Shelby performance oil separator finally listed

[mullens]

I installed my JLT 6 mos ago & began immediately experimenting with how to collect more blow-by.

After several iterations I ended up with these additions inside the can: Laying loose & flat on the can's inside bottom I placed a 1" dia, 1/8" thick stainless hose clamp. On top of the clamp's circle, I stacked 6 circle cut layers of 3M green scratch pad as filters, enough for the top filter layer to press lightly against both the inlet & outlet holes in the can's top.

I used the JLT can's top pressed against the 3M sheet as a template to mark the circles on the green scratch pad sheet & then carefully cut them out to fit tightly into the can's interior circumference.

Without the filter media inside, the JLT's blower end connector would have a little oil DRIPPING out of it after 500 miles. Some oil collected in the can's bottom.

With this final filter iteration, the blower end hose has no liquid oil. I remove the filter pads and squeeze some oil out of each, one at a time using a paper towel. I wipe out the oil collected in the can bottom & clean the clamp.

I re-assemble everything & blow thru the PCV end to verify an easy air flow. Then I simply snap it back in place between the PCV & blower. This clean-out takes at most 30 mins & is performed about every 500 miles for now. I plan to work up to a clean-out with each 6 mo oil change (1000-2000 miles for my Shelby). The 3M filter has not degraded or given off any detectable material after being in the hot can for about 2k miles total so far.

With the new Shelby unit I feel that some blow-by will go directly from can inlet to outlet like the empty JLT can, because, if the inlet only presses against the filter's wire mesh cover, some gasses will bypass the filter & escape to the blower thru the unfiltered outlet. The JLT actually comes with a wire mesh filter in it's outlet, but very little collected if used with it's originally empty can.

I find no joint leaks in my JLT assembly. A vacuum leak here would kill power!

Being an engineer, I have to continually improve things & have been working on a greatly improved catch can set-up. I'll report if found, but I'm fine for the interim with my fun, fun, '13 Shelby!

440 I applaud your hard work on this but I'm at somewhat of a loss with your method. The JLT has a straight shot from inlet to exit, i.e there's no flow through the bottom of the can. How will stuffing more media into the can help collection?

 

[Cam]

It basically improves the droplet collection by impingement and reduces pullover from the can volume.

 

[mullens]

It basically improves the droplet collection by impingement and reduces pullover from the can volume.

OK the man's an engineer I knew there had to be a reason!

 

[Steve@BAS]

I personally wouldn't put a scotchbrite pad in there, they deteriorate pretty bad. Just rub one together for a bit. Then it will either clog us the actual filter in your unit, or get into your engine. And while I imagine it will help collect some more oil, it's not forced through all the media the way the Bob's units work.

Pic of scotchbrite pad, folded over, rubbed for 5 seconds and opened. Think about just vibrations going down the street how much 'rubbing' occurs. Just IMO

 

[Iceman5000]

440, if you want a true test, put a Bob's inline after the JLT, I will almost guarantee oil is blowing right through the JLT. I have tried it both ways. If the Bob's is behind the JLT, The Bob's ends up with just about the same amount of oil as the JLT. If the Bob's is in front of the JLT, you end up with a couple drops of oil in the JLT, while the Bob's collects about 98% of the oil. I am just waiting to get about 300 more miles on mine so I will have equal miles (3500) on each test.

 

[440sprint]

It basically improves the droplet collection by impingement and reduces pullover from the can volume.

This!

My future plan is to basically mount almost any catch can in the empty space behind the driver's side shock tower. Then run long hoses behind the blower to the can, making sure that the can's inlet/outlet are slightly below the PCV/blower ports. The long hoses will allow vapor condensation & the lower can mounting angle should allow all oil droplets to gather in the long hoses & run back into the can.

I saw one demo of this & feel that it has many merits! I sense that no can filter media will be needed. The ample mounting space should allow cans with valve drains to be easily used for quick oil drainage from the bottom of the can.

 

[Steve@BAS]

^The Bob's can already does this to an extent with it's larger diameter hose, and the filter does more than just filtering, but keeping the media in the bottom with the oil, it prevents it from 'bouncing' around. For example, lets say all the vapors did condensate in the hose, and then just collected in the separator as a reservoir. As you bounce over bumps, it will splash around and hit the outlet and get sucked into the engine. The Bob's media also prevents this!

For $114 shipped to your door, why try and reinvent the wheel?

