Vararam + Elite Engineering catch can question

[BowtieBelle]

I have the Vararam installed and just finished installing the EE catch Can on my LLT. My question is, the hose on the driver's side that I capped after the VR install with a breather (aftermarket; not the vararam breather; I didn't like the look of that so I tossed it) do I need to eliminate that hose and cap the barb or can I just leave it the way it is with the breather on the end?

Thanks all!

[BowtieBelle]

I should also mention that breather on the end of that hose gets a good bit of oil in it and needs cleaning periodically. Not sure if this is cause for concern.

[pgustavson]

There needs to be a source of clean air to replace the "dirty" air pulled from the crankcase on the passenger side. Therefore, the breather needs to stay - unless the Vararam is modified. Ideally, the clean air would be sourced from the cold air intake from a point AFTER the MAF, but that's difficult on the Vararam. So the air pulled in is not accounted for by the MAF with the breather set-up, which is technically a leak. However, the LLT/LFX generally seem to be able to cope with it.

Anyway, for various reasons, I decided I didn't want to violate the closed system. I modified my Vararam by drilling a hole and installing a tube fitting so I could use the OEM clean-side line. There's a pic on this thread/page:

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showth...=309513&page=8

I haven't pulled the intake yet to see if oil is getting in through the clean-side - which can happen under WOT "spirited" driving because the flow can temporarily reverse (that's why there is an oil-separator on the OEM clean-side line). But I haven't had any signs of other issues (daily driver car), and my fuel trims improved slightly as well.

[BowtieBelle]

So I shouldn't be concerned about the oil in the breather on the "clean side"/driver's side line too much, then? Just keep cleaning it?

[pgustavson]

I would say yes, don't worry too much and keep cleaning it. I had the Rx oil cap/breather on for a while, and had to clean it of oil periodically. One time, the stupid thing fell apart. I assume crankcase pressure blew it apart because the one-way check valve that's in it wouldn't let the pressure relieve, and it made a nice mess down the side of the block. Why there is a check-valve in the Rx breather is something I just don't understand...