02GF74
|
| posted on 12/5/06 at 09:26 AM |
|
|
back to oil catchment tank again....
In process of designing an oil catchment tank, pretty straightforward - an ali box with two 10 mm pipes.
... but thinking about a means to empty it and to indicate it is full.
Ideally would be nice to have a tap but reckon it is earier/cheaper to use a drain plug - anyone know of a suitable drain plug to use? (Halfrods sell
a variety so looking for one with a standard thread, failing that, a 10 mm bolt and fibre/copper washer should work.)
Time to empty indicator - sight tube would be nice but complicated DIYwise so maybe a window or two filled with transparent material (leak?) or a
simple switch powering a LED?
Ideas/suggestions welcome (except buying a ready made one ofcourse!!) ... I know about the ali water bottle conversion but mine will be a bit more
sophisticated 
|
|
|
|
|
that didnt hurt
|
| posted on 12/5/06 at 09:39 AM |
|
|
hello again
Ive bought a water bottle from halfords to make mine, for a sight window Im just putting 2 holes in the side, one just above the bottom, one just
below the top with right angeled pipes facing each other with a bit of clear tube joining them. cant see why it wont work?? But i am stupid!
|
|
|
DarrenW
|
| posted on 12/5/06 at 09:50 AM |
|
|
How much do you want to spend? Give Deneo a shout - you will be happy at what he can do. His ali fabrication is superb.
|
|
|
02GF74
|
| posted on 12/5/06 at 10:08 AM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by DarrenW
How much do you want to spend? Give Deneo a shout - you will be happy at what he can do. His ali fabrication is superb.
already done that. 
|
|
|
Marcus
|
| posted on 12/5/06 at 10:15 AM |
|
|
quote:
for a sight window Im just putting 2 holes in the side, one just above the bottom, one just below the top with right angeled pipes facing each other
with a bit of clear tube joining them.
No problem doing it that way, it's how most commercial fabricators do it.
As for level switch, you could try a brake fluid level switch in the lid. Not sure how it would react to high oil temperature though.
Marcus
Marcus
Because kits are for girls!!
|
|
|
DarrenW
|
| posted on 12/5/06 at 10:30 AM |
|
|
ive just spoken to Deneo. Mine will be dead simple. 4" diameter x 5" high (this is approx 1 litre). 3 inlets, 1 breather at the top.
Mounting plate at the bottom.
Little K&N will fit on breather outlet. To check just take K&N off and dip it. To empty just unbolt and tip out.
If engine is in decent nick it wont get full much. Before track day empty as part of the prep. Dipping it isnt as convenient as sight glass but you
will soon learn how often to check it out. Easier way is to fit small window half way up - if oil is present empty it out (maybe a door peep hole will
do??)
Keep it simple. Sight glass is usefull. LED's and sensors are waste of time imho. If some people can use a coke can etc then a simple fabricated
ali tank is already far more complicated.
|
|
|
wildchild
|
| posted on 12/5/06 at 10:40 AM |
|
|
Have you set your heart on an ally tank?
Translucent plastic one would solve the level question, and given the number of expansion tanks, power steering fluid tanks, washer fluid tanks, etc
in your local scrappy you could probably find one in whatever size and shape you want.
I'd probably look for a power steering one. Will have bigger pipes and be able to cope with goopier fluid than the water ones.
Then just plug the hose coming out of the bottom, and maybe clip it up to the side of the tank (so the end is above the oil level as a further
precaution). When you want to empty it, unclip and point the tube at whatever you want to drain into andd pull the plug out.
|
|
|
andyace
|
| posted on 12/5/06 at 10:52 AM |
|
|
What about a warning light using a float level switch, maybe a bit OTT but quite cool.
e.g. as supplied by www.tavengineering.com
|
|
|
02GF74
|
| posted on 12/5/06 at 11:08 AM |
|
|
lots of good ideas.....  have been thinking about a plastic gear oil bottle, y9ou knwo the wones with a trasnlarent bit in the side to show the
level..... hmmmmm.....
re: emptying it - I have no idea how often I will need to do this so rather than mass about unbolting it, a drain plug would be more convenient.
