Here's more information regarding CRD air intake crap clean-up issues.
In my previous writing about EGR issues I wrote about researching an alternative for the Provent CCV filter. My reason for that is that the Provent is one expensive little piece of plastic. I found an alternative described below, but I haven't yet found an adsorbent. I have heard from one person on LOSTKJS who is using a similar arrangement with course steel wool where I use lava rock. I think that is a better solution because it eliminates the worry about lava dust. The unit I installed is working and it is capturing the oil, soot and water vapor. I expect I will change to course steel wool in a while to try that. I would still like to find an adsorbent material, but for now I am using the cotton balls described below.
Previous method:
I've been using a clear polyvinyl 3/4 inch ID hose from the CCV puck into a 2 liter plastic juice bottle to trap the CCV crap. It vented the gases to the atmosphere under the hood as there was no cover on the juice jug. I found that not only oil and soot were accumulating, but also water. It appears that there is water vapor included in the vent stream from the crankcase. That is likely what has been freezing in the Provent filters from what I have read in other forums. That process worked, however, I did not like the aroma from the vented gases.
I have just added a low-cost CCV Diverter/Trap (CCV DT) to the mix and removed the poly hose and juice jug. In the process of developing the CCV DT I looked for off-the-shelf low cost parts that, when assembled, would be out of the way and not clutter the engine compartment.
The parts include:
one 16 ounce HDPE dispensing bottle, US Plastics part #66099. I purchased five of them for a total of $13.82 including S&H. So each cost is $2.76 w/S&H. They came with caps that I did not use:
two 3/4 inch plastic hose barbs with lawn hose thread. Cost $1.88 each from Lowe's. They are inserted into the openings of the dispensing bottle. I wound some teflon tape around the barbs to tighten them in the openings so the clamps would not crush the bottle openings;
four 3/4 inch water hose plastic fittings at $1.49 each from Lowe's. They are used to connect the CCV DT hoses to the bottle with the hose barbs. Two at the bottle and two where the factory hose is connected to the new hose extension that brings the gases from the bottle to the air intake. I had these on hand, new prices might be higher, and I used two of them as substitute for a barbed connector explained below;
four 7/16 to 29/32 hose clamps. I purchased a bag of ten from Lowe's at $7.07 so the cost to the installation was $2.83;
I used lava rock as an absorbent, shredded paper as a buffer and cotton balls as the final gas filter element. I used approximately 1/2 pound of lava rock from a seven pound bag that cost $3.97 at Lowe's. The shredded paper is office waste, so no cost. The three or four cotton balls came from a bag of a thousand bought at CVS Pharmacy for $1.89 about six years ago -- cost negligible.
Total cost is under $20 for one each CCV DT. Compare to Provent at approximately $150 and then add S&H.
The Hose is another matter. I was only able to locate some expensive high pressure hose at a local hydraulic hose manufacturer assembler. Possibly for those who live in larger metro areas, less expensive hose might be available. My only criterion for the hose was that it not be damaged by oil. The manager found a remnant piece of 300 psi 3/4 inch ID hose from which he sold me six feet for $25.77, that included a discount of about $40 from the normal price. I used about four feet of the hose. This is not an added cost to the assembly as hose is not included with the Provent either.
Assembly process:
The first step was to break enough lava rock to fit through the bottle opening to approximately half fill the bottle. That process created a lot of lava rock dust. I was very careful to clean the remaining pieces before placing them through the bottle opening and after inserting them into the large compartment of the CCV DT bottle to shake the bottle upside down to remove any dust that made it by my first cleansing process. No need to filter diesel soot and then wind up with lava rock dust in its place.
The next step was to fill the remaining space in the cavity with shredded paper. I stuffed paper through the opening to fill the remaining eight, or so ounce space left after inserting the lava rock. I am thinking the paper will keep the lave rock settled on the bottom of the container so they don't bounce around in transit over rough surfaces.
The third step was to loosely insert three or four cotton balls in the neck of the bottle to act as a last step filter.
Fourth step was to wind teflon tape around both hose barbs so they fit snugly into the bottle necks, put a piece of mesh strainer over the barb that will vent the gas to keep any cotton from entering the air intake, put the hose barbs into the bottle necks and then clamp the hose barbs in place with the hose clamps. That finished the manufacturing process for the CCV DT.
