litnfast,

Why drill the hole?

Best I can tell the oil is coming down around the outside and the air flow permiates the filter thingy.

Rich?

 

Rich...
I haven't the foggiest idea why it works but it does.
These threads have come up before and others suggested drilling a hole in it and I never did.
I purchased a new one from Razors Edge about a year ago. Before installing it I decided to try drilling the old one,(I had the new one now as my back-up in case I screwed something up):o

Dad-Gummed thing started working again like it was brand new.
Returned from a 500 mile road trip last week and almost filled the thing up on that trip alone.

echo...echo...echo...

 

wtf

 

just another opinion here.....are the "oil separators" that some vendors are offering-- truly oil coalescing filters, or are they the cheaper, usually smaller, general purpose filters? THEY ARE NOT THE SAME THING. G.P.'s tend to have absorption filters. (This sounds like something to absorb, clog up, and quit working.......sound familiar?) The oil coalescing type separate the oil vapors by causing the oil suspended in the air stream to flow through something, run into it, form drops, and run down---and off the filter. Yes, you do have to drain them, but they do the job---continuously. DO a search on "oil coalescing filters" and you'll see what I'm saying. One sight I found shows that in their GP filter, the air goes in, swirls around the I.D. of the bowl, THEN goes through the filter, and then up and out the exit port. On their oil coalescers, the air flows in, goes directly into the center of the filter, flows through the filter, and THEN into the bowl, and on to the exit port. From what I've read over the years, the GP filters are usually added before/in addition to an oil coalescer to catch the "big stuff"---rust, scale, etc., then the o.c. catches the vapors.

PS: I built my own, for about 10 bucks, 3-4 years or so ago. Works like a charm---I just have to empty it regularly as a general maintenance thing---also, the oil collected in the bottom of it smellls more like gas than oil---and very runny (diluted). I personally wouldn't want to recycle it back into the oil-as some setups do--but that's still got to be better than sending it to the intercooler to coat it--and eventually burning when it gets into the cylinders. I noticed recently that a 'DANA' Corp. makes valve covers that have built-in oil separators in them, but I haven't been able to find any more info as to exact applications (i.e. LIGHTNING pick-ups!)


ALSO, (as a quick bitch!) I remember at the time I built mine, I posted several links to sites that showed how to build your own filter, and of course one vendor (that sold the GP filters) proceeded to tell us how unsightly, cheap looking, and amateurish they looked. I'll try to take some pictures tomorrow if anyone wants to see......but someone will have to help me figure out how to post pictures again....it's been a long time.

 

You got me thinking....

I made one out of a Campbell Hausfeld separator. It has a directional arrow which I followed. What you were saying (oil is coming down around the outside and the air flow permiates the filter) might apply if I turned it around? Would that work better?

 

Sure, if you can't get them to post let me know and I can do it for you.

 

I went ahead and just drilled a hole in the bottom of the filter element in the separator. We'll see if it fills up with oil now.

Before, it filled up 1/4 of the way the first day, then no more for the rest of the week.

 

Blown347, LET ME KNOW how it works! I do believe litnfast but.... I'm a little chicken just yet.

I do know that the filter element thing on REMs unit is indeed for oil. Just seems that if the most effective way was having a hole in it? That there would already be one there?

Please let me know what you find

Rich

 

2 years old still works
i keep draining oil when its 3/4 full
it is rem oil seperator

 

My experience is similar to "LightStruck". I installed a slightly larger filter (Coilhose Pneumatics) that has 1/2 inch fittings so I could hook it dirrectly to the upper intake without using the Ford rubber fitting (a 1/2 hose and a couple of clamps). I have had a filter for over 60,000 miles and have never cleaned it, just drained a lot of oil. I run the regular filter, I have tried a Coalesing filter, and I have run it without the filter in the bowl. It picks up oil even without the element installed because the air speed slows down in the bowl enough that some of the oil falls out of suspension. I catch almost a quart of oil every 3,000 miles.

If you can believe this when the Teflon started coming off my rotors I caught onto what was happening because I had pieces of Teflon inside the filter (the side next to the upper intake AKA the clean side).

Also, I have tried several different PCV valves and the filter always collects oil. Finally, there is still significant oil getting through the filter into the upper intake.

 

I purchased one REM separator and made a second one. They work exactly the same for me, except my wallet got thicker on the second one. If this is your oil control solution of choice, my gallery 3 shows all parts needed to save time fabricating one up.

 

Max, I copied your set-up (thanks) but it filled up about 1/4 of the way with oil the first day, then no more afterwards. So, I drilled a hole in the bottom of the filter, but I haven't checked since then. Is yours consistently filling up with oil?

 

Yes, mine fills up just like the REM version that I have on my other L. I've seen a bunch of people successfully use the exact same setup. I've never drilled a hole in either of them.

Neal's has been on 2 years and some versions use 2 separators.
http://www.f150online.com/forums/sho...hreadid=183894

 

Maybe mine just doesn't suck a lot of oil.

 

I hope that's true . Mine seems to suck up less oil with a slightly lower overall quantity.