Racetronix Oil Catch Can

[sltous]

Opinion after use: horrible, too small, pukes oil everywhere, don't use for a CSR engine.

 

 

I wanted to leave a quick review for the Racetronix CCK-D6Z oil catch can / breather catch can.  For the Cosworth CSR engine the oil level procedure is convoluted and officially includes the guidance that every engine is different and that the best way to check your oil level is fully topped off is to add 250ml of oil at a time until it starts to overflow into the catch can.

 

The car as modified had a catch can underneath the nose cone and unfortunately the screw on the drain had become locked.  This meant that in order to check if the oil had overflowed into the catch can it was necessary to remove the nose cone and the breather filter on the top of the catch can.  Not a huge deal but frustrating so I was not as consistent about doing so as I would have liked to be.

 

Inspired by Bruce Beachman and Croc's choice of the Radium catch can I was looking for a unit with a dipstick and an easy to remove oil catch container.  I additionally was looking for a unit with a matching 10 ORB filter rather than a filter that was hose clamped into place.  Last, I was hoping to buy the catch can, filter, and the associated hoses and fittings in one place. 

 

Again, inspired by Croc and Bruce Beachman I am initially placing the catch can on the firewall in front of the passenger.  This is barely low enough for oil overflow to drain from the dry sump into the catch can and I may need to choose a different set of fittings to bring the hose lower in order to drain better.

 

 

I considered a few other locations and the most promising one from a space and access standpoint was immediately above and behind the exhaust primaries.  In using a thermal camera to take some pictures I basically believe this would be fine from a heat standpoint and I may end up moving the can here.

 

 

 

• The can is nicely made, has O-Rings on the seal between the can and the main body, as well as the dipstick.
• The dipstick is idiotically placed and requires that you place the filter on the side of the can as otherwise the filter blocks you from removing the dipstick even though in their advertising copy the filter is clearly shown on the top of the can.
• The included mounting bracket is a little frustrating in that it only permits one orientation for mounting and you cannot easily access the bracket-to-car mounting screws without removing the catch can, and you cannot easily remove the catch can without removing the plumbing and of course you cannot easily remove the plumbing with the catch can installed, but with some judicious use of angles everything went together without too much fighting.
• The dipstick is somewhat frustrating because it is green and it can be difficult to tell how much oil is on it or indeed the level of oil vs. the mating surface between the main body and the removable oil catch container.
  • I will probably end up removing the green coating on the dipstick in order to make it easier to check the level.
  • The dipstick hole is large enough to permit use of the small (3/16") tube on my oil extractor pump allowing for easy oil removal, which is very nice.
• The AN10 hoses P/N RBNH-10 from Racetronix neither like to fit into their AN hose end FIT-189010 nor over the metric push-on hose end that is on my belltower.  I am awaiting a shipment of Koul Tools' AN hose assembly tool to re-do the AN hose end.
• The price for performance was very acceptable and the convenience of getting one box with all the components was nice.  If I were to select components again I am not sure if I would go with Racetronix again as the installation process was frustrating but I was out the door for $180 and after the initial frustration everything did come together.

Edited April 9, 2022 by sltous
Adding post-testing thoughts to top of thread. Drag-and-drop pictures failed, trying again with uploaded images

[Croc]

Nice review of a product that is sorely needed on a Caterham CSR.   

 

You have just outlined the one big drawback of my current silver CSR - the finding engine oil level process is frustrating.  Many a person has seen me with oil covered trousers and oil streaming down the side of the car from an catch tank overflow as I have misjudged the level.  

 

The standard washer bottle oil catch tank that Caterham supplied was shit - its the bottom right white plastic tank in the photo below.  Oil misted everywhere.  The oil tube would pressurize itself out of the plastic tank.  The cap would pop off from the pressures.  Plus it looked awful after a few months.  

 

 

 

So there is definitely a need for the type of product review that @sltous outlined.  

 

The problem with the locating these tanks is that you need frequent access.  The shelf at the firewall compromises vertical height which does tend to prevent a bottom drain tank from being used.  The other spaces not under the nosecone are limited.  These Cosworth Duratec engines give off tremendous heat as the thermal image shows - even the battery is copping it in the space where the only real alternative locating space exists.  

 

How big is the dipstick hole?  Can you use an oil sucker tube through it? 

 

 

 

[Croc]

One thing I have been pursuing for the Cosworth Duratec is an integrated oil level unit by Premier Power.  They did this for the Caterham 420R dry sumped 2L Duratec.  Premier Power are located in Stratford UK, next door to TFL Racing where I store my UK Caterham.  

