There has been a lot of discussion about hugely complicated oil catch tanks recently and why a beer can will suffice.
i have gone 1 step up from a beer can but nevertheless my catch tank is very simple and uncomplicated. You check the level by pulling filter off and dipping with piece of wire. You empty by removing 2 screws from base plate and tip the oil out.

This was custom made to my requirements by our good friend Deneo. I called up on Monday and he made it while i waited. Many thanks Dene for your help. Cant wait to see the bike carb manifold completed at the end of the month.

[Edited on 17/5/06 by DarrenW]
Rescued attachment catch tank small.JPG

Gotta agree with ya Darren - keep it simple

Mine is similar in look - just has a drain plug underneath.

I'll empty it every now and again

One question i forgot to ask. The std Pinto crankcase breather has what looks like a ball inside it. I guess this is to stop oil dropping back down. I also guess the ball is pulled up by the vacuum created at the manifold. i no longer have a vacuum after plumbing into the catch tank. Does the breather (is this also known as PCV valve??) have to be modified?

Yes, you need to take the valve out or buy a valveless one from rally design or burton (the alloy block breather)

breather's just the job by the way! Very good indeed. Post some piccys as soon as you've got the bike manifold sorted!

Cheers Nat, will do. manifold will follow the simple formula. Its a straight forward flate plate with 4 tubes )and of course a water connection). From what i have seen of it so far it is going to be just great and locost as well.

Im now racking my brains to work out how i can mod the current valve. I dont seem to recall seeing a join in it last night............
drill it out?

Bond the ball in its uppermost location?

Cut the housing open, remove valve and bond housing back together with JB Weld.

Just push the hose in the hole where the breather sits?


How stingy am i??????

I have a quick question about the pinto PCV valves too...

How is it fitted into the block? Is it just a push in fit? I didnt want to yank on it too hard... The one fitted to my block doesnt seem to have a pipe connection to it, unless the pipe is just stuffed in the top of it? And helpfully i dont have any pictures!

(Found one in James' archive here Clicky

I think I will be making a catch tank out of an aluminium flask and some bits of pipe. Skint

Apologies for the thread hijack.

Your tank looks very smart Darren

No probs on hijck, well its not really i hijack anyway.

That looks like the same valve i have except i have a bit pushed into the top that has 2 outlets. It is this piece that has a kind of ball valve in. I was thinking that i may be able to junk the t-piece with valve and just push the pipe straight in instead. For now ive blocked one of the oulets off, other connected to catch tank. Im hoping the bit in the pic is just a can and doesnt need modding.
Ive also connected the oulet from oil filler cap to the tank as well.

I have a PCV valve that looks like the one from james archive except it has a bit on the end to push the hose on to.

Most of them are a diaphram (or plunger maybe) that is pulled upwards by the manifold vacuum, as the vacuum is highest at low engine speeds the diaphram is pulled upwards so it doesnt vent into the manifold, this would cause an upset with the fuel/ratio as there isnt much fuel going in, when the engine speed increases and the vacuum drops the PCV valve release and lets the gases go into the manifold, as there is a higher air/fuel mixture going into the engine, the gases dont matter as much.

Anyway, i doubt most of us are venting into the manifold, but if it is just vented into a catch tank there wont be an vacuum to pull the diaphram up meaning it will just vent as normal.

I know that mine when just connected to a hose seems to vent ok, you can notice a bit of vapour coming out when the engine has been running a while.

I seem to remember being told that these valves are set to open at 5psi so need to have the internals taken out. Without this all breathing will come through the filler cap.

I haven't tested it but mine has the internals removed for good measure as I am feeding a tank.

How did you remove the internals?

Im totally confused now, do i need one off these, im running a black top unit and the catch tank is on the side of the engine i think , do i need to modify this ???

i dont know how the zetec breather works. I only have experience of the Pinto one.

Does the zetec one have a one way type of valve that is sucked by inlet vacuum? If it does then i guess it also needs to be modified / changed. Im favouring the rally design alternative as it is less than a fiver for the pinto.

i havent a clue???

al i know that there is a catch tank already on side on my engine with pipe comming off, and i dont know where it goes!!

quote:

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Originally posted by Krismc
i havent a clue???

al i know that there is a catch tank already on side on my engine with pipe comming off, and i dont know where it goes!!

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great cheers!

This is the PCV from my old pinto which pushed into the top of the breather, with the valve taken out. Just gently grind off the lower edge till it all falls out. Very similar PCV in behind the oil separator on the side of my silvertop block. I have dealt with it the same.
Rescued attachment breather.jpg

Dusty,

Many thanks just what i wanted to see.

Cheers,
darren