i know alta has some kind of foam pellets to put inside their oil catch cans to help condense the vapors, and i know lots of you put steel wool inside for the same reason. what i don't know is can it be any kind of steel wool (without the soap ) and is there such a thing as stainless steel wool? how much should i put in there? (why do i feel stupid asking this?)

 

Yes, you can buy stainless steel wool. If not at the hardware store you can get it at an industrial supplier like Grainger.

 

Do NOT put steel wool in your OCC. It will rust very fast and disintegrate and possibly get pulled through the system.

 

Bronze wool might be a good option. You should be able to
find it at most hardware stores.

 

I didn't put anything in mine as the container is pretty large and I check it often.
If you have one with a small container and it fills fast then a little steel wool won't hurt.
About the steel wool rusting-Isn't the liquid condensed oil vapors? I have yet to see oil cause steel to rust. Stainless would be a better option though.

 

does anyone know of any alternatives to use? i definately don't want to take the chance of little pieces of steel getting into bad places. my guess is that there will be water vapor, or condensation as well as oil passing into the can.

 

Anything will just about do as long as it's a heavy medium that won't get sucked up the hose. I think the purpose is to soak up the liquid and break up a possible siphon.

 

I installed a baffle about 1 inch deep on the inside of the Alta top lid between the inlet and outlet holes. Just used a piece of aluminum, drilled and taped some small holes, screwed baffle to top. This makes any fluid (Oil or Condensation) drop into the CC rather than being drawn from the inlet hole directly to the outlet hole (they are very close together). Empty fairly often in winter due to condensation. Rarely have to empty in summer. Sure does keep the inside of my intercooler clean and dry

 

I would use stainless steel scouring pads available at the supermarket (not steel wool). Pieces of a scouring pad are far less likely to come loose and potentially get sucked into the breather tube when things cool down.

 

thank you all for your help and suggestions. i really appreciate everyone's input.

 

Which is why I suggested the bronze wool instead of steel wool.

 

Copper wool is another alternative. And I love the fact that you can empty the can with the view tube, don't have to yank it out to empty it.