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C6 Corvette ZR1 & Z06General info about GM’s Corvette Supercar, LS9 Corvette Technical Info, Performance Upgrades, Suspension Setup for Street or Track
One thing I have always been intrigued with is trying to find the best way to run the PCV system (boost and N/A) and how to run it with a quality catch can. Well I have seen the elite can, the RX can, and many of what I feel are very poorly design cans that do little if any to help catch oil. After reading a catch can thread a few weeks ago "Unreal" turned me on to the Mighty Mouse can. I had never even heard of this can (later found him on LS1tech) so I did some research on it and then bought one and received it today, and I have to say I am so impressed with it and very surprised no one gives it much mention here. It really isn't a catch can, it is a breather (when needed), a catch can, and completely eliminates the factory PCV system that is inadequate at best because the PCV coming off the valley port it is too restrictive. It has it's own built is PCV valve with a much better quality of valve than the factory. Looking at it, it just looks like a regular CC with a sight glass and a filter on top, but there is a second cylinder in the middle of it that is welded at the top and open at the bottom. The bottom is filled with mesh to catch the oil fumes and create droplets. The outside 8AN port is to the dirty side (valve cover port) and the other port (clean side) is the PCV port and it has a small clear rubber tube that goes from the valve into the inner cylinder. Now when make crank case pressure the air goes into the dirty side down into the mesh and then back up through the center to the air filter. Now here is the cool part, in the center of the air filter is a free floating round rubber piece that is flat and it actually put inside the filter during construction so it won't come out. This piece rests on top of the inner cylinder and when the pressure comes up it pushes it up and the air pressure goes out the filter. Then you let off the gas and the vacuum is created and sucks it back down on top of the cylinder and maintaining a closed PCV system, I think it is a brilliant design! David explained there are many ways to run the system depending on your setup, but I am going to run it the same way as he did on his car using a valve cover with an oil filter port and a 8AN adapter that feeds the dirty side and the PCV side will connect at the intake behind the TB. I will cap the valley cover and run ever thing else off the oil tank the same. Thanks again to Unreal and David at MM for the help!! Here is a video of his setup, notice the fumes coming out of the filter under load.
Well I have seen the elite can, the RX can, and many of what I feel are very poorly design cans that do little if any to help catch oil. ...............
and completely eliminates the factory PCV system that is inadequate at best because the PCV coming off the valley port it is too restrictive.
I will cap the valley cover and run ever thing else off the oil tank the same.
I've had both RX and EE. The quality of the EE can far exceeds that of the RX. The machining involved with the EE is very good. I would have designed it differently, where the vacuum port would be, but it works well as is.
I am curious to why you think the OE valley port is too restrictive. I screwed around with mine when I had the engine apart, and it did not appear to be restrictive at all. Pretty much free flowing (considering it is also a baffle design to prevent oil ingestion). So either mine was broke, or different than all others, or someone is blowing smoke up your backside. I would also suggest that you NOT block off the valley port. You want vac on the valley to pull vac on the crank case. Pulling it only from the valve covers is not good enough, imho. Think about how a true vac pump system works and who it gets plumbed.
The MM can does look like a good alternative. I'll give it that.
I'm actually going to run an 8AN line (1/2") off of the valve cover oil filler port, and from there I'll still run the two dirty lines off both valve covers to the dirty side of the oil tank. Then I will still keep the clean side port of the oil tank and hook it in front of the throttle body. This will give me plenty of vacuum, I think more than the factory set up.
I know doing it this way is overkill for a mild heads and cam set up but it will definitely keep the intake clean.
When you look at every other can like the elite engineering it's a closed system and it keeps the pressure inside of the motor and oil tank that can cause burps of oil into the intake. Don't get me wrong I think it is a good can, but The mighty mouse can stays closed until pressure pushes the valve open in the air filter and bleeds it off then it closes again and creates vacuum. It's an awesome design.
Originally Posted by Michael_D
I've had both RX and EE. The quality of the EE can far exceeds that of the RX. The machining involved with the EE is very good. I would have designed it differently, where the vacuum port would be, but it works well as is. I am curious to why you think the OE valley port is too restrictive. I screwed around with mine when I had the engine apart, and it did not appear to be restrictive at all. Pretty much free flowing (considering it is also a baffle design to prevent oil ingestion). So either mine was broke, or different than all others, or someone is blowing smoke up your backside. I would also suggest that you NOT block off the valley port. You want vac on the valley to pull vac on the crank case. Pulling it only from the valve covers is not good enough, imho. Think about how a true vac pump system works and who it gets plumbed. The MM can does look like a good alternative. I'll give it that.
I've had both RX and EE. The quality of the EE can far exceeds that of the RX. The machining involved with the EE is very good. I would have designed it differently, where the vacuum port would be, but it works well as is.
I am curious to why you think the OE valley port is too restrictive. I screwed around with mine when I had the engine apart, and it did not appear to be restrictive at all. Pretty much free flowing (considering it is also a baffle design to prevent oil ingestion). So either mine was broke, or different than all others, or someone is blowing smoke up your backside. I would also suggest that you NOT block off the valley port. You want vac on the valley to pull vac on the crank case. Pulling it only from the valve covers is not good enough, imho. Think about how a true vac pump system works and who it gets plumbed.
The MM can does look like a good alternative. I'll give it that.
As far as the valley port it may be no problem to use it, but I can certainly say there is no problems caused by blocking it either.
I have also blocked the valley port on my new build as Dave at MM suggested. I can tell you that the engine vents just fine without it. On my previous build, which was and Eforce ( 14lbs and 780rwhp) I had an Elite can running from valve covers to the intake. Never had any problems or leaky seals like some of my friends have had using the valley port. The valley plate provided with and eforce actually has no port on it, and there are tons of them out there running with no problems.
