Contents

    – Oil recuperator: characteristics

    – Operation and use of the oil separator

    – Installation and maintenance

    – Purchase and price

Why will you install an oil recuperator? Let’s take a closer look at this not-so-common car part.

Combustion engines are like this: to operate; they must reach very high temperatures, which then causes them to emit numerous harmful particles. An oil separator can be used to prevent the circuit or the entire system from becoming contaminated.

Oil recuperator: characteristics

An oil skimmer is a small tank-shaped object with two small inlets which collect the oil vapours present in the engine. This mechanical part is mainly used on so-called “tuned” vehicles or racing cars. There are no such parts under the hoods of street-legal vehicles.

Operation and use of the oil recuperator

In a legal road vehicle, when you turn the key in the ignition, the engine burns. The very high temperatures it reaches during this phase cause it to spit out oil vapours. These vapours are sent back through the EGR valve into the intake system to be burned again in the combustion chambers. Eventually, the system becomes clogged.

In a racing car, the engine is much more powerful. Therefore, the vapours and impurities it emits are much more numerous, posing a risk to the engine and is very harmful to the environment. The system, therefore, has an additional aid: the oil recuperator. Before the volatile waste enters the system, it comes into contact with the cold wall of the system. Immediately, the steam will condense and flow into the tank in a few drops. The impurities are thus trapped in the tank and, in a liquid state, can no longer cause harm.

Good to know: the oil recuperator allows to trap, in addition to the oil vapours, the water and fuel particles that escape. This free-floating mixture in the engine can cause uncontrolled combustion.

Installation and maintenance

First of all, it is essential to know that installing a mechanical part manufactured for competition on a used vehicle can make it unfit for traffic and render its homologation null and void.

In the event of an accident, the manufacturer’s and your insurance’s guarantees will be void.

Assembly

To install the oil recuperator, you must locate the air outlets on the cylinder head cover and choose a location that is :

    – as far away as possible from a heat source ;

    – Easy to access.

On one side, connect the oil trap to the cylinder head cover and the exhaust hose on the other. Remember to position the air outlet under the engine.

Good to know: you must put plugs on the exhaust hose of the air distributor and the cylinder head cover. There must be no connection between the two; otherwise, the air loaded with impurities will be sucked into the engine and clog it.

Maintenance

The oil pan requires maintenance. When it is full, you must empty it, or the liquid will disperse in your engine. We advise you to invest in an item that has a level indicator and a large volume.

The operation is simple, recover the whole tank and empty it. Once back in place, the oil recuperator is ready to resume its function.

Purchase and price

You can find an oil trap in specialized automotive stores or on commercial websites. Prices start at around thirty dollars. For a high-end model, the cost can go up to a hundred dollars.

I hope this post helps you determine if you should indeed install an oil recuperator. How did you find this article? Please, remember to share your comments in the section below.