HELP! Catch Can Question

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Jan 12, 2009 | 08:42 AM

AintQik

Thread Starter

Drifting

Joined: Jul 2005

Posts: 1,969

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From: NJ

HELP! Catch Can Question

I'm asking over here because the n/a folks won't have big cans and probably won't be under the loads our motors are.

It seems Spin and I are both having some wierd issues. I drained my catch, which is a huge Moroso with 2 12AN lines and a breather and it was filled with water! Some oil, very milky.

Ok, crap I pushed a head. Wait, I'm only on 10psi, all forged. How, and how is it at the top of the motor?

I seperated some water, and it was just that.... water. Not bright orange anitfreeze. Checked dipstick, no water or any sign of water. Could it be that in my sometimes cold CO temps the hot air is causing condensation? Its the only thing that makes sense, car is not running bad, no other indication of a problem. There is some condensation at staqrt-up out the pipes, but seems pretty normal, no loss of coolant.

Any thoughts? I would have never guessed I could have half a quart of water condensation but I dunno where its coming from. Car has been about 2 hard months since I drained it.

Jan 12, 2009 | 09:09 AM

5 Liter Eater

Le Mans Master

Joined: Aug 2002

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From: Houston TX

St. Jude Donor '11

My money is on condensation although I haven't ever drained water out of my catch cans. I have two Campbell Hausfeld air filters in series, arrows pointing at each other for my catch can setup. I drain about 1-2 tablespoons combined out of both cans every month or so. I drained them this weekend and I had some white substance at the bottom, almost like lithium grease. My guess is that this is condensation mixing with the oil and being heated and cooled repeatedly as my catch cans are mounted right behind the blower close to the header.

Jan 12, 2009 | 10:41 AM

AintQik

Thread Starter

Drifting

Joined: Jul 2005

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From: NJ

Its got to be. I just am having a hard time understanding how that much could develop. I guess if I imagined catching all the water droplets that get blown out the exhaust everytime you start the car on a cold day I could see it. I hope I'm not pushing water somewhere. But if I were how would it get in the rocker? It's got to be condensation.

Jan 13, 2009 | 02:36 PM

Austin-vette

Instructor

Joined: Sep 2006

Posts: 160

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From: Austin Texas

St. Jude Donor '08

I have the same catch can; when I drain it very little oil and much more water, not a milky emulsion but almost clear water--has to be condensation or I am in for a lot of grief.

Jan 13, 2009 | 03:18 PM

PowerLabs

Le Mans Master

Joined: Oct 2007

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From: Greater Detroit Metro MI, when I'm not travelling.

The catch can on both my factory Turbo cars would catch a milky emulsion that resembled chocolate milk; once allowed to settle it turned out to be mostly water and some engine oil. This is perfectly normal.
I believe it is mostly blow by from the rings; the combustion of gasoline results in 55% of the original weight of the gasoline your burned coming out as water; this blows past the rings, gets to the oil, the is pulled via the PCV to the catch can and condenses out; once it mixes with the oil it looks milky.

Jan 13, 2009 | 03:37 PM

AintQik

Thread Starter

Drifting

Joined: Jul 2005

Posts: 1,969

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From: NJ

I talked to the tuner here and he said its completly normal to have that much water in a catch can here. All due to condensation. So, I guess we're good to go for a while

Jan 13, 2009 | 05:26 PM

aTX427

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Posts: n/a

Are you using the Moroso with the big K&N breather on top? I looked at one like that but had concerns about thehumidity coming back into the can and chose to use two closed loop catch cans.