Saikou Michi catch cans? Info/pics wanted

[BlackZenkiS14]

Any of you guys using a Saikou Michi catch can? Which model did you get? Pics of it installed?

Thoughts on results/performance?

Edit: sorry for title spelling error...damn iPad auto correct.

http://www.saikoumichi.com/ for reference.

[w0nderbr3ad]

I've read forum posts about people who have nothing but praise from them, but most people are just fine w/ any baffled catch can.

[Matej]

They state they are not blingy or flashy, yet they are bright red or trendy flat black, with a giant logo on them, sold under a pseudo-Japanese company name.

[240sxfan6882]

They've made some custom fittings for me and other adapters. All I can say is great communication, awesome welds and fast shipping. They are based in AZ

[Croustibat]

Dude, it is a catch can. Any empty beer bottle will yield the same results.

[Mikester]

Originally Posted by Croustibat

Dude, it is a catch can. Any empty beer bottle will yield the same results.

^^This^^

Kyle,

Not understanding the motivation here. If you are concerned with name brand etc... Get a GReddy, Sard or Cusco & call it a day. I know you like at least a little bit of aesthetics too- Plenty of other reasonable options that don't have a billion years of lead time.

Shit- you can prolly have Omar fab you up an awesome one cheaper than that place.

[BlackZenkiS14]

Their design is better than Greddy by a long shot actually.

But I just want a nice baffled catch can, but don't want something that everyone else has I guess lol

But no, an empty beer bottle does not do the same thing at all...

[blueshark123]

I run one but i have ls1 so I'm running the dual can setup. I Just installed it 2 weeks ago so far its been good no complains here. I asked for no logo in black as well. Very easy to deal with just email them if u have any questions or concerns.

[Prok0]

To everyone saying there isnt a difference between a gatorade bottle and a catch can... There is a difference between a simple catch (gatorade bottle, unbaffled catch can), and an actual baffled Oil/Air separator.

If you run your PCV system with a return to your intake you would want a baffled set up to knock the fine oil mist out of suspension in the air so that it does not go back into the intake of the turbo, and ultimately into the combustion chamber where it can increase the chance of detonation.

Most people do not run a PCV setup like this, but it does yield some benefits, as you will be actively scavenging pressure out of the crank case which can promote better ring sealing and ultimately higher horsepower. If you read up on vacuum pumps or check valves in the downpipes/headers of higher hp applications pulling from the PCV you can see those guys will gain a decent amount of power by running those types of setups.

At any rate, a guy i know ran the Saikou Michi stuff and seemed to be pretty happy with it, seemed to catch a good amount of oil without pushing thru the catch can and back into the intake

Another good looking setup to check out is Radium
Universal Catch Can Kit

[WV_SR20]

That Radium one looks badass, the dipstick is a cool feature as well.

[Mikester]

Of course a beer bottle will not do the same thing... but even a decent catch can will trap more than it allows to pass if set up properly...

Not saying there are not performance advantages to baffling... optimally, no matter what you do, it's a great thing to have.

[BlackZenkiS14]

Yea, exactly, and the Saikou one really isn't that expensive at all.

[Croustibat]

Originally Posted by BlackZenkiS14

Their design is better than Greddy by a long shot actually.

But I just want a nice baffled catch can, but don't want something that everyone else has I guess lol

But no, an empty beer bottle does not do the same thing at all...

Yes, it does. Actually you need to add some metal mesh, i dont know the word for it. You can use these things to clean dishes. This allows to condensate the oil vapors in the same way baffles will do. Call it poor mans catch can if you want.
But most of the thing that it will condensate will be water vapor going in at night. I know because that is what i find in mine.

BTW if your engine is in GWO and your oil is good too, it wont make a lot of oil vapor, if any. And if your engine produces a lot of oil vapor, i strongly suggest you start by repairing it, and use quality oil, before buying a catch can. Fixing problems is much better than masking consequences. The fine mist proko is talking about is nearly non existent on a healthy engine. I know it because it "suddenly disappeared" last time i had mine overhauled. Good fresh oil, new oil pump, new gaskets. Rings were fine. No more oil vapor, just a very small deposit once in a while. There is a bit more at the end of a trackday, but i am talking milliliters here. Bad rings / leaking valve seat are the usual oil vapor producers.

Now as far as performance is concerned... we are not running F1 engines. If you were running a very tight tolerance engine with high boost, like people use when drag racing, then yes you'd need to do something about crank case pressure. But this has nothing to do with oil vapor.

If you want some shiny item, then by all mean buy these. But dont be fooled by performance claims; it wont do better than a beer can with some metal mesh in it.

[VNG704]

So then no, an empty can won't do the same. Saikou michi internal design is good stuff. Cheaper than a greddy, can be custom built to your specifics, not even shiny. Sounds like a good buy to me. Nobody has an ideally healthy engine all the time. It's not about bandaiding

[Mikester]

Viva la Croustibat lol!

