PRESION · Install & Mounting Guide

Put it on right.

The PRESION is a PA12-CF oil catch can, designed and tested in Austin. It runs closed-loop or open-loop depending on your application. The rules are the same either way: mount it vertical, keep it off exhaust, and drain it before it fills. Read this first. If you still have questions, email us.

PRESION PA12-CF oil catch can
Material: PA12-CF (carbon-fiber nylon) Usable capacity: ~6 fl oz Configs: hose barb · VTA · AN/drain · VTA+AN Fittings: barb 1/4"–7/8", AN -3 to -8

1 Where to mount it

The spot comes down to two things: it hangs vertical, and you can reach the drain.

  • Mount it vertical, drain at the bottom. The ports are on the side. Oil needs gravity to fall out of the airstream and pool at the bottom; mounted sideways or upside down, it can't separate or drain.
  • Good spots: the inner fender, along the firewall area, or any solid point with a sensible, short hose run to your PCV/valve cover and your intake.
  • Keep it reachable. You'll be draining this regularly. If you have to pull half the engine bay to reach the drain, pick a different spot.
  • Mount to something solid: sheet metal, a strut tower, or a fabricated tab. Bracket it down. Not zip-tied to a hose (we ran it that way on the truck for a year; it worked, and you can still do better).

2 Heat & clearance

PA12-CF is heat-capable, but it is not an exhaust-rated material. Keep it out of direct exhaust and turbo radiant-heat zones.

  • Keep it off headers, downpipes, turbo housings, and anything that glows. Radiant heat from a turbo cooks plastic without ever touching it.
  • Airflow over it is a bonus, not a requirement: a spot with air moving over it runs cooler.

Don't do this

Don't tuck the can down in the intake-manifold valley like a valve-cover breather perched over the manifold. It's cramped, heat-soaked, and a pain to service.

Rule of thumb: don't mount it anywhere you wouldn't run an intake pipe or other polymer engine-bay parts.

3 Hose routing

Dirty side in

Run from the PCV port / valve-cover (the crankcase side, the source of oily vapor) to the can's INLET.

Clean side out

  • Closed loop: from the OUTLET back to the intake (manifold or intake tube), so filtered vapor returns to be burned. This keeps the system sealed and emissions-friendly.
  • Open loop / VTA: the OUTLET goes to the breather filter, venting to atmosphere. VTA is off-road use only.

The basics that keep it working

  • Keep runs short and direct. Less hose, fewer places for trouble.
  • No kinks, no sags. Avoid low spots where oil pools and blocks flow; route so liquid always drains back toward the can.
  • Clamp every connection. This is a vacuum/pressure system, so a loose hose is a leak or unmetered air.
  • Match the fitting to your hose. Fittings are set up per order: hose barb 1/4"–7/8", AN -3 to -8, with 3/8" barb as the common pick.

4 Service & draining

There's no sight glass on the printed unit, so you set your own interval by watching it early.

  • First few hundred miles: check it often. Every fuel fill is a good rhythm. See how fast it fills.
  • Then set a personal interval. Once you know your fill rate, you'll know your cadence. A daily driver fills slow; boosted, nitrous, or high-blowby motors fill fast.
  • Usable capacity is about 6 fl oz. Always empty it before oil reaches the inlet/baffle level. Once it backs up to the baffles it stops separating and can get pulled into the intake.
  • Cleaning is easy. It pulls out in about 5 minutes. Blow it out with an air gun. If you wash it with dish soap, blow it out again afterward and let it dry in a warm, dry environment for 24 hours. PA12-CF is chemical-tolerant.

5 Quick-start install

  1. Pick a vertical mounting spot with a short hose run and room to reach the drain. Confirm clearance from all exhaust and heat.
  2. Mount the bracket to something solid. Can vertical, drain at the bottom.
  3. Identify your dirty source (PCV / valve cover) and your clean destination (intake for closed loop, breather for VTA).
  4. Cut hose to length for short, kink-free runs. Dirty side to INLET, clean side to OUTLET.
  5. Push each hose fully onto the barb/fitting, past the barb ridge.
  6. Clamp every connection.
  7. Double-check: no kinks, no low spots, nothing touching or near exhaust, drain closed.
  8. Start the engine, let it idle, check for leaks, and re-check the clamps after the first heat cycle.

6 Care, limits & responsibility

  • Fitment is the installer's responsibility. Every engine bay is different. Verify clearance, routing, and that nothing contacts or sits near exhaust before you drive.
  • Not for exhaust contact. PA12-CF takes heat but is not an exhaust-rated material. Keep it away from direct exhaust and radiant heat.
  • Check it before you drive and keep it drained. An overfull can or a failed hose is yours to catch.
  • Open-loop / VTA vents crankcase vapor to atmosphere and may not be street-legal in your area. VTA configurations are sold for off-road use only; check your local emissions laws.

Warranty

10,000 miles against leaks, warping, and cracking. It does not cover heat damage from improper mounting, crash damage, or modified parts. To make a claim, email [email protected].

Don't have a PRESION yet? See specs and order.

Questions before you install? Email [email protected].

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Sanchez Labs · Built & tested in Austin, TX · sanchezlabs.us