 

 

 

Premier Power also sell their version of the Duratec Catch Tank - similar to some you can find on Ebay here in the USA.

Aluminium Catch Tank - PREMIER POWER (premierpowerengines.com)

 

 

[sltous]

5 hours ago, Croc said:

Nice review of a product that is sorely needed on a Caterham CSR.   

 

You have just outlined the one big drawback of my current silver CSR - the finding engine oil level process is frustrating.  Many a person has seen me with oil covered trousers and oil streaming down the side of the car from an catch tank overflow as I have misjudged the level.  

 

The standard washer bottle oil catch tank that Caterham supplied was shit - its the bottom right white plastic tank in the photo below.  Oil misted everywhere.  The oil tube would pressurize itself out of the plastic tank.  The cap would pop off from the pressures.  Plus it looked awful after a few months.  

 

 

 

So there is definitely a need for the type of product review that @sltous outlined.  

 

The problem with the locating these tanks is that you need frequent access.  The shelf at the firewall compromises vertical height which does tend to prevent a bottom drain tank from being used.  The other spaces not under the nosecone are limited.  These Cosworth Duratec engines give off tremendous heat as the thermal image shows - even the battery is copping it in the space where the only real alternative locating space exists.  

 

How big is the dipstick hole?  Can you use an oil sucker tube through it? 

 

 

 

Hi Croc,

 

Yes the dipstick hole is large enough for the 1/4" tube on my oil extractor pump.

[MV8]

I've seen much better component placement on other models. I agree; a terrible place for a battery. Oems have used insulating walls around batteries subjected to less heat than this. Easier than moving it to sit between the heater plenum and the oil tank, remote in the boot, or fabricating a heat shield.

Why not just start the engine cold and let it idle for a minute, shut off, and fill to the cold mark?

If you need to check after the oil has reached normal temp, shut off, fill to cold.

Obviously a little low is better than too much which can cause the catch tank problems among other things.

[sltous]

26 minutes ago, MV8 said:

Why not just start the engine cold and let it idle for a minute, shut off, and fill to the cold mark?

 

If you need to check after the oil has reached normal temp, shut off, fill to cold.

 

Obviously a little low is better than too much which can cause the catch tank problems among other things.

Thanks for the notes.

 

Unfortunately this particular engine eats oil.  I have seen references to approximately 1ltr/1000km oil consumption, so in an average week with 80-100 miles driven I'm consuming on the order of 150mL of oil.  Combine this with the frankly bizarre, hard to measure belltank/dry sump and the exotic nature of the parts it is fairly worth topping up regularly.

[Croc]

38 minutes ago, MV8 said:

Why not just start the engine cold and let it idle for a minute, shut off, and fill to the cold mark?

 

If you need to check after the oil has reached normal temp, shut off, fill to cold.

 

Obviously a little low is better than too much which can cause the catch tank problems among other things.

 

 

On the Caterham CSR OEM set up that both @sltous and I have, there is no dipstick.  There is no oil level mark.  When the engine is off, oil drains to two primary locations - the dry sump and the bellhousing oil tank.  A fair amount likely stays up in the engine for some time as there is no ability to drain lower given the real oil tank is in the bellhousing - there are two low points for the oil to drain to.  You could never get an accurate reading from any form of dipstick.  

 

So you measure what you take out and then refill with new to that amount.  Then begins the calibration of running the engine to temp to see if it spits oil to the catch tank.  If not then add 1/4 of a quart and run engine again.  Repeat until oil is starting to spit to catch tank.  Engine finds its own oil level that way.    

 

An alternative process is outlined by Premier Power here:

CSR Oil Change Process - PREMIER POWER (premierpowerengines.com)

 

It is somewhat comical that the process is so bad for an OEM set up but it is a fantastic engine.  

 

The Cosworth Duratec is a heavy breather of oil.  Thats where a lot of the consumption likely goes.  My oil consumption is about a third less than the amounts quoted above but still requires small frequent top ups.  

[mca]

Having acquired a new-to-me CSR260, this topic is of peak interest, given my opposition to replacing a Cosworth engine due to oil starvation.  Especially given the obvious oil overflow around the oil catch tank area in my current (as assembled) configuration. 

 

I'll post pictures in a week or so when I'm back with my car. My plastic oil catch tank (as supplied by Caterham) is mounted on the right side firewall, behind the battery.