Assembly into the CRD:
I then approached the hosing issue. I fit the CCV DT into the space on the passenger side of the engine compartment that is in front of the firewall next to the fender. It was a perfect snug fit. I did not attach the CCV DT with any fasteners. It sets in the space comfortably and snug so that no fastening seems to be needed at this time.
Once the CCV DT was located in its resting place I measured for hose lengths. I cut each piece a couple of inches longer than I thought would be needed then adjusted after fitting the hose connectors into the hose ends and assembling the whole apparatus. I used the plastic hose clamps on the ends of the hoses attached to the CCV DT and the steel worm drive hose clamps for the connection of the new hose to the factory hose. I had forgotten to purchase a 3/4 inch barb connector to mate the two pieces so I am temporarily using a male and female water hose connector for that joint. The connection to the CCV puck was merely sliding the new hose onto the puck's spout. I didn't clamp it to allow for a high pressure relief which is likely why the factory hose was not clamped to the puck's spout either.
Flow
The flow is from the puck to the small side of the CCV DT. The small side connects to the large side through a column to the bottom of the large side. The large side is used to collect the drippings and to allow the gases to vent up through the lava rock, paper and cotton balls and to enter the new hose piece that is connected to the factory hose to the air intake.
That's the whole saga. It took me 2 1/2 hours from open hood to close hood including breaking the lava rock. I have three pictures; one of the parts, one of the install before putting the CCV DT into its resting place and one of the whole thing ready to close the hood. I would post them except I don't know how. If someone could PM me with instructions I will do that. PS here: I have tried to use photobucket to no avail. Their faq's don't help nor does their tech site. I can not upload pics so if that's the answer someone will need to tell me how. I use Mac OS 10.4.11; Firefox 3.0.7 for mac, the pics are in jpg at 56, 88, and 148 kb each.
Alternative location
I also realize some of you might have the SEGR in the place that I put the CCV DT. If you might want to replicate this you will need to locate another place for the CCV DT. I saw one Provent installation posted on this forum that had it on the other side of the compartment between the brake booster and the fender. I haven't installed my SEGR yet but I plan to put it inside the cabin. I'm thinking in front of the first mate as I noticed the space under dash in front of the helmsman is crowded.
In my previous writing about EGR issues I wrote about researching an alternative for the Provent CCV filter. My reason for that is that the Provent is one expensive little piece of plastic. I found an alternative described below, but I haven't yet found an adsorbent. I have heard from one person on LOSTKJS who is using a similar arrangement with course steel wool where I use lava rock. I think that is a better solution because it eliminates the worry about lava dust. The unit I installed is working and it is capturing the oil, soot and water vapor. I expect I will change to course steel wool in a while to try that. I would still like to find an adsorbent material, but for now I am using the cotton balls described below.
Previous method:
I've been using a clear polyvinyl 3/4 inch ID hose from the CCV puck into a 2 liter plastic juice bottle to trap the CCV crap. It vented the gases to the atmosphere under the hood as there was no cover on the juice jug. I found that not only oil and soot were accumulating, but also water. It appears that there is water vapor included in the vent stream from the crankcase. That is likely what has been freezing in the Provent filters from what I have read in other forums. That process worked, however, I did not like the aroma from the vented gases.
I have just added a low-cost CCV Diverter/Trap (CCV DT) to the mix and removed the poly hose and juice jug. In the process of developing the CCV DT I looked for off-the-shelf low cost parts that, when assembled, would be out of the way and not clutter the engine compartment.
The parts include:
one 16 ounce HDPE dispensing bottle, US Plastics part #66099. I purchased five of them for a total of $13.82 including S&H. So each cost is $2.76 w/S&H. They came with caps that I did not use:
two 3/4 inch plastic hose barbs with lawn hose thread. Cost $1.88 each from Lowe's. They are inserted into the openings of the dispensing bottle. I wound some teflon tape around the barbs to tighten them in the openings so the clamps would not crush the bottle openings;
four 3/4 inch water hose plastic fittings at $1.49 each from Lowe's. They are used to connect the CCV DT hoses to the bottle with the hose barbs. Two at the bottle and two where the factory hose is connected to the new hose extension that brings the gases from the bottle to the air intake. I had these on hand, new prices might be higher, and I used two of them as substitute for a barbed connector explained below;
four 7/16 to 29/32 hose clamps. I purchased a bag of ten from Lowe's at $7.07 so the cost to the installation was $2.83;
I used lava rock as an absorbent, shredded paper as a buffer and cotton balls as the final gas filter element. I used approximately 1/2 pound of lava rock from a seven pound bag that cost $3.97 at Lowe's. The shredded paper is office waste, so no cost. The three or four cotton balls came from a bag of a thousand bought at CVS Pharmacy for $1.89 about six years ago -- cost negligible.
