oil catch tanks? are they worth it?

[Mike-tec]

i have a 325i sport and am thinking of fitting a catch tank. has any one got one on theres? are they worth it? cheers

[e30den]

it gets a bit technical summit do with not mixing oil mist with the air/fuel mix. i personally wouldnt bother.

[bazeebond]

Yeah, I was wondering about these just the other day when I saw one cheap on Ebay. It seems they are a must for racing but not for road use.

Would like to know more though if anyone has any info?

[dannyboy759]

Had a kit fitted to my M3, but as far as i know i dont think its as easy or worth it with a 325!

[fuzzy]

good idea for tuned turbo'd engines but not sure if they have a benefit in n/a engines?

[stonesie]

The oil mist loweres the octain rateing of the fuel/air mix so it's a good idea, especially on forced induction.

[goosiegander]

so how exactly do they work?

[kam-325i]

so how exactly do they work?

On the principle that the suspended oil is heavier than air.....

[bazeebond]

As usual, what I would like to know is if there are any downsides to fitting an oil catch tank to a 325i? I know when I used to be in the MG owners club, a lot of MG ZS 180 2.5 V6 owners were fitting them to rectify VIS/valve problems.

[Brianmoooore]

The only downside is that it's possibly illegal under emissions regulations.

[alloyproducts]

hi, the company i run has just finishing designing and producing an oil catch tank for the e30 325i. thats correct that the oil mist lowers the octane rating, they can either be vented to atmosphere or back into the inlet system. although ive never known a car to fail the mot or emissions from having one fitted.
we do a 3 litre one, which fits on the battery tray and can be fitted in under an hour. we have sold several to other members on the zone. theres a thread in the motorsport section showing pics of it fitted.
they are ideal if you want to start getting more power out of your car as they help with engine effeicency.
hope this helps..

[bazeebond]

There must be a downside, otherwise manufacturers would surely sell their cars with them fitted? How bad are they for emissions???

If they do increase power and efficiency I would be tempted to get one but I need more info on these cheeky little "downsides" first... Come on, there must be some?

[agreen]

why are you so desperatelly searching for a downside mate not having a dig but it seems you want there to be aa bad side

[Demlotcrew]

Had a kit fitted to my M3, but as far as i know i dont think its as easy or worth it with a 325!

All E30 M3s come with oil catch tanks from factory

[bazeebond]

Not desperately searching for a downside mate, just desperately making sure that if I buy one nothing can go wrong!

Believe me, if they give more power and a more efficient engine without compromising anything else then I'll order one tomorrow if the price is right!

[Onz]

this sounds like a good purchase, but it must have maintenance issues. how do you clean the old oil out?

[Mike-tec]

this sounds like a good purchase, but it must have maintenance issues. how do you clean the old oil out?

they have drain plugs at the bottom

[bazeebond]

Mike-Tech, where do you plan to buy one from? I'm starting to think I might like to fit one to my 325i.

Cheers,

Baz

[Onz]

The one I was looking at is here:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... :IT&ih=004

I think I mat get one too, once my head is rebuilt

[BMracing]

The one I was looking at is here:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... :IT&ih=004

I think I mat get one too, once my head is rebuilt

Nigel at Carrera makes these, I know the guy and i can vouch for the quality, very well made.
I'm getting one fitted next month at the same time as getting some resto down on my tech 1. He's making 2 types, the other one has a bigger capacity. As far as I know he has discontinued the smaller one which i'm guessing is the one in this link you posted, but still has a few left. The bigger one is around £100 i think.

[Onz]

what difference would it make on a N/A engine?

[bazeebond]

Yeah thats the one I saw on Ebay too. I'll get one fitted as soon as I've fitted all the kit I've already bought this month! Can't believe how much I've spent on this car now... It must be love!

[Onz]

love or madness mate, I still cant decide!