The shelby unit looks priced well at first at $109, then add the hoses, add shipping, factor in no valve for easy draining.

440, if you want a true test, put a Bob's inline after the JLT, I will almost guarantee oil is blowing right through the JLT. I have tried it both ways. If the Bob's is behind the JLT, The Bob's ends up with just about the same amount of oil as the JLT. If the Bob's is in front of the JLT, you end up with a couple drops of oil in the JLT, while the Bob's collects about 98% of the oil. I am just waiting to get about 300 more miles on mine so I will have equal miles (3500) on each test.

Sick! Thanks for sharing results, can't wait to see final figures.

 

[Tob]

How about the mounting bracket? Did you guys go with the standard or firewall mount?

Firewall.

 

[440sprint]

I personally wouldn't put a scotchbrite pad in there, they deteriorate pretty bad. Just rub one together for a bit. Then it will either clog us the actual filter in your unit, or get into your engine. And while I imagine it will help collect some more oil, it's not forced through all the media the way the Bob's units work.

Pic of scotchbrite pad, folded over, rubbed for 5 seconds and opened. Think about just vibrations going down the street how much 'rubbing' occurs. Just IMO

I did this exact thing to each scratch pad layer under water, until nothing came off either side when then rubbed on a white towel. I knew that I only wanted the mesh body of each scratch pad. I keep checking the JLT's wire mesh output filter, but have found no debris. After clean-out & during re-assembly, I rotate the filter layers, putting the top layer on the bottom of the filter stack.

A Team Shelby forum member used auto parts store PCV filter media (old style PCV) in his JLT can with a metal extension fitted into the cap's inside input hole, down thru his filter, in order to send the blow-by under & then back up thru his filter before exiting the can to the blower. I would like to hear from him if the extension helps.

Two advantages of the JLT is that it takes all of 10 SECONDS to remove or to replace the entire assembly on the engine, and it is not near any hot parts of the engine!

Engineers have this problem of needing to re-invent things! I'm retired from inventing things for others. This is for my Shelby!

 

[PowerWheels]

x2.

I like these hoses, without the blue flake, where did you get those? Does Bob's carry them?

 

[Norton]

I like these hoses, without the blue flake, where did you get those? Does Bob's carry them?

Credit goes to 91svtbird for advising me on those. They're 5/8" ID Eaton Hydraulic hose. (IIRC, the part number was H10008.) They cost ~$5/ft + S/H from the R.B. Birge Company in CT. I used 1" heavy duty black heat shrink tubing for the ends.

 

[WJinLV]

I did this exact thing to each scratch pad layer under water, until nothing came off either side when then rubbed on a white towel. I knew that I only wanted the mesh body of each scratch pad. I keep checking the JLT's wire mesh output filter, but have found no debris. After clean-out & during re-assembly, I rotate the filter layers, putting the top layer on the bottom of the filter stack.

Since the filter medium for both is basically coarse steel wool, I wonder if filling the catch can with steel wool would help increase oil trapping efficiency? Anyone try this?

 

[440sprint]

There is no metal in a 3M green scrubber. I heard that steel wool is not advised.

For the brave, read this:

http://www.conceptualpolymer.com/PCV Line Oil Removal 102.pdf

 

[89Saleen215]

I'll jump in here...I held the Shelby piece today at Shelby and can tell you that it has NO filter media. It's simply 2 screens of different diameters. After reading different things on the net about oil separators I opted for the Conceptual Polymer piece since it has zero chance of rearranging my combustion chamber. I'm not sold on it, but I've yet to see a better mouse trap that doesn't use stainless steel or nothing (screens) for filtration. I've ran the CP piece for over 10k miles and it fills up quite a bit in 1200 miles...well at least it gets quite a bit when driving through all the States at speed

 

[440sprint]

I'll jump in here...I held the Shelby piece today at Shelby and can tell you that it has NO filter media. It's simply 2 screens of different diameters. After reading different things on the net about oil separators I opted for the Conceptual Polymer piece since it has zero chance of rearranging my combustion chamber. I'm not sold on it, but I've yet to see a better mouse trap that doesn't use stainless steel or nothing (screens) for filtration. I've ran the CP piece for over 10k miles and it fills up quite a bit in 1200 miles...well at least it gets quite a bit when driving through all the States at speed

Studying your Conceptual Polymer CC at
Oil Catch Cans, I have questions.

