How to make a cheapass (mostly) aluminum catch can for under $15

[usmcdoc14]

Ok seeing as I was asked about this I figure I would do a how to This is a self recirculating catch can with breather filter for difs, transmissions, power steering and transfer cases. Tomorrow I will show you how to make a ball check valve for it or simmilar so it will seal completely when you are on your lid. I will also make a simple mounting bracket.
But lets stick with the basics first.

I am using a Venom energy drink bottle ($2). The drink tastes like anal squeezings but the bottles are nice formed aluminum. I found them a while back and have made them into all sorts of neat containers. They are cheap, durable, light as hell and other than the cap work great for something that needs to hold nothing more than fluid.
You can use pretty much anything, hell a beer "aluminum bottle" would be cool. or run by the dollar store and pick up a couple cheap stainless or aluminum water bottles.
This thread is less about what its made out of but more of just build some shit. we got guys with incredible fabrication skills buying things they can make while posting on here and guys who would rather buy something instead of making shit from crap they already have My entire time making this was 20min including taking pictures.
As I go along things can be substituted for other items, better or worse, I just picked up the first random things at home depot (including the venom) that I knew would work.

This is your drink of choice, pick your color


I cut one in half to show you the interior and measure the thickness.



Thinnest part is .024" thickest is around .03, fine for something that should never see any real stress.


so lets start, first thing is empty them, either in the sink or in you if you like the flavor of the mop water of a strip club then chug one down. Hell it may make you quicker to finish the catch can.

Our fitting will be a steel 1/2" to 1/4 NPT adaper ($1) and a 1/4" barbed fitting ($1.50)


Put the fitting in the adapter, chuck it in a drill and hit it to the grinding or flap wheel till its a nice snug fit in the neck of the bottle.


next

[usmcdoc14]

Next will be our "simple" fitting, just a place to attach a breather filter. I made this out of lamp rod and some lock nuts (aprox $1.50 per bottle)


Oh noes, lamp parts hey, it works, is simple and locks solid.

Drill your hole in the bottom


Then slide the rod in from the inside with a nut/washer on it using a ratchet extention and tighten. add a dab of RTV if you wish to seal it up tight.


Take some sandpaper and rough up the inside of the neck real good to get some tooth and remove the laquer that is on the aluminum in prep for putting it together.


now you put a good coating of your epoxy of choice (JB Quick here), stuff your adaper in and leave it alone.



ANd attach a breather filter and you are done.


Ya, thats a little bling breather filter but you can get them all day long for $5 for the cheap ones.

it should do everything a catch can of 3x its cost does.
If I used a razor and cut the plastic threads off and hit this bitch with a coat of krylon no one would have a clue it was a drink bottle ever.
What "I" would do differently: find a nice aluminum plug instead of the steel one but who cares.

Its small, simple, light and as cheap as you can be.

[usmcdoc14]

just thought of something no, the steel fitting is PERFECT !!! weld a simple mounting tab directly to it and then you are DONE

[scottapher]

nice

[rcurrier44]

Love it!

Originally Posted by usmcdoc14

Ok seeing as I was asked about this I figure I would do a how to This is a self recirculating catch can with breather filter for difs, transmissions, power steering and transfer cases. Tomorrow I will show you how to make a ball check valve for it or simmilar so it will seal completely when you are on your lid. I will also make a simple mounting bracket.
But lets stick with the basics first.

Question: How far should your lamp rod protrude into your can?

[usmcdoc14]

Originally Posted by rcurrier44

Love it!



Question: How far should your lamp rod protrude into your can?

short, 1/4" or so so you have the full can to fill before it hits the vent.

When I make the check valve tomorrow it sticks down a little bit more due to its design but you still only lose like 1/2" of usable space.

BTW, these are surprisingly durable you have to put some effort to bend them. When clamped down they do not move at all.

so for the mounts: Should i keep the cheap bastard theme or spring for some new aluminum from the store?

[NorCal_Chris]

cheap ftw

I had a few of these on my old rig, i hooked em up to the drill after i had the nipple on em and hit em with sandpaper for that "brushed" look. I didnt make mine as pretty as yours. I just drilled a hole in the cap, and jb welded a nipple in the hole

[jsawduste]

Not to be a lazy dick...........Where did you find the breather element ? Kinda looks like a lawnmower air filter of some sorts.

Are these Venom cans BPA free ??

GREAT write up. Lookimg for the ubercool mounting system in your next thread.