[g35gabby]

The Saikou cans are big in the mazda community. Lots of the guys my husband hangs with have them and are all pretty jazzed about them. They really aren't anything super special, but they are pretty decent.

if you want pretty, SURE motorsports makes a pretty one.
Oil Rig

but in the end, I have done the gatorade thing and even the Greddy and been happy with either with a little metal mesh.

[BlackZenkiS14]

I'm not going to argue, and really don't care if you use an empty beer bottle for a "catch can" , and do nothing to to pull vacuum in your crankcase.

But for my engine, I want better, and a properly setup closed loop catch can is probably on the list.

[waxball88]

Forgive the clutteredness.
Neukin makes a baffled catch can, very nice! Had a -6 welded for my PCV. Not sure if they are still producing them, i lucked out and paid 35 shipped for it. Great piece, very versatile can mount in the rear of the bay or any other location and not feel out of place.

[Croustibat]

Originally Posted by BlackZenkiS14

I'm not going to argue, and really don't care if you use an empty beer bottle for a "catch can" , and do nothing to to pull vacuum in your crankcase.

The pipes are called breather pipes for a reason; pressure goes up and down with every piston movement.

Unless you are really building pressure badly in your crankcase, you dont need to pull vacuum. You need to equalize pressure between crankcase and head, to avoid oil pooling up there and thats it.

Crankcase pressure becomes a problem when it goes so high it cant equalize, and it blocks oil from going back to the crank case. That happens when rings dont do their job anymore, which means your engine either needs a rebuild or you are pushing some tons of boost. I am talking 700+ HP territory here.

I know the current trend is all about oil mist, catch can, crank scrapers and so on. But guess what ? You dont need all that. Sure, it is "better", but the question is "do you need it". And the answer is "no". You may want it because it is trendy, it looks cool, or just any other reason, but you dont need it.

Originally Posted by BlackZenkiS14

But for my engine, I want better, and a properly setup closed loop catch can is probably on the list.

Then go dry sump. It is even better. Dont tell me you dont need it; you dont need the closed loop catch can either. and you dont need the vacuumed crankcase either.

Yes, sure, vacuum is better, as oil gets sucked down to the crankcase instead of just using gravity. But do you have oil pooling in the head ? If the answer is no, then you dont need vacuum, it is simple as that.

And if you want the ultimate engine tech ... buy a race engine. these usually come with dry sump and cylinders have "walls" on the bottom, and various pressure equalizing system. They are designed to take a beating and output high HP somewhat reliably, to an extent no one can reach with the engines we use.

TL;DR:
Yes vacuum is better, but you dont need it.

[Kingtal0n]

Originally Posted by Croustibat

The pipes are called breather pipes for a reason; pressure goes up and down with every piston movement.

Unless you are really building pressure badly in your crankcase, you dont need to pull vacuum. You need to equalize pressure between crankcase and head, to avoid oil pooling up there and thats it.

Crankcase pressure becomes a problem when it goes so high it cant equalize, and it blocks oil from going back to the crank case. That happens when rings dont do their job anymore, which means your engine either needs a rebuild or you are pushing some tons of boost. I am talking 700+ HP territory here.

I know the current trend is all about oil mist, catch can, crank scrapers and so on. But guess what ? You dont need all that. Sure, it is "better", but the question is "do you need it". And the answer is "no". You may want it because it is trendy, it looks cool, or just any other reason, but you dont need it.



Then go dry sump. It is even better. Dont tell me you dont need it; you dont need the closed loop catch can either. and you dont need the vacuumed crankcase either.

Yes, sure, vacuum is better, as oil gets sucked down to the crankcase instead of just using gravity. But do you have oil pooling in the head ? If the answer is no, then you dont need vacuum, it is simple as that.


Yes vacuum is better, but you dont need it.

You dont need it? Then why does nearly every engine manufacturer in the world have it on their OEM engine?


Dont take my word for it, do some research.

Originally Posted by Prok0

Most people do not run a PCV setup like this, but it does yield some benefits, as you will be actively scavenging pressure out of the crank case which can promote better ring sealing and ultimately higher horsepower. If you read up on vacuum pumps or check valves in the downpipes/headers of higher hp applications pulling from the PCV you can see those guys will gain a decent amount of power by running those types of setups.

[Mikester]

^^Read...^^

He said it's better, but you technically don't need it. THAT'S why every OEM engine has it these days. Keep crankcase pressures equalized, engine doesn't have to work as hard = Longevity.

As far as HOW you go about it... so long as there is a venue to equalize, baffling really doesn't matter.

All I can say to the rest of you is that you gotta know Kyle. He's had a bad experience or two with his SR's... He has since gotten a proper setup and wants to do everything he can to ensure longevity. IIRC, he already stated that he's happy with his 300-ish hp and wants maybe a tad more; but does not have delusions of 10sec 1/4 miles lol. Kyle is also about doing plenty of research to make sure what he gets will actually work well with his setup before buying...

Kyle, the bottom line here is that a catch can is a catch can- baffled or not. Whatever you get will be fine... While you're at it, you may as well put a fresh PCV valve in- they are cheap.