 

A couple alternatives I've seen in my short Google research on the subject:

https://premierpowerengines.com/aluminium-catch-tank/ Aluminum tank with sight tube and drain

https://www.racetronix.biz/p/catch-tank-1l-8an-g-view-alm-blk/tank-ct1l8gb?dfw_tracker=58263-TANK-CT1L8GB&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6J-SBhCrARIsAH0yMZhSdvE5i7hzEa8bNXdVjIoIU9YuOiGcjciX3dFyVJGKZuHF63DbdDQaAm2qEALw_wcB Aluminum tank with sight glass and drain

 

 

Could the second option from Racetronix be a suitable alternative to @sltous choice? The form factor is more similar to the Premier Power model, yet it has a sight glass versus dipstick.

[sltous]

1 hour ago, mca said:

Having acquired a new-to-me CSR260, this topic is of peak interest, given my opposition to replacing a Cosworth engine due to oil starvation.  Especially given the obvious oil overflow around the oil catch tank area in my current (as assembled) configuration. 

 

I'll post pictures in a week or so when I'm back with my car. My plastic oil catch tank (as supplied by Caterham) is mounted on the right side firewall, behind the battery.

 

A couple alternatives I've seen in my short Google research on the subject:

https://premierpowerengines.com/aluminium-catch-tank/ Aluminum tank with sight tube and drain

https://www.racetronix.biz/p/catch-tank-1l-8an-g-view-alm-blk/tank-ct1l8gb?dfw_tracker=58263-TANK-CT1L8GB&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6J-SBhCrARIsAH0yMZhSdvE5i7hzEa8bNXdVjIoIU9YuOiGcjciX3dFyVJGKZuHF63DbdDQaAm2qEALw_wcB Aluminum tank with sight glass and drain

 

 

Could the second option from Racetronix be a suitable alternative to @sltous choice? The form factor is more similar to the Premier Power model, yet it has a sight glass versus dipstick.

Hi mca, congrats on the new car.

 

In short, no issues I saw with the use of a sightglass instead of dipstick.  I chose the dipstick model because I recognized I was picking from a somewhat budget brand and as such I did not trust the glass in the sightglass vs. dipstick was properly tempered and would not have issues with thermal stress when it got hit with hot oil.  Personal preference, not based on any specific issues I have found reference to anyone facing. 

 

I think a larger catch can would be nice, the Racetronix I picked has just a 6oz capacity which is approximately 180ml.  However, I typically store the car with the bonnet off so it's easy to check the catch can before each drive and typically I add oil using a 60ml syringe in place of a funnel so I can be relatively sure I am adding less than 150ml at a time.  Additionally as Croc noted, the dipstick can be used to draw out the oil with a vacuum pump so I have a bit of a relief valve against overfilling the catch can.

Edited April 4, 2022 by sltous

[Croc]

 

I replaced my oil catch tank 11+ years ago.  At the there were a lack of tanks that were low enough in height to fit on the shelf next to the firewall.  I took a wide mouth tank with a brass vent quick turn opener from Mocal, chopped it in half, removed a segment and then re-welded.  I use a sucker tool to draw the engine oil out.  No dipstick or sightglass - I just unscrew the cap.  Cap is low profile brass vent kind as opposed to the taller fabric breather filter type.  No drain underneath - I found at the time if I specified a drain, then the tanks were all too tall if I still wanted to use the oil drain.  Works fine for what it is.  I check level by opening and closing - quick enough.  Since then some lower height profile tanks have come on the market. 

 

There are plenty of options out there.  Mocal, Summit Racing, Car Builder Solutions, etc., have a good range suitable for se7ens.  Measure height carefully beforehand.  You do need a tank with a vent or filter to release the crankcase pressure but that vent/filter needs to capture the oil mist on the way.  

 

 

 

 

[Croc]

@mca It just occurred to me that I think you purchased your CSR out of Vermont?  Your dry sump system may be the later Pace version and not the early Cosworth/Titan version that I have.  In which case your oil change procedure will have some differences to what I have been describing (or for that matter the process outlined by Premier Power).  

[MV8]

Wow that is tedious. I used to check turbine oil levels (also a dry sump) between flights for the airlines and it wasn't that much trouble.

I would use your current method of hot and just starting to spit to the catch tank to know the system is at the correct level, then immediately shut it off. Pick up a full length pencil or 1/2 dowel. Insert the dowel to reach the oil level with your thumb sitting on the tank neck. Remove the dowel and mark where the end of your thumb is and where the hot oil level is.

The next day, start the engine and run for a minute, shut off, pull the cap and watch the level for a minute at most. Repeat to find the cold level.

