Inexpensive homemade steampunk inspired oil catch-can idea

2XSive

At least one screw loose behind the handle bars
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I was interested in building an oil catch can for my XS bobber as I wanted to see just how much oil was being vented out the crankcase breather. This might also be of interest for those of you who don't want to vent your crankcase onto the ground or into your filter pods or stock airbox. Like most on here, it is hard for us to throw away old parts and for me, that includes old plumbing hardware. I got to rummaging through my stash looking for a way to build a cheap catch can that doesn't look like crap, and ran across an old boiler vent that my furnace guy was going to throw away after he replaced the one on my boiler. Here is a pic of the new one on my furnace. Furnace/plumbing guys tend to just throw these things away. They are solid brass and you could probably pick used ones up at no cost if you have a furnace/plumbing guy that does work for you:
Boiler vent.jpg




I commenced to tearing the old one apart and unscrewed the top and removed the inner float:

Inner float removed.jpg


I chucked the body of the vent in my lathe and carefully removed the casting/top layer until the brass was smooth. I then simply sanded and polished like we do our aluminum bits. I jb welded a hose barb onto the top (soldering probably would have been good here too), and inserted a short piece of fuel line into the barb:

pipe barb jbwelded.jpg


I also drilled vent holes in the top:

Top with vent holes.jpg


and then cut and installed a filter (from spare air filter stock I had on hand):

top with filter and hose.jpg


Here is the finished catch-can. I'll probably pick up a 1/4 NPT cap for the bottom for an easy drain, but in the meantime a simple clamp and rubber cap will work:

Finished catchcan.jpg


I think this will look nice and compliment the bobber paint scheme. I will probably mount it on the right side just under the pod filter:

Bobber pic.jpg
 
I was interested in building an oil catch can for my XS bobber as I wanted to see just how much oil was being vented out the crankcase breather. - - -
I think this will look nice and compliment the bobber paint scheme. I will probably mount it on the right side just under the pod filter: - - -

Hi 2XSive,
you ain't gonna leave that pod filter all nekkid, eh? Mebbe put a perforated brass sleeve around it?
 
Hi 2XSive,
you ain't gonna leave that pod filter all nekkid, eh? Mebbe put a perforated brass sleeve around it?
If you can't find a piece of brass tubing to do the job how about fabing something out of brass shim stock and form it around a round chunk of wood and solder the seam and position it to the back side?

I have a roll of 6 inch wide 0.005 inch thick sitting on the bench, might be a bit thin to work with.
 
The used boiler vent that I used for this catch-can mod was in far worse shape than the new one I posted in the first pic, but since it's solid brass they clean up nice. If one doesn't have a lathe, roloc discs would clean the rough castings off to where it could be finish sanded and polished. I think it took less than 30 - 40 minutes to finish the whole task (after waiting 24 hours on the JB Weld). I see chrome plated catch cans going for
Hi 2XSive,
you ain't gonna leave that pod filter all nekkid, eh? Mebbe put a perforated brass sleeve around it?
Hmmm. Now you got me thinking. Need to find a brass gas cap too...or spin one up on the lathe...
 
Hmmm. Now you got me thinking. Need to find a brass gas cap too...or spin one up on the lathe...

Know anyone who works installing hand rails in office buildings? Might have some scraps of brass handrailing material kicking around. Was looking online and don't think you want to buy a 12 foot section of that stuff it would blow the "inexpensive" thing out the door!
 
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