Oil Catch Cans

[KMdef9]

I apologize for asking about another vehicle other than usual for this site, but it seems the general know how is much higher here than any other place I can find, so please bare with me on this one. Besides, I think it's a general knowledge (which I obviously don't have) more than vehicle specific question.

Here's the excuse for the current dillema: I purchased a cheapass oil catch can off egay (Identical to this) with hope of putting on my car. After getting it in, I decided it was alittle too cheap for the TA. But certainily not too cheap for the beater. So with my current boredom and "need to do something," I'm going to try and put it on the Jeep.

My question is, for my 1998 5.2L V8 Grand Cherokee, can 1 catch can work for both valve covers?(I realize ideally, no) I have a cone filter on the driverside currently (modded intake) and still have PCV passenger side hooked up the the intake manifold. Will just the intake manifold side be enough to draw the pressure from both valve covers?

I planned on putting a "T" inline to split the "in" of the catch can to get both valve covers and running 1 line from the "out" of the catch can to the intake manifold. It probably makes some sense to keep the lengths after the "T" equal, virtually equalizing the amount of vacuum for both covers.

Will that idea work?

If it does, will I need to used a additional PCV check valve on the driverside valve cover b/c it will now be connected through oil catch can "system"? The PCV is only on the passenger side, there never was one on the drivers side. Or should I plug the intake manifold side and use the old intake port that's between the throttle body and air filter? B/c I can't imagine I can use both sides without using 2 catch cans.

Is height of the can critical? In relationship to the valve covers.

If this can is even worth a damn, from what I understand oil catch cans work 3 different ways: has a media (usually wire mesh) to collect blow by, provides a change in direction to collect blow by and provides a change im temp to collect blow by. This cheapo is only capable of doing 2 of 3 (no media on the inside), so I'm also hoping to keep it somewhere near the front, maybe catch something from the fans to cool it off.

Thanks for anyhelp! I apologize again for length and off-topic vehicle.

[mark21742]

generally you only need to use one valve cover to suck from, until you are over 500hp or so...but you could take the little breather off and run a "T".
your intake will pull plenty of vaccume from both heads, in doesn't take much to work

[KMdef9]

generally you only need to use one valve cover to suck from, until you are over 500hp or so...but you could take the little breather off and run a "T".
your intake will pull plenty of vaccume from both heads, in doesn't take much to work

Awsome, thanks! The Jeep will never hit 500HP, even if I hit the lottery it won't.

[KMdef9]

Would an additional PCV valve be needed for the driverside?

[KMdef9]

Also, if tie both sides together, won't this prevent fresh air from getting into the crank case? Which is a bad thing?

[mark21742]

1st try not running any pcv valves, then if your catch can is getting too much oil in it I'd add the pcv valves back in.
As far as needing fresh air in the crank case, nope. You want a small vacuum in the crankcase to help the piston rings seal better and reduce blow by

[KMdef9]

1st try not running any pcv valves, then if your catch can is getting too much oil in it I'd add the pcv valves back in.
As far as needing fresh air in the crank case, nope. You want a small vacuum in the crankcase to help the piston rings seal better and reduce blow by

Gotcha, thanks again!

I'm just bouncing what some of the Jeep guys say off another site, they take alot longer to respond over there, and I'm alot newer over there than I am here, so I trust you guys much more on motor subjects here.

[mark21742]

I even put a catch can on my mom's car and my dad's truck