There are several ways to make the dipstick. One is to use 1/4-20x12 inch threaded rod, two nuts and lock washers or nyloc nuts, and a fender washer larger than the tank neck opening. Using a common bench grinder, grind away the threads on one side about 2 inches to provide a reference of the level lower than full cold. Assemble and adjust so the distance from the washer to the ground area is the same as the marks on the dowel for hot. With a hack saw, saw a small groove in the ground area for the cold distance. You can cut off the excess rod above the washer to screw on a knob or just enough to grab. Red loctite the nuts. A smooth dip stick would be easier to clean but require welding.

The level can be checked with the dip stick any time within a minute of shut off but subsequent checks after adding some oil will likely require a restart to repeat the procedure. A dipsticks value will always be time sensitive relative to shutoff.

 

You could also make a T shaped stick without the washer or bent wire that will lay flat in a glove box in a zip lock bag.

A sight glass would be great then you could add marks to the tube. The heating is gradual compared to my bodum french press. Some ideas for adding a sight glass:

 https://www.mcmaster.com/sight-glass/

Edited April 4, 2022 by MV8

[Croc]

15 hours ago, MV8 said:

 

I would use your current method of hot and just starting to spit to the catch tank to know the system is at the correct level, then immediately shut it off. Pick up a full length pencil or 1/2 dowel. Insert the dowel to reach the oil level with your thumb sitting on the tank neck. Remove the dowel and mark where the end of your thumb is and where the hot oil level is.

 

 

I actually tried that with a stainless steel rod with graduated markings.  The curse of the two oil low points struck.  What I found is the oil distribution between what is stuck at dry sump/in block and the bellhousing tank can vary by a couple of quarts.  When 25% of a quart can make the difference between a catch tank overflow or not, that level of variability in oil settling makes the idea of a solo dipstick approach impossible.   I have since confirmed with other owners in the UK that they have had similar experiences and it is a normal characteristic of the CSR260.

 

What would work is a sight glass on the side of the block with markings which when added to a bellhousing tank dipstick tells you the true oil level for the entire system.  There is a sight glass for a 2L Duratec but not a 2.3L or a 2.5L hence my efforts to persuade the maker to go the extra step to make one for me.  

[kayentaskier]

Mike ,

Do you have any idea on the approximate cost for the 2L sight glass shown in your picture above? I wrote to Premier Power about it, but did not get a response.

Thanks,

Jim

[MV8]

Maybe the level fluctuation is due in part to no air-oil separator that could briefly affect the level shown.

My understanding is the spitting into the catch is from reaching a level in the tank (running and hot), notwithstanding any pockets of oil determined by the system's condition and efficiency.

 

I found a 2021 owners manual for dip stick equipped that says to check the level within a window of between 30 seconds and one minute after hot shut off. A recheck of the level after adding any would be outside the window and require a restart and run for a minute. The 30 seconds could be for the foam to settle.

 

Interesting anyway. Think I will stick with wet sumps....

 

 

 

[IamScotticus]

Use a windscreen washer bottle.

Pump the excess back at shutdown. 

Just guessing here, it probably couldn't handle the pressures either.

[sltous]

1 hour ago, IamScotticus said:

Use a windscreen washer bottle.

Pump the excess back at shutdown. 

Just guessing here, it probably couldn't handle the pressures either.

I have noticed enough condensation in the catch cans that I would tend to prefer to avoid reintroducing this oil to the car.  Radium sell a very flash heated catch can that is designed to avoid this problem http://www.radiumauto.com/Universal-Air-Oil-Separator-Return-AOS-R-P890.aspx but at $300 I can buy a lot of fresh oil.

[sltous]

As a small followup to the assembly issues I mentioned in the first post.  The Koul Tools AN Hose Assembly Tool made re-fitting the AN10 end of the line a walk in the park.  If your budget extends to specialized assembly tools and you are struggling with something like an AN10 fitting I was happily surprised.

[Croc]

10 hours ago, kayentaskier said:

Mike ,

Do you have any idea on the approximate cost for the 2L sight glass shown in your picture above? I wrote to Premier Power about it, but did not get a response.

Thanks,

Jim

 

Hi Jim - No I do not know.  I would give them a call.  They are nice folks but it is a small operation of only 3 people.  

[mca]

On 4/3/2022 at 10:14 PM, Croc said:

@mca It just occurred to me that I think you purchased your CSR out of Vermont?  Your dry sump system may be the later Pace version and not the early Cosworth/Titan version that I have.  In which case your oil change procedure will have some differences to what I have been describing (or for that matter the process outlined by Premier Power).  

@Croc Yes, I did purchase my CSR from @The Fuselage out of Vermont.  The kit was imported by Beachman Racing in 2014, built and sold in 2016.  I'll have to confirm which dry sump system I have.