[BlackZenkiS14]

PVC is only a few thousand miles old

But yea, bought a Saikou Michi catch can, was a little over 100 shipped, not bad, same price as anything else, and this is a custom handmade quality part.

Croustibat, thanks for your opinion, and I'm glad you don't feel the need to run one on your car. On my car, I'll have one. And it won't hurt anyone. this thread wasn't at all asking if I needed a catch can, but I'm glad you over explained yourself for no reason lol

[Kingtal0n]

Originally Posted by Mikester

Keep crankcase pressures equalized, engine doesn't have to work as hard = Longevity.

now YOU read. It has nothing to do with keeping "crankcase pressure equalized" that is a BAD thing. It clearly says

as you will be actively scavenging pressure out of the crank case which can promote better ring sealing and ultimately higher horsepower.

You want the crankcase pressure to be LESS than atmospheric pressure. The lower it is compared to atmospheric, the better.
The increase in longevity is due to many things, among them, removal of corrosive crankcase vapors.

[blueshark123]

This got way off topic. Have fun with the catch can I'm sure you will enjoy it.

[BlackZenkiS14]

Originally Posted by Kingtal0n

You want the crankcase pressure to be LESS than atmospheric pressure. The lower it is compared to atmospheric, the better.
The increase in longevity is due to many things, among them, removal of corrosive crankcase vapors.

Boom! That's it.

And thanks, I'm excited to get it! I'll be sure to post up pics after install, and tell you how it gained me 100whp, and now can do wheelies. Pretty stoked to do wheelies.

[Mikester]

^^LMAO have Omar fab me up a hood mounted seat so you can use me to keep the front wheels on the ground- should be fun as hell to film from there

[ultimateirving]

Originally Posted by BlackZenkiS14

PVC is only a few thousand miles old

But yea, bought a Saikou Michi catch can, was a little over 100 shipped, not bad, same price as anything else, and this is a custom handmade quality part.

Croustibat, thanks for your opinion, and I'm glad you don't feel the need to run one on your car. On my car, I'll have one. And it won't hurt anyone. this thread wasn't at all asking if I needed a catch can, but I'm glad you over explained yourself for no reason lol

Your smart enough to run one BlackZ, And crousti can you name any valid reasons why not to run one?
Because other than having to empty it i cant think of a detriment..

[Croustibat]

Originally Posted by ultimateirving

Your smart enough to run one BlackZ, And crousti can you name any valid reasons why not to run one?
Because other than having to empty it i cant think of a detriment..

Actually I have 2 reasons to run the "beer can" + mesh. And a third to run an open system, although that is not related to pennyless catch can vs expensive catch can, it is more related to plumbing.

So, reasons :
1/ cost. Empty beer can is free.
2/ similar, if not identical, efficiency.

Now pros and cons of closed system :

Pros :
- closed is environmentally better. You get to recycle or condense oil vapors instead of dumping it in the air.
- no water can enter the system at night.
- you dont need to empty it / check if it is full. It is nearly maintenance free.

cons:
-condensed oil has lost its additives. It lost quite some lubrication properties and temperature resistance.
-you cant catch all the oil vapors, and some will go in the intake, which does lower octane rating and create deposits when it burns. Oil vapors are mostly created when the car is thrashed, and this is exactly when you dont want your octane rating to go lower, as you might be at the verge of detting. In any case it is a vicious circle, the more vapor reaches intake, the more gets produced basically, the more you are lowering octane rating. Until overheat or holes in pistons/destroyed ringlands happen. So yes, a bit less reliable than an open system.

-plumbing is more complex. On a MAF system, it means more leaks opportunities (and it WILL leak at some point, it just is a matter of time). MAP/IAT would be OK.

-if oil pools in the tank and gets sucked, by the intake, it will syphon the sump. Oil will then go by the breather and into the intake manifold. It equals dead engine in a matter of seconds. Usually happens when there is a venting problem, or too much oil in the engine. It is pretty rare, but it does happen. On diesel engines it really is even worse, as there is no butterfly; the engines goes "full power" for some minutes, then dies from oil starvation.

I do prefer my intake air without oil, and i'd be running an open beer can system if i was not so lazy. Instead i am running a 20$ ebay jobbie that came with a gauge, 16mm in/out, an emptying bolt and some bracket.
I added some metal mesh in it, and there i go.

Can hardly go cheaper, and it works like i want it to work.

There is no harm in wanting a clean, high quality closed system. You just have to know the difference between closed/open and cheap/expensive solutions, and chose according to what you accept.

[codyace]

All this catch can talk when the OEM one is the same setup as these pricey ones.

PCV, OEM seperator from block vent to the valve cover T, and front of T to a ebay can and then from that can to the intake. The OE seperated knocks out all the oil, and I've not even got a drop in the catch can in the 8 years of driving it (aside from when I melted a hole years ago and drove it home).

[Croustibat]

Thats what i was trying to say.

There is already condensing baffles in the cam covers. If a closed loop catch can catches lots of oil vapors, it means there is another problem (poor oil, worn engine mostly).