1. Can the Watts filter be cleaned & reused?
2. Did you get the glass or alum & what size.
3. What PCV/blower connectors did you use & hose size?
4. Where did you mount it?

Thanks!

 

[mullens]

I'm anxious to see the results of some serious testing. It's just like sports.. two teams can talk all the smack they want, but it's best to settle it on the field.

Ok. There's my sports metaphor for this thread.

 

[mustangc]

I'm anxious to see the results of some serious testing...

This looks like a job for MM&FF or 5.0&SF. Remember when they used to do back-to-back comparison of cold air kits or exhaust systems from different manufacturers? They could do a scientific, controlled study on an engine dyno to measure the amount of oil collected vs. passed through on multiple manufacturers.

Come on boys, bring back the comparison articles! Richard Holdener, are you still out there?

 

[WJinLV]

I installed my JLT 6 mos ago & began immediately experimenting with how to collect more blow-by.

After several iterations I ended up with these additions inside the can: Laying loose & flat on the can's inside bottom I placed a 1" dia, 1/8" thick stainless hose clamp. On top of the clamp's circle, I stacked 6 circle cut layers of 3M green scratch pad as filters, enough for the top filter layer to press lightly against both the inlet & outlet holes in the can's top.

I used the JLT can's top pressed against the 3M sheet as a template to mark the circles on the green scratch pad sheet & then carefully cut them out to fit tightly into the can's interior circumference.

Without the filter media inside, the JLT's blower end connector would have a little oil DRIPPING out of it after 500 miles. Some oil collected in the can's bottom.

With this final filter iteration, the blower end hose has no liquid oil. I remove the filter pads and squeeze some oil out of each, one at a time using a paper towel. I wipe out the oil collected in the can bottom & clean the clamp.

I re-assemble everything & blow thru the PCV end to verify an easy air flow. Then I simply snap it back in place between the PCV & blower. This clean-out takes at most 30 mins & is performed about every 500 miles for now. I plan to work up to a clean-out with each 6 mo oil change (1000-2000 miles for my Shelby). The 3M filter has not degraded or given off any detectable material after being in the hot can for about 2k miles total so far.

With the new Shelby unit I feel that some blow-by will go directly from can inlet to outlet like the empty JLT can, because, if the inlet only presses against the filter's wire mesh cover, some gasses will bypass the filter & escape to the blower thru the unfiltered outlet. The JLT actually comes with a wire mesh filter in it's outlet, but very little collected if used with it's originally empty can.

I find no joint leaks in my JLT assembly. A vacuum leak here would kill power!

Being an engineer, I have to continually improve things & have been working on a greatly improved catch can set-up. I'll report if found, but I'm fine for the interim with my fun, fun, '13 Shelby!

440, Im trying the same thing but putting a circle of cellulose sponge on the JLT bottom...it doesnt melt, only burns in a flame. Then filling the rest of the can with steel wool, similar to the smaller filter element in the cap. The coarse steel wool wont go through the JLT filter in the outlet hole, so Im not worried about escaping metal. Plus its the really thick steel wool, not the thin wire in a brillo or SOS pad. Waiting to see results.

 

[440sprint]

440, Im trying the same thing but putting a circle of cellulose sponge on the JLT bottom...it doesnt melt, only burns in a flame. Then filling the rest of the can with steel wool, similar to the smaller filter element in the cap. The coarse steel wool wont go through the JLT filter in the outlet hole, so Im not worried about escaping metal. Plus its the really thick steel wool, not the thin wire in a brillo or SOS pad. Waiting to see results.

Sounds very similar to mine. Where did you get the coarse steel wool? Please report with results!

I make sure that my top green filter pad presses snugly against both inside input & output holes so that there is no un-filtered path between the two with the top screwed on tightly. How close to the top is your steel wool?

 

[WJinLV]

Sounds very similar to mine. Where did you get the coarse steel wool? Please report with results!

I make sure that my top green filter pad presses snugly against both inside input & output holes so that there is no un-filtered path between the two with the top screwed on tightly. How close to the top is your steel wool?

Supermarket. The scouring pads are made of very long thin coils of stainless steel, maybe 2mm wide. They are tightly coiled giving an almost springy appearance. Its not really steel wool. Im thinking of adding a short segment of tubing from the inlet to the bottom of the can so all vapor must pass through the filtering material.