Total cost is under $20 for one each CCV DT. Compare to Provent at approximately $150 and then add S&H.
The Hose is another matter. I was only able to locate some expensive high pressure hose at a local hydraulic hose manufacturer assembler. Possibly for those who live in larger metro areas, less expensive hose might be available. My only criterion for the hose was that it not be damaged by oil. The manager found a remnant piece of 300 psi 3/4 inch ID hose from which he sold me six feet for $25.77, that included a discount of about $40 from the normal price. I used about four feet of the hose. This is not an added cost to the assembly as hose is not included with the Provent either.
Assembly process:
The first step was to break enough lava rock to fit through the bottle opening to approximately half fill the bottle. That process created a lot of lava rock dust. I was very careful to clean the remaining pieces before placing them through the bottle opening and after inserting them into the large compartment of the CCV DT bottle to shake the bottle upside down to remove any dust that made it by my first cleansing process. No need to filter diesel soot and then wind up with lava rock dust in its place.
The next step was to fill the remaining space in the cavity with shredded paper. I stuffed paper through the opening to fill the remaining eight, or so ounce space left after inserting the lava rock. I am thinking the paper will keep the lave rock settled on the bottom of the container so they don't bounce around in transit over rough surfaces.
The third step was to loosely insert three or four cotton balls in the neck of the bottle to act as a last step filter.
Fourth step was to wind teflon tape around both hose barbs so they fit snugly into the bottle necks, put a piece of mesh strainer over the barb that will vent the gas to keep any cotton from entering the air intake, put the hose barbs into the bottle necks and then clamp the hose barbs in place with the hose clamps. That finished the manufacturing process for the CCV DT.
Assembly into the CRD:
I then approached the hosing issue. I fit the CCV DT into the space on the passenger side of the engine compartment that is in front of the firewall next to the fender. It was a perfect snug fit. I did not attach the CCV DT with any fasteners. It sets in the space comfortably and snug so that no fastening seems to be needed at this time.
Once the CCV DT was located in its resting place I measured for hose lengths. I cut each piece a couple of inches longer than I thought would be needed then adjusted after fitting the hose connectors into the hose ends and assembling the whole apparatus. I used the plastic hose clamps on the ends of the hoses attached to the CCV DT and the steel worm drive hose clamps for the connection of the new hose to the factory hose. I had forgotten to purchase a 3/4 inch barb connector to mate the two pieces so I am temporarily using a male and female water hose connector for that joint. The connection to the CCV puck was merely sliding the new hose onto the puck's spout. I didn't clamp it to allow for a high pressure relief which is likely why the factory hose was not clamped to the puck's spout either.
Flow
The flow is from the puck to the small side of the CCV DT. The small side connects to the large side through a column to the bottom of the large side. The large side is used to collect the drippings and to allow the gases to vent up through the lava rock, paper and cotton balls and to enter the new hose piece that is connected to the factory hose to the air intake.
That's the whole saga. It took me 2 1/2 hours from open hood to close hood including breaking the lava rock. I have three pictures; one of the parts, one of the install before putting the CCV DT into its resting place and one of the whole thing ready to close the hood. I would post them except I don't know how. If someone could PM me with instructions I will do that. PS here: I have tried to use photobucket to no avail. Their faq's don't help nor does their tech site. I can not upload pics so if that's the answer someone will need to tell me how. I use Mac OS 10.4.11; Firefox 3.0.7 for mac, the pics are in jpg at 56, 88, and 148 kb each.
Alternative location
I also realize some of you might have the SEGR in the place that I put the CCV DT. If you might want to replicate this you will need to locate another place for the CCV DT. I saw one Provent installation posted on this forum that had it on the other side of the compartment between the brake booster and the fender. I haven't installed my SEGR yet but I plan to put it inside the cabin. I'm thinking in front of the first mate as I noticed the space under dash in front of the helmsman is crowded.
