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Made my own oil catch can. Didn't like anything else...

Started by _Gunmetal LH_ , Jul 08 2019 12:23 AM

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#1 _Gunmetal LH_

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Posted 08 July 2019 - 12:23 AM

Couldn't find what I wanted in a catch can.  All were too big, too small, not filtered, too finely filtered, connections in odd spots or silly angles, too expensive or plain old looked like s#!t.

 

Modified an alloy overflow with a sight glass which used crappy push-loc connections with some plastic tube that's used on bloody fish tanks.

 

Never seen one more than a month old that hadn't turned so brown you couldn't see what level it was at.

 

Changed that to Orings and some borosilicate glass (Pyrex) cut the back open and put some mesh in to retain some SS scourers and soldered it back up- killer!

 

Went to put it in the car and it was too bloody big!

 

 

So I made my own.  Second attempt at aluminium soldering...

 

Filtered, baffled, recessed borosilicate sight glass, drain plug, removable from the bracket with just a clip, and hose barbs right where I wanted them.

 

Started with a bit of aluminium sheet, trimmed it up, and bashed my sight glass section into it.

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Got it pretty even first go.  Rolled it up and soldered it before realising it was about the same size as the last one that was too big so I cut out a strip 2.5"ish and soldered again.

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But wait, there's more...


#2 _Gunmetal LH_

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Posted 08 July 2019 - 12:51 AM

And then...

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Figured polished would not suit the rest of my engine bay (VY SS) so wrinkle black it is!

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Was tightening the bracket and *Ting* yep, snapped at the top bend, pretzeled the bottom.

 

Soooo redesign that bit with a fill-in piece and full loop for the bottom bolt.  Function over fashion- not pretty, but it works.

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#3 ido09s

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Posted 08 July 2019 - 12:38 PM

no baffles inside it?


#4 _Gunmetal LH_

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Posted 08 July 2019 - 09:37 PM

Yes, has 1 full height, about 2/3 across. Made some vertical cuts to make 4 legs and bent almost level so it would hold itself in place while I soldered the bottom on.

 

Sort of jambs itself in there and also holds the SS scourers in place.  Did a "shake the s#!t out of it" test and they stayed put.

 

You can see the SS scourers and the bottom of the baffle through the drain plug.  It exteds to the right just past the edge of the thread.

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2 minute MSpaint rendering...

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Sealed it to keep each side properly seperate with black silastic and a BBQ skewer 'applicator'.


#5 RallyRed

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Posted 09 July 2019 - 08:27 AM

luv the bracket...very cool


#6 _Gunmetal LH_

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Posted 09 July 2019 - 11:36 PM

Cheers.

 

Didn't want to have to unbolt anything to remove.  Sort of made up the design as I went along with the stuff I had.

 

Would do a plate into a thin & wide C section next time.


#7 Heath

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Posted 10 July 2019 - 12:26 PM

That is pretty trick Peter!

 

A lot of work went into that.

 

Now... Torana parts?


#8 _Gunmetal LH_

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Posted 11 July 2019 - 12:28 AM

Cheers.

 

Yeah, getting there.  No room, need a bigger place with a garage I can actually use then it will be full steam ahead.

 

Constantly collecting Torana bits and pieces in the meantime.  One day!

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#9 _Gunmetal LH_

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Posted 11 July 2019 - 12:47 AM

Been practising techniques for now.  ^ was a first go at alloy soldering.


#10 Rockoz

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Posted 11 July 2019 - 09:36 AM

Like pretty much all types of soft soldering, you need to take into account that solder has very low mechanical strength properties.

Doesnt seem like it will be an issue with what you are doing so far though.

But keep it in mind as you experiment with your new found trick.

I started doing aluminium soldering back in 1978.

Was very frustrating back then. The new types of solder werent available.

So many bits I wanted to join just melted away into a puddle until I got the hang of it.

The new stuff is so much easier to use.


#11 Heath

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Posted 11 July 2019 - 10:49 AM

I saw some little promo video on Instagram or whatever about this kind of solder product. I've never played with it.

 

But if you can fabricate all of the above kinda shit with it (and that is properly cool work you've done!) then it'll be very easy for you to step into making interesting stuff with a better gluing process (eg. TIG welding)


#12 _Gunmetal LH_

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Posted 12 July 2019 - 11:02 PM

Found the solder easy but the alloy difficult to work with.

 

It's like the oxide layer is holding things in place while the inside is aaaaaalost molten.  In low light it would just get a very dull red glow to it when it was just right.

 

You'll see the gray areas around where I heated it.  Too much and it would sag/blob- you'll see that too.

 

 

Bit like welding butter with the exact same butter, but you have to preheat the butter as it acts like it's on a block of ice if you don't the way it dissipates heat through itself.

 

So you get it juuuust right, then blob.

 

 

Have been planning to get a TIG one day.  Looks more versatile than my MIG.  Got lots of ideas to build...


#13 Rockoz

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Posted 13 July 2019 - 09:36 AM

Yep.

The oxide on the outside of the aluminium has a higher melting temp than the clean aluminium.

That is why it is always said that you need to clean aluminium properly before any type of welding operation.

And when you need to do a long run, you do it in stages.

Have seen close to a foot of aluminium weld just drop out of a join because it got too hot.

Was a rather expensive mistake too. it was about an inch wide as well. 10mm plate.

Once you get the hang of it though it doesnt seem so hard to do.

But you need lots of practice bits before you tackle the real thing.


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