[usmcdoc14]

Advance auto/autozone/pepboys in the "Bling ricer here is some edelbrock chrome shit" section.
those orange ones are pricy as they are a stainless element, the "plain ones" are like 8-10 bucks there.

[jsawduste]

Originally Posted by usmcdoc14

Advance auto/autozone/pepboys in the "Bling ricer here is some edelbrock chrome shit" section.
those orange ones are pricy as they are a stainless element, the "plain ones" are like 8-10 bucks there.

[nate379]

I made something like taht for my WRX a while back, just used a piece of old driveshaft tubing, about 3" OD, 1/8" plate top and bottom, couple fittings and all done.... worked just as well as the $300 one the ricer shops wanted. Cost me under $5 for a piece of clear tube to see the level and some steel wool. Everything else I had in junk bins.

[yager]

more please !

[ashmanjeepXJ]

Fast Freddy in our club found these cheap anodized water bottles at walmart for $8 they have a NPT thread on the end, no welding required.

Can buy them at walmart.com.

[usmcdoc14]

oh shit, more cheap bastardry how big are thos bottles? they look pretty big.

[BigWoodyWag]

Thats awesome!!!


And why I like the Speedway cans. The 13" is $27 and looks super pro-level with chrome, mounting tabs, screw on cap, and the internal straw action so rollovers its harder for fluid to escape.

www.speedwaymotors.com
Item #: 91102213


A cutaway view of the ones I like. I know I've posted them all over Pirate, and have seen them popping up on rigs from east to west coast for the reasons I listed above.

[hurleygo3]

Originally Posted by ashmanjeepXJ

Fast Freddy in our club found these cheap anodized water bottles at walmart for $8 they have a NPT thread on the end, no welding required.

Can buy them at walmart.com.

Those look nice. They have a set of 5 for $22 right now.

[usmcdoc14]

now for rollover protection I was going to show you how to make a ball rollover valve but its quite simple. tubing, a couple ball bearings that fit in the tube.
cut the tube with a tubing cutter and cut it aggressive, it will cause the tube to crimp slightly. drop 2 balls in and then cut the other side, now the balls are trapped inside. next drill a cross hole on one end just above the balls, this is your "inside the tank" end.
normal operation: the air vents through the cross hole and out the end.
rollover: the 2 balls close off the opening and no leak.

Its essentially the same thing that is on a hamster watering bottle

BUUUUT FOR THE LAZY !!

PCV valve.
same damm thing
This one works perfect, barbed on both ends, all metal and $1.99


when the thick end is up (stick that end in the air filter) it vents normally, when inverted it seals. if you blow through it you will figure what end goes up.



drill hole and insert grommet.


taaadaaaaa

rollover protected

[BCzuk]

Great cheap tech

[usmcdoc14]

ok, I went more high tech

and CHEAPER

the water bottle thing caught my attention so I went to some dollar stores and there they were in glistening colors.



heavier wall, threaded hole, available in an assortment of colors, one mothafuckin DOLLAR each.


and oh ya, threaded for 3/4 NPT


PCV check valve: $1.99
Air filter: $6
bottle: $1
3/4 to 1/4 NPT adapter: $1.50
1/4 to whateversizeyouneed barb: $1.50

Total cost for a rollover protected catch can: $11.99


I will achieve cheaper or higher quality at same price oh and a $0.25 3 hole tab welded to the NPT adaper makes a very solid mounting point that screws to any flat surface.

[usmcdoc14]

oh ya, front dif should no longer puke on me. That was the main reason for all of this as I was getting sick of smelling gear oil

[ashmanjeepXJ]

Now that you made 10 inexpensive catch cans did you really save any money?

[spidr]

Awesome

[NorCalPR]

I did the same thing for my PSC pump. Except I just used the plastic cap, and cut the ring off. Grinded it down with a flap disc to make it flat. Drilled the hole so that the NPT barb fitting just threaded in, and JB welded around it for extra measure,

I then JB welded a barbed fitting with a hose that goes to the bottom of the can.





Total cost including hose, hose clamps and bracket material was about 25 bucks...

[usmcdoc14]

Originally Posted by ashmanjeepXJ

Now that you made 10 inexpensive catch cans did you really save any money?

its all for YOU the reader

But in seriousness I needed to make 5 for my JK (F/R diff, trans, t-case, PS) and either 1 large or 2 smaller interconnected ones for the radiator. So all of them will be used, working on a clean but still ghetto/lowbuck mount for the 3 under the hood

so but spending $60 for what would have cost me around $200, ya I saved money.

[Altec]

I always knew there would be use for those yuppie bottles!

I gotta go to the dollar store...