Oil catch cans?

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CortinaGT
Posts: 27
Joined: Sat Nov 28, 2020 12:39 pm
Location: Castle Rock, Colorado

Oil catch cans?

Post by CortinaGT »

Looking for opinions on using an oil catch can?

Recently I put a new rocker cover on my Cortina (with Kent 1500 pre-xflow) not knowing the old one had a vented filler cap, rookie move I know. Took it for a drive, got home and had oil all over one side of the engine, assuming it came through the dipstick tube. Asked the Cortina group I’m with and half said install an oil catch can, the other half said not to. Anyone have opinions or firsthand experience and want to comment? Thanks.
Sideways
Posts: 619
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2011 12:58 pm
Location: Delta BC Canada

Re: Oil catch cans?

Post by Sideways »

Never used one on my Mk1 Cortinas, even the modified ones (which was all of them) just went with the vented cap.
Brett Wilkie
Posts: 1825
Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2012 12:42 pm
Location: Vancouver British Columbia Canada

Re: Oil catch cans?

Post by Brett Wilkie »

Kent engines can have a lot of blow-by especially when running in a new engine as well as when they are old/tired. If there is a lot of pressure it will find its way out the dipstick and if it is too much you can end up with front and rear crank seal leaks. When I put my crossflow in my 100e Anglia I did add extra breathing by tapping the valve cover and installing a vent pipe, I also put a hose breather on the side of the crankcase above the fuel pump cover.
I don't know if pre-crossflows had a provision for a dipstick at the rear of the engine but on my crossflow I removed the little plug to install a small pipe in that position, the small pipe is to drain any excess oil back to the crankcase.
I installed a 2 liter capacity oil catch tank in the front of the engine compartment with the valve cover and block breather running to it, I have the hose routing and angles set up in such a way that if the catch tank starts to fill it will hit a level where the oil drains back through the small hose that is connected to the rear of the block, the tank can also be drained manually through a valve at the bottom of the tank. Here are some photos that may help to explain it.
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Anglia 100e modified
Prefect 100e stock
CortinaGT
Posts: 27
Joined: Sat Nov 28, 2020 12:39 pm
Location: Castle Rock, Colorado

Re: Oil catch cans?

Post by CortinaGT »

Thanks for the responses so far. I did purchase a universal catch can from Moroso https://www.moroso.com/breather-tank85465/ and thought about running mine the same way you did? Heard I need to install the can so that the top line runs up to the can from the valve cover? My pre-xflow has the same mount just above the fuel pump and planned to run other line from bottom of can to there. I see you removed your fuel pump and installed a blanking plate, my fuel pump is still installed, think it can cause problems?
Brett Wilkie
Posts: 1825
Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2012 12:42 pm
Location: Vancouver British Columbia Canada

Re: Oil catch cans?

Post by Brett Wilkie »

I don't know if the block mounted pump would be in the way, I never tried it that way. This is a version of the breather I used, mine is a different size being a 711M block but this is the pre-crossflow version. https://www.burtonpower.com/breather-el ... fp280.html
Anglia 100e modified
Prefect 100e stock
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