Reservoir Venting

[Rick Iverson]

Gents:

From an Apex post:



Thoughts on venting the reservoir. And if advisable, best location recommendations, please.

[mikey]

I always vent all fluid reservoirs to catch cans and not just to atmosphere or ground. Cleaner and safer.

[Rick Iverson]

Yep.

I always vent all fluid reservoirs to catch cans and not just to atmosphere or ground. Cleaner and safer.

[Spengo]

I always vent all fluid reservoirs to catch cans and not just to atmosphere or ground. Cleaner and safer.

Isn't the back half of the bellhousing the catch can already?

[BeerBudgetRacing]

Isn't the back half of the bellhousing the catch can already?

Depends on whether it was modified as expanded oil capacity.

For the most part it worked 'poorly' and was better utilized for expanding the oil tank.

[Spengo]

Depends on whether it was modified as expanded oil capacity.

For the most part it worked 'poorly' and was better utilized for expanding the oil tank.

I thought it was a funny design when I discovered that but who am I to question real racecar engineers?

[avakarl]

I just discovered mine was blocked and capped off from previous owners. Currently just have a hose going into a water bottle mounted at the wing. Im debating on hooking this cavity back up or just upgrading to a little more official external catch can.

I have also been told that the internal cavity catch sometimes starts to not be very reliable. Which one do you guys recommend?

[Rick Kirchner]

the can still needs to be vented, either with a loose hose entry or a dedicated hose off the top and over the side. Otherwise you are going to build pressure in the system.

[Messenger Racing]

I have had many late model VD - all using the factory catch tank with no issues at all. Yours is already vented with small filter. I believe all of the ones I have seen also are vented through the four small holes in the top of the casing above the tank - YMMV

We run a separate catch bottle per GCR for the water but not the oil - we drain the overflow tank after every event and if it doesn't have anything in it we raise our oil level. Typically we run 2-2.5 inches above the input shaft tube.

If you have leakage problem it is likely not a design issue.

JM

Gents:

From an Apex post:



Thoughts on venting the reservoir. And if advisable, best location recommendations, please.

[EYERACE]

94/95 VD here. The stand up tube on top of the bellhousing that is used for adding oil, or checking oil level via a dip stick when the engine is running, has a tap about half-way up its side for a tube that leads down to a catch can. I guess it could be called a vent. The same catch can has a place in its top for a tiny tube's entry that leads from the tranny

[Rick Iverson]

Stan, Bingo

94/95 VD here. The stand up tube on top of the bellhousing that is used for adding oil, or checking oil level via a dip stick when the engine is running, has a tap about half-way up its side for a tube that leads down to a catch can. I guess it could be called a vent. The same catch can has a place in its top for a tiny tube's entry that leads from the tranny

[Rick Iverson]

Stan:

I was thinking about this.

The oil return/fill port housing atop the reservoir also functions to vent fluids to the catch tank. But I think perhaps the aft portion of the reservoir still needs to be vented. Thoughts?

94/95 VD here. The stand up tube on top of the bellhousing that is used for adding oil, or checking oil level via a dip stick when the engine is running, has a tap about half-way up its side for a tube that leads down to a catch can. I guess it could be called a vent. The same catch can has a place in its top for a tiny tube's entry that leads from the tranny

[DaveW]

Stan:

I was thinking about this.

The oil return/fill port housing atop the reservoir also functions to vent fluids to the catch tank. But I think perhaps the aft portion of the reservoir still needs to be vented. Thoughts?

You would need to provide some serious baffling inside the reservoir to prevent oil from filling the catch tank and starving the engine.

I would be very cautious before proceeding with a mod like this to prevent a disaster.

[Rick Iverson]

Fellas:

Much ado about nothing. If it was needed, the designers and engineers would have put one in.

Thx for the input.

94/95 VD here. The stand up tube on top of the bellhousing that is used for adding oil, or checking oil level via a dip stick when the engine is running, has a tap about half-way up its side for a tube that leads down to a catch can. I guess it could be called a vent. The same catch can has a place in its top for a tiny tube's entry that leads from the tranny

Stan:

I was thinking about this.

The oil return/fill port housing atop the reservoir also functions to vent fluids to the catch tank. But I think perhaps the aft portion of the reservoir still needs to be vented. Thoughts?

You would need to provide some serious baffling inside the reservoir to prevent oil from filling the catch tank and starving the engine.

I would be very cautious before proceeding with a mod like this to prevent a disaster.

[EYERACE]

Finally........here we go with the picture I wanted to post for you. The fellow I raced with at Sebring has a 95 VD FC and the tube coming off the oil add column was the same. The oil outlet in that column is so high that it's near impossible, if the car has the right amount of oil, for much to be purged. The outlet then has a tube that leads down to a bottle in a small shelf attached to the side of the bell housing. The smaller bottle collects both oil and tranny outflow. The bigger bottle next to it is for water. The breather you have next to the column is blanked off on my car