(there is a conveninet space next to the gearbox/passenger footwell)
[post lunchtime update] got a 1/2 BSP drain tap thingy from B&Q - lowcost @ 87p 
[Edited on 12/5/06 by 02GF74]
|
|
|
muzchap
|
| posted on 12/5/06 at 11:45 AM |
|
|
Yup - Im using that space too
With a bung on the bottom of mine - if your engine is running right it shouldn't breathe too much. (he says hoping)
------------------------------------
If you believe you're not crazy, whilst everybody is telling you, you are - then they are definitely wrong!
------------------------------------
|
|
|
DarrenW
|
| posted on 12/5/06 at 11:51 AM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74
re: emptying it - I have no idea how often I will need to do this so rather than mass about unbolting it, a drain plug would be more convenient.
(there is a conveninet space next to the gearbox/passenger footwell)
4" dia x 5" tall bottle is approx 1 litre. It wont need emptying often. 2 bolts into rivnuts are not much harder to undue than 1
'sump' plug and at least the bottle can be emptied easily rather than risking spillage.
i wonder if you could fit a series of small proximity sensors connected to a small PLC that gives an on-dash display of catch tank oil level? Allen
Bradley can do this sort of thing.
|
|
|
timbob
|
| posted on 12/5/06 at 02:28 PM |
|
|
Why not just run a pipe from the bottom of the tank back to the sump?
|
|
|
NS Dev
|
| posted on 12/5/06 at 02:50 PM |
|
|
1 ltr beercan and tip the bugger out once in a while!
discussion reminds me of the space race engineering quote:
NASA engineers spent a billion dollars inventing the space pen that will write in a vacuum................the Russians used a
pencil.................................
Why make things complicated????
If you're engine fills it up fast enough to need a level sensor then I'd spend your time rebuilding the engine instead of doing the
tank!
[Edited on 12/5/06 by NS Dev]
Retro RWD is the way forward...........automotive fabrication, car restoration, sheetmetal work, engine conversion
retro car restoration and tuning
|
|
|
02GF74
|
| posted on 12/5/06 at 02:52 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by timbob
Why not just run a pipe from the bottom of the tank back to the sump?
ah well this has been discussed - the reason being that the oil gets contaminated with water.
|
|
|
Marcus
|
| posted on 12/5/06 at 03:58 PM |
|
|
quote:
i wonder if you could fit a series of small proximity sensors connected to a small PLC that gives an on-dash display of catch tank oil level? Allen
Bradley can do this sort of thing.
mmm, like your thinking
I feel a Mitsubishi alpha would be up to the job. You may struggle with proximity switches, so I suggest a clear plastic pipe on the outside of the
tank, using a number of optic fibres, fed into Keyence amplifiers, outputting to the PLC. You could have half a dozen sensors and a digital display on
the dash panel giving level display, OR run the outputs from the PLC into pico scope and view the results on a convenient laptop - BRILLIANT
Marcus
Marcus
Because kits are for girls!!
|
|
|
givemethebighammer
|
| posted on 12/5/06 at 08:52 PM |
|
|
I used a cheap aluminium drinks bottle and there's never been any more than a dribble of oil in it, So I don't worry about how full it is
getting.
|
|
|
DarrenW
|
| posted on 17/5/06 at 10:15 AM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by Marcus
quote:
i wonder if you could fit a series of small proximity sensors connected to a small PLC that gives an on-dash display of catch tank oil level? Allen
Bradley can do this sort of thing.
mmm, like your thinking
I feel a Mitsubishi alpha would be up to the job. You may struggle with proximity switches, so I suggest a clear plastic pipe on the outside of the
tank, using a number of optic fibres, fed into Keyence amplifiers, outputting to the PLC. You could have half a dozen sensors and a digital display on
the dash panel giving level display, OR run the outputs from the PLC into pico scope and view the results on a convenient laptop - BRILLIANT
Marcus
I missed this a few days ago What a good idea.
On a serious note my new tank which is no more sophisticated than an ali drinks bottle or beer can is just perfect. If it fills up quickly i will be
mortified and will spend the PLC mpney on an engine rebuild instead!!!
|
|
|