When my car hits the dyno next week I will measure crankcase pressure to be sure its fine, but I expect no issues.
Filtration is better on the MM can compared to elite. Elite is ok for eye candy and a stock or mild mods, but anything making big power, or boosted should get something else. Sucks paying for a can to upgrade later because it is too small, fittings too small, doesn't filter well enough, etc. The MM can will be the last you you ever have to buy and is good for stock or 1200+hp.
I'm actually going to run an 8AN line (1/2") off of the valve cover oil filler port, and from there I'll still run the two dirty lines off both valve covers to the dirty side of the oil tank. Then I will still keep the clean side port of the oil tank and hook it in front of the throttle body. This will give me plenty of vacuum, I think more than the factory set up.
I know doing it this way is overkill for a mild heads and cam set up but it will definitely keep the intake clean.
When you look at every other can like the elite engineering it's a closed system and it keeps the pressure inside of the motor and oil tank that can cause burps of oil into the intake. Don't get me wrong I think it is a good can, but The mighty mouse can stays closed until pressure pushes the valve open in the air filter and bleeds it off then it closes again and creates vacuum. It's an awesome design.
Not following your logic. There is a vacuum on the EE can from the intake manifold, which in turn pulls a vacuum on the valley vent.
I have no doubt the MM can is a good unit.
Originally Posted by realcanuk
As far as the valley port it may be no problem to use it, but I can certainly say there is no problems caused by blocking it either.
I have also blocked the valley port on my new build as Dave at MM suggested. I can tell you that the engine vents just fine without it. On my previous build, which was and Eforce ( 14lbs and 780rwhp) I had an Elite can running from valve covers to the intake. Never had any problems or leaky seals like some of my friends have had using the valley port. The valley plate provided with and eforce actually has no port on it, and there are tons of them out there running with no problems.
When my car hits the dyno next week I will measure crankcase pressure to be sure its fine, but I expect no issues.
Define “problems”.
I’m not talking about ‘venting’, I’m talking about pulling a vacuum on the crank case for ring seal and windage. Granted, the playschool dry sump system that the Z06 has, is nothing like a good four stage pump pulling 10” or more, but it’s still better than nothing. But, it doesn’t really scavenge the sump and pull much vacuum on the crankcase. Blocking off the valley vent is not, in my opinion, a good idea. Ideally, 10” - 14” of crankcase vacuum is what you want. The OE oil pump cannot pull anywhere near that. So, you need to rely on the PVC system to assist. It’s still not didly squat, but better than nothing. Blocking of the valley, or modifying it to vent only, just doesn’t sit well with me.
Anybody have an picture of an install on an NA car? I am thinking of running it as a Draft Can so I would keep the factory pcv (technically just a restricted hole in valley cover) and then the tube where the call it dirty side valve cover or just the tube coming out of the tank to the tube in the accordion connector in the front of the TB. The big issue here is that at WOT the PCV is somewhat useless as there is very little vacuum and the pressure needs to go somewhere so it goes back to our oil tank and up front to the tube in the throttle body. Maybe a small amount pushes through the 2.5 mm valley hole and into the manifold. (BTW I looked up how much blow by a motor typically makes and an average on it 2% of HP is cfm. So if you make 500 hp x 2% = 10 cfm of blow by - race engines are closer to 1%). Where it get ingested there. By running the can between those lines when the pressure goes up it has another way to vent instead of the tube in front. Under normal pooping around town conditions there is no pressure but vacuum (thus breather is closed) as the PCV system is adequate and I still get my PCV fresh air from the tube in the accordion connector up front. It is amazing how much air does come out of the pressure side under WOT. I had my 540 CID Chevelle on the dyno and I have a factory style cowl induction set up with a factory style tube as the PCV clean air intake port that is actually outside the air cleaner in the air cleaner housing that seals to the hood. When they got on it on the dyno it went from sucking in air to pushing out air steam that was very easy to see along with some chocholat milk by-product that sat in the air cleaner outer housing.
Install on na car would look just like a blower car, just lines routed different. Can go from valley to intake, or valve cover to intake depending on how you want to set it up.
Not following your logic. There is a vacuum on the EE can from the intake manifold, which in turn pulls a vacuum on the valley vent.
I have no doubt the MM can is a good unit.
Define “problems”.
I’m not talking about ‘venting’, I’m talking about pulling a vacuum on the crank case for ring seal and windage. Granted, the playschool dry sump system that the Z06 has, is nothing like a good four stage pump pulling 10” or more, but it’s still better than nothing. But, it doesn’t really scavenge the sump and pull much vacuum on the crankcase. Blocking off the valley vent is not, in my opinion, a good idea. Ideally, 10” - 14” of crankcase vacuum is what you want. The OE oil pump cannot pull anywhere near that. So, you need to rely on the PVC system to assist. It’s still not didly squat, but better than nothing. Blocking of the valley, or modifying it to vent only, just doesn’t sit well with me.
I never measured the crankcase pressure or vacuum with my previous system, like I plan to with the current setup when I get to the dyno.
What I meant is that every eforce car out there is running without a the valley plate vent, and I was pushing that setup about as hard as one can. By problems, I mean that I didn't get any seals leaking, which is the problem that seems to turn up when things don't vent properly.
02-11-2015, 10:00 PM
David explained there are many ways to run the system depending on your setup, but I am going to run it the same way as he did on his car using a valve cover with an oil filter port and a 8AN adapter that feeds the dirty side and the PCV side will connect at the intake behind the TB. I will cap the valley cover and run ever thing else off the oil tank the same. Thanks again to Unreal and David at MM for the help!! Here is a video of his setup, notice the fumes coming out of the filter under load.
