2.3L ('83-'97) EGR and PCV valve- replace or delete?

[cbxer55]

Probably designed that way intentionally. It's also filled with some kind of mesh material. It has a ball cock on the bottom. In 1000 miles, it will half fill a rattle can lid.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Yeah, I need to get one of the chinese catch cans for my '90, the PCV system can't keep up. But apparently my main oil leak is a galley plug on the back of the block or head apparently now... turns out before my main leak was the camshaft bolt, now it's all in the bellhousing...

Normally they're filled with a brass or stainless steel scrubber deal, kinda like steel wool but more coarse, just to have a BUNCH of surface area for the oil to stick to before it exits the top...

 

[Chapap]

Well I got my exhaust fixed and now I can hear the engine. I can hear the EGR valve opening and exhaust flowing into my poor engine. It’ll turn off and on and I can feel a power difference. It’s probably worse now that there’s a bit more pressure in the exhaust system. And I have a constant CEL too. USPS needs to hurry.

Edit: turns out the noise is the AC compressor… but I figure the rest is still true

 

[Chapap]

I replaced the Egr valve and DPFE sensor. Turns out that noise really was the egr. It acts much nicer now and the only code I have is rich at part throttle. Hopefully a maf cleaning or replacement fixes that.

 

[Chapap]

Here’s my catch can. I got some stainless steel wool to stuff in there because that little holey plate doesn’t seem like it would do much. The only filtery thing that came with it is a sintered bronze cap on the output side. The left piece is the top with the input and output and is upside down. Will see what happens.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Yeah, I need to do something like that, maybe I'll find a small fire extinguisher or something... I looked on amazon and stuff and all of the catch cans are just catch cans that you have to drain, it's a whole lot simpler if they just self drain, the 2.3L is well suited for that since there's like 8" from the PCV to the throttle body... maybe I'll try to just make something to use a SBC valve cover PCV bushing on top with the 90 fitting on the PCV and put a 3/4" hose barb fitting on the bottom...

 

[Chapap]

Yeah, I need to do something like that, maybe I'll find a small fire extinguisher or something... I looked on amazon and stuff and all of the catch cans are just catch cans that you have to drain, it's a whole lot simpler if they just self drain, the 2.3L is well suited for that since there's like 8" from the PCV to the throttle body... maybe I'll try to just make something to use a SBC valve cover PCV bushing on top with the 90 fitting on the PCV and put a 3/4" hose barb fitting on the bottom...

I’ve read other folks not happy with draining the catch can. What’s the other option? I haven’t found any self draining catch cans anywhere.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Basically you would just have the bottom as the inlet from the PCV area then plug everything but one fitting on the top going to the intake manifold, the stainless mesh separating the oil, after it shuts down the oil will drain back down to the oil pan, simple and self regulating...

 

[Chapap]

Ahhh ok. So that’s basically an oil air separator. What about the water vapor, gas, sludgy stuff that is removed from the catch can every so often? I’ve understood that that’s the point of the thing. Or is that more of a worry for high performance engines and you would just rely on oil changes to get rid of all that?

 

[scotts90ranger]

That stuff will likely just stick to the metal mesh stuff and could plug up over time, that's part of why you want a large volume and surface area of substrate... yes, just an oil separator, Lima's have those but they're tiny and don't get it all...

 

[sgtsandman]

I like the idea of the self draining back into the oil pan.

What is used to seal the system while the engine? A spring loaded ball valve?

I assume a hole would need to be drilled into the oil pan for the drain the feed into with a compression fitting to seal everything off.

 

[scotts90ranger]

If you do it right you don't have to do jack... If there's enough vertical distance for what you're doing have it oriented downward and it'll drain back on it's own. On a 2.3L if you have something vertical from the stock PCV location with a 3/4" barb fitting on the bottom then a 3/4" barb at the top, a short piece of 3/4" hose then a PCV valve then a piece of 3/8" hose from the PCV to the intake should do it. If you're doing it on the breather side as long as the apparatus is above the valve cover and the valve cover side is on the bottom and it exits on the top to fresh air it will be self draining... just remember gravity is how it works and you want the oil to go back to the crankcase side of things...