ARC Oil catch

jumbosrule

jumbosrule

Fully FX Invested
Premium
Location
Redondo Beach, CA
Car
2003 FX35T
Name
Brad
Description:

Oil Catch Tank works just like a crankcase vent filter. It will bypass the connection between the crankcase and the air induction intake track. This will relieve pressure placed against the valve train under engine load. But unlike a crankcase vent filter, the oil used by the valve train will not drip onto adjacent engine components. The oil catch can will 'catch' all excess oil that is blow out by the valve train. This will keep your engine compartment clean, your performance maximized, and give your engine that custom look.

http://www.z1auto.com/prodmore.asp?model=350z&cat=engine&prodid=2405
http://www.phase2motortrend.com/arcoilcataz3.html

I've seen this oil catch product posted in a couple of photos here on the scene. What I'm trying to figure out is where those hoses go to? It makes sense that one goes to the PCV valve and one goes to the lower plenum, just as my current oil catch mod. But where is the third hose running to?

Here's my catch. Sup with ARC's third hose?

View attachment 178618
 
Here's the photo I was talking about. Seems like the third hose is going to the driver side of the plenum. Could it be the hose attached to the intake tube? Looks like the same hose cover and connector? But then where is the hose going that was there before? Still confused.

View attachment 178620

Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
 
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So I emailed Z1 and asked. The response I got was, "one hose goes to each valve cover and one goes to the intake tube."

So that means that we have to "plug" the lower plenum barb currently connected to the PVC (passenger side valve cover) hose?

The second valve cover barb MUST be the one that is currently connected to the intake tube on the driver side. If it wasn't then you couldn't just disconnect that vacuum line and have what it was connected to before still work.

If this is correct, then the lower plenum provides suction for the passenger side valve cover and the intake tube provides suction for the driver side valve cover. The ARC catch can uses only one of these suction ports for both valve covers at the same time. I wonder if it is less effective because it's running at half the pressure it was running before?

I'm not sure I have it right.
 
info that I found:

"Yes. The ARC takes the PCV line and connects that to the Catch Can and then brings the line from the valve cover on the drivers side over to the cach can. Then there is a cap put on the PCV tube on the intake manifold."

"Yep this will capture the majority of the oil residue in the intake system that exits from the crankcase (bad turbo and supercharger seals cannot be stopped with this system). This is also dependent on how much blow by you have in your motor, but assuming a tip top seal you will see almost zero residue once the can is installed."

---------- Post added at 10:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:36 PM ----------

a guy did a DIY with a corvette oil catch....
http://my350z.com/forum/engine-driv...diy/332056-another-oil-catch-can-diy-pix.html

idk if it helps
 
It does help - confirms what I thought was going on. Just could never find anything official (installation instructions, website, etc).

I wonder if the intake tube is a better choice than the lower plenum for being the sole source of suction? Seems to me it would be better to be in the plenum because you don't have to first pass through the throttle body. Would be one way to keep the TB clean for longer. I like the design though. It seems to be efficient.

In a different DIY I saw, they actually used a T-fitting to connect both valve cover lines into one catch can input. Using a T-fitting outside the can should work just as well as joining them inside the catch can in terms of catching the oil. I could totally modify the set-up I have right now to run on a single vacuum line. I would just need the T-fitting (already have extra silicone hose). It would actually give me a little room to remove clutter - I could move the catch can to the fire wall (between the two valve cover hoses) and delete the vacuum line to the lower plenum. Not sure there is a whole lot of benefit to doing it this way. Guess it would be a, "PVC oil catch tuck" or just a unique way of doing it.

I'm a lot less motivated for the ARC now that I understand it. I think I could do much better on the cost of the whole mod and make it look just as good - especially since I already have an oil catch...
 
After modifying my set up to behave like the ARC, I totally understand the system now. I really think most people who did the oil catch here on IS didn't do it correctly. They were only catching the oil from one side of the engine. You have to bring the second valve cover vent into the equation so that both sides are tied into the inlet of the catch can.

Since the valve covers actually generate positive pressure, the outlet can either be vacuum/suction like the ARC design, or it can be a breather.

The vacuum line helps to pull air through the system, further reducing blow-by pressures.

Usually the breather has a small filter on it. The purpose of the filter is to catch any residual oil that makes it past the catch can, so that it doesn't make it out into your engine bay, gunking everything up. If the can is designed properly and has good baffles, no oil should make it that far. If you do use a breather and it's getting really dirty - the catch isn't doing it's job.
 
thanks jumbo, I actually have my oil catch off for awhile now cause I havent gotten around installing the new one.
can you do a PIC of what you are talking about or a diagram. I think even if the guys who did it the "traditional" way, still is better than no catch i guess.
 
Bklynjohn718 said:
Yes please jumbo. Pics of your installation would be a great help. I wana do this also. :tup:
Click to expand...
It's in my blog also, but here's the engine bay thread I wrote it up in:

///4862&page=4

I can tell there is a pressure limitation by the way the hoses feel and sound. Really need to go bigger on the hoses, and bigger on the can inlet fittings. No matter how big my hoses are, flow through the can is the limitation right now.

About only doing one of the hoses - I really don't know the real answer, but I would imagine at NA it makes no difference. Before, we had no catch can so I would think you are still providing some benefit. Boosted the pressures go up considerably, as well as volume of the blow-by gasses. I would think it would provide an imbalance that wouldn't be good for the engine.

Here's a diagram I made just to illustrate it. The vacuum source should be 1 or 2, but not both. In other words, use whichever one you want and plug the other one.

View attachment 178622



Making my own catch can was a really good learning experience. It ended up being a waste of money (not a lot) - but hey, now I know. If I had access to materials and could weld, I'm pretty sure I could design and build my own catch for cheaper and with better performance than even the ARC. I would actually measure the pressures at each valve cover vent and size the hoses and inlet/outlet orifices for no restriction or back-pressure.
 
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very nice, but I have to say that those who chose to use only one side of the engine wasnt doing it wrong, just not both sides. also I think it will be more important if the engine was boosted like you said. thanks for clearing things up about the ARC design.
I have to keep up with your blog lol
 
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