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How-to ... make your own "Condensator" it really works!


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Mine is just filled up with coarse steel wool to catch the vapors. Soon enough, hopefully, I'll have the time to redesign it slightly to help direct the vapors through the filter media more. Although the catch can is indeed catching a lot of the oil vapor, I've noticed a bit in the exit tube.

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I've heard that real Aussies don't drink Fosters and always wondered what else you did with it. Now I know and it looks great, but I hope you didn't waste the beer anyway. LOL The only bad beer is wasted beer!!

 

Ok, so where does it go?

 

I was just thinking how hard it would be for me not to pull the tab on the can......

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Yes, you can just put in a large fuel filter, however, I believe it makes a differance how much volume the cooling area has, i.e. the more area you have for cooling, the more the heavy stuff like oil and water will have a chance to collect on the filter media and fall to the bottom. In theory, the vaporized fuel/air should not be stopped by the filter much, and will continue on.

 

With my set-up, to clean it (recommened at every oil change) you simply open the tea brewer and dump it out. I have been using regular steel wool, so I might have to replace that too each cleaning (it will rust).

 

the thing about using a fuel filter is,, once the filter material gets soaked with oil and sludge, vapors will not easily pass through. The filtering material must be corse enough to alow vapor to pass even when coated with oil.

just something to think about (deeper is better)

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Well my peanut butter jar is at about 1000 km now and I think I'll be keeping it in there!

 

I have not noticed any fluids or crud in the collector but the car does run better. Around town I can feel the difference but I'm eager to take the car on a long road trip. (this would give a better indication on fuel economy too)

 

Also, it makes a great conversation piece when the hood is up. That and the spare tire. Everyone just loves it. Including me.

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Quick thought from my GM experiences, the Quad-4 Engines, i think from 95 and up didnt have a PCV valve at all, they used a device called an Air/Oil seperator in its stead. Haynes Manuals for Cavaliers/Malibus/Berettas should go over them. Maybe its a retro/prefab option for you guys!

 

-dC

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Just an up-date on the use of the "condensator" that I installed on my boss's '91 Exploder:

 

2.5 MPG gained over a 4,000 mile trip and about 1 inch of oil collected in the bottom of the tea bottle ...

 

*Note*

 

This car doesn't burn any oil, so it's not just an old engine either :drunk:

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no picturs of the inside?i'm stil confused about whear to put the steal wool, is it on the botom of the can or up the lid whear the in pipe conector is?

on the real thing i have notised that both of the pipes conected at same level on the top, if so whear is the filtering takes place?

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no picturs of the inside?i'm stil confused about whear to put the steal wool, is it on the botom of the can or up the lid whear the in pipe conector is?

on the real thing i have notised that both of the pipes conected at same level on the top, if so whear is the filtering takes place?

 

Ok, in my version, the steel wool goes into the tea strainer basket that is on top, the reason that you can't vent out that same place is because it wouldn't have passed through the filter. The vent is just the highest place outside the filter, and if you look closely at condensators they have the vent outside the filter even though they are at the same hight.

 

Hope that makes sense :drunk:

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  • 1 month later...

okay folks what we need is to read what is written on the page:

http://www.condensatorsales.com/html/adsorbant_separator.html

then look at that mesh bag holding the silica beads.

and then i googled this group of words" " and found this site:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=silica+gel+beads

and the first site had quite specific data about how silica works better then steelwool ever could on its best day.

http://www.ecompressedair.com/desiccant/silicagel.shtml

 

the only data i'm looking to figure out soon is the chemical structure of the sillica that EB uses in his $179.00 units. that and the pretty stainlesssteele filter unit is quite snazzy looking too. However I must give prop's to the decission to use this:

http://pacificcornetta-store.site.yahoo.net/teazteatum.html :headbang:

 

and for the next tidbit I went here:

http://www.gracedavison.com/eusilica/Adsorbents/product/sylobead_beaded_silica_gel.htm

ummm overkill, but okay.

 

and on the last two links (they are .PDF's) for documentation on the spec's of some variations of the silica beads..... good stuf maynerd! I think I'll email 'um and see what cool info i'll learn from them beyond the FAQ etal.

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Those silica beads are the same thing you find in jerky bags and shipping bags. Check this out 200 Packets Of SILICA GEL DESSICANT - CAMERA DRYING NEW . BAM Filter time. Better yet

 

(slaps forehead) Dang is there nothing hidden from ebay's offering cup? :lol:

 

so here we have a desire to take the factory "filtercan" and its four hoses (for those with an EA82 (right?) and make a PB, a Fosters, Molsen babby keg, or what-have-you with a stainlesssteel bag for the silica beads to filter and a slick retrun line setup for the return hose.....

 

sounds like a winner now if I could just get a few other things finished. :rolleyes:

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  • 4 weeks later...

My PCV system need some reworking so I thought I would give one of these condensators a shot.

 

 

8361Cond2.jpg

 

Coffee mug :)

 

8361Cond3.jpg

 

Silica gel "filter"

 

8361cond4.jpg

 

Filter holder

 

8361Cond5_.jpg

 

Grunge after 250 miles

 

8361Cond5.jpg

 

Detachable for easy clean out. Only have about 250 miles on it so far. It has seemed to fix the smoking on long right handers tho.

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Those silica beads are the same thing you find in jerky bags and shipping bags. Check this out 200 Packets Of SILICA GEL DESSICANT - CAMERA DRYING NEW . BAM Filter time. Better yet

 

I used to be a parts manager for a company that sold and serviced Copiers.

and those copier boxes always came with massive bags of silica.

So if you have a Copier service and sales center in your town, ( like, Coeco, Danka, Konica, Minolta, pitny bowes, Canon, ect.)

just go behind the building and look where they throw out the cardboard boxes and in the trash dumpsters, you will find the silica beads. OR Just go by and ask the Parts manager,;)

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  • 2 weeks later...

A very interesting story you initiated.....

A similar , but much simpler device was build in Lada's in the sixties.

Just steelwool in the rubber hose from crankcase to carburator , to be regulary cleaned at oil change interval.

Just amazing that Subaru did not build in already such a "condensator" device

it is normally a sophisticated car.

 

A question to everybody involved in this great idea :

 

For my Subaru (1986 MPFI , turbo , Wagon , 110.000 Km) , each cilinder has it own crankcase outlet , they are both outputs and no one input and one output as eg. is explained in the Haynes manual un page 1-27.

In that case the passenger side would have been clean and the driver side

full of dirty oil. Yesterday I dismounted the hoses , both are full of dirt.

 

There are many more hoses and connections , directly after the MAF in the big rubber air intake boot and elsewhere.

 

SOMEBODY know where I have to apply such a condensator ?

Any input is welcome............

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