UPR Products Helps Project C700 Separate Oil and Air

Project C700 has been great to us so far, and while we fully appreciate what GM was able to do for the factory C7 Corvette, we have big plans for our very own. As we have mentioned before, we plan on doing further quarter-mile testing, along with autocross, and road racing.

Additionally we plan on bumping up the output with a number of bolt-on accessories, including a supercharger. So, we thought it appropriate that we add a UPR Products air/oil separator to ensure that any blow-by is dealt with appropriately, and not reintroduced into the intake tract or atmosphere.

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The Theory

We are going to begin this with the assumption that you are generally familiar with how the internal combustion engine operates, specifically when it comes to crank case gases. In the event you are a little rusty or never fully understood it, this article explains it well, and how it relates to what we’re doing here. When your engine is operating and creating some combustion, we know that the majority of these exhaust gases are pushed out through the exhaust valves, exiting the motor through your exhaust system. Unfortunately a small amount of these gasses are able to pass around your piston rings, entering the crankcase – this creates positive crankcase pressure.

IMG_5008Most of us are thankful for cleaner vehicles and a cleaner earth, but this has created some additional hoops for the internal combustion engine. Before we were as concerned about our air quality, this positive crankcase pressure was simply vented off into the environment and that was that. Some years ago, we decided that these gasses which also carry oil vapor from the crankcase, should be rerouted back into the intake tract to be inhaled, burnt, and expelled.

For your average vehicle, this typically is not an issue as the amount of oil accumulation is marginal. However, when it’s present in high-performance applications unfavorable results can occur, especially if you plan to add boost via a turbo or supercharger as we plan to do.

The Install

To begin the installation we let our LT1 cool down completely for a safe and comfortable installation. This installation did not require the use of a lift or a floor jack, but we did opt to roll our C7 up on some RaceRamps to raise our work up to our level a bit. Keep in mind that Project C700 is a Z51 car, and appropriately this installation will vary somewhat if your car is not equipped with the dry sump oiling system.

First we removed our coil side covers, and the sensor plug that runs into the intake plenum. We then removed the 10mm studs that hold the plenum cover on and set them aside. We have replaced the factory covers with some snazzy carbon fiber pieces, but the factory hardware and removal process remains the same.

We then removed two vent hoses – the first being just behind the throttle body on the intake manifold, this will be our “clean air” return line. The second being off the lower manifold which is venting the crank case gases, and is our “dirty air” inline into the air/oil separator.

Next we removed our K&N air filter tube and drilled a 9/16-inch hole to install the supplied barbed fitting. After making sure the tube was free of any debris or shavings, we reinstalled the intake tube.

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The supplied fitting is the lower of the two, with the nickel finish.

Our next step was to remove the nut that holds one of the grounding wires onto a stud near the steering. Once the grounding wire was pulled off we simply added the supplied spacer with the extended stud and set the catch can bracket over the stud. We then set the the grounding wire back in place and tightened the nut accordingly.

From there we attached the supplied hoses from the separator to the three locations – the intake tube, the intake manifolds, and the crank case vent. We then removed the factory oil sump line and oil cap from our oil tank. Due to the fact that we are running an aftermarket intake, we ran the oil line under the throttle body. If you still have the factory air box in place, you’ll want to route it over your system. The billet cap at the end of the new oil line will replace the factory oil cap.

After reinstalling the covers and checking all of our connections, we were finished with the installation. UPR recommends cleaning your can about every six months to maintain maximum performance.

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Thoughts

Overall the installation went smooth and quick, all the parts were supplied as promised and the installation instructions make quick work of the operation. We are happy to know that our C7 will only be ingesting clean crankcase air from this point forward, and we are all set to add a supercharger in the near future.

Article Sources

About the author

Brent Davis

Brent was born and raised in Southern California. After earning a Bachelors Degree in business marketing from California State University San Marcos, and a project management certificate from the University of California at San Diego, he decided to turn a lifelong passion for automobiles and motorsports into a career. Brent has a specific passion for diesel-powered and all-terrain vehicles that have helped him haul and recover recreational toys over the years.
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