Aluminum Oil Catch Can Design
Budget: $1,500 – $3,000 USD
Summary
We're looking for an experienced mechanical engineer or product designer to develop a production-ready aluminum oil catch can for a diesel engine platform.
This is not a reverse-engineering project. We're not looking to copy an existing design - we're developing our own product with our own internal architecture.
This is also not a cosmetic CAD job. We need someone who understands mechanical design, manufacturability, machining, sealing, and fluid dynamics, and can turn those concepts into a production-ready product.
Important
I am a professional mechanic with 15 years of experience working on these engines. I do not need someone to engineer the complete PCV system or determine hose routing, mounting location, etc. I already know how the system should be installed, how it will be mounted, and how it integrates with the engine. I am looking for someone to engineer and design the oil catch can itself - its internal architecture, manufacturability, sealing, and production-ready CAD.
Project Scope
Design a premium, filterless aluminum oil catch can that includes:
6061 aluminum body
Threaded top cap with O-ring seal
Multi-stage internal oil separation using vortex flow and baffles (no filter media)
External oil level sight tube
Bottom drain
Mounting interface for our vehicle-specific bracket (mounting bracket and installation layout are not part of this project)
Complete production-ready CAD model
Manufacturing drawings for CNC machining
The design must be effective, reliable, practical to manufacture, and easy to assemble.
Deliverables
Complete 3D CAD assembly
Individual part files
2D manufacturing drawings with tolerances
Exploded assembly
Bill of Materials (BOM)
STEP files
Native CAD files (SolidWorks preferred)
Requirements
You should have experience with:
Automotive components
CNC-machined aluminum parts
Threaded assemblies and O-ring sealing
Design for Manufacturing (DFM)
Production-ready mechanical design
Experience with oil separators, PCV systems, fluid handling, pressure vessels, or similar products is a major advantage.
When applying, please include:
Examples of similar mechanical products you've designed
Products that have actually been manufactured (not just renders or concept models)
The CAD software you use
Your estimated timeline
Your fixed-price quote
A brief explanation of how you would approach the internal oil separation design
Requirement
We are not looking for someone to learn on this project. We don't have the time or desire to train a designer at our expense.
If your experience is primarily consumer products, hobby-level CAD, 3D printing, or basic modeling without real engineering experience, this project is probably not a good fit.
We're looking for someone who thinks like an engineer, challenges assumptions when appropriate, and can deliver a design that's ready for manufacturing.
Location Requirