Adding venting to engine for catch can (race car)

[LateApex]

I suspect this has been covered before, but much searching has yielded nothing for me.  For those of you that have added venting to the engine, what did you do?  I do not weld aluminum, so I have considered a bolt-through -AN fitting on the valve cover but I worry that without a baffle of some sort it will pull too much oil.  I've also considered the same setup on the upper timing cover (to get it away from the cam/rocker spray).

 

Does anyone have a functional solution that does not involve welding aluminum?

 

TIA

[Simeon]

What about something like this? You just need to drill a hole and add a rubber grommet

 

[tzei]

OE is not enough? I've seen ppl put one to oil filler cap.

[uai]

If you have an early block you can do what Alpina did .- use the oil dipstick breather from early Neue Klasse downside is they are difficult to find.
If you have a TII/Turbo block you can use the oil return hole from the KUFI pump

 

 

 

Edited May 30, 2019 by uai

[LateApex]

Thanks for the responses.  The dipstick idea is a good one, but It'd be a hassle to disconnect every time you check the oil.  As far as staying with the OEM breather on the valve cover, I read somewhere on here, while researching this, that a race engine vents quite a bit of oil through that location at high RPM. 

Does the timing chain throw a lot of oil?  It seems like there would be less oil mist in behind the timing covers than the valve/cam space, hence my thought about adding a vent to the upper cover.

[02Pilot]

Do you have a problem, or are you to to anticipate one and deal with it preemptively? If it's the latter, given how easy it will be to add an additional vent later (pulling the cam cover and upper timing cover is minutes of work), I'd send it and wait to see if it's an issue.

[LateApex]

Yes, preemptive.  Getting ready to run the catch can plumbing and rather than reinvent the wheel I thought I'd check and see if thee was a proven solution.

[markmac]

The schnitzer 1.4 turbo cars plumbed a fitting into the upper timing cover for more 'breathing', along with the regular vent which is essentially in the same position as a single cam motor.  Obviously its a high revving, high hp motor and apparently needs it.

[LateApex]

I found a partial solution to the issue - a fuel pump block-off with a breather fitting.  It's a VW part but should fit the head.  I'll combine this with the OEM breather, plumb to the catch can and see how it goes. 

[Simeon]

8 minutes ago, LateApex said:

I found a partial solution to the issue - a fuel pump block-off with a breather fitting.  It's a VW part but should fit the head.  I'll combine this with the OEM breather, plumb to the catch can and see how it goes. 

 

Nice solution. Wouldn’t there be a lot of actual oil out of that? You might want to make sure that the hose is directed upwards when it comes out of that. 

[M3M3]

why not use the stock opening in the valve cover for this purpose?

[LateApex]

21 minutes ago, mlytle said:

why not use the stock opening in the valve cover for this purpose?

I am, but wanted some additional venting.

[LateApex]

41 minutes ago, Simeon said:

 

Nice solution. Wouldn’t there be a lot of actual oil out of that? You might want to make sure that the hose is directed upwards when it comes out of that. 

Yes, I'll use a 90* bend up to the hose coming from the OEM vent and then to the catch can.  If I get too much oil in the can I will re-think.

[M3M3]

14 minutes ago, LateApex said:

I am, but wanted some additional venting.

curious......why?

 

having driven a lot of miles on race tracks with M10's, S14's, M20's, M50's, S52's, and more...i have never needed additional venting beyond the stock port.

[coloincaalpine RIP 2021]

I recently saw this on a race car. Thinking of using it on mine. It was attached to the upper timing cover (M10) and vented to an overflow tank.

It is the rear water port for an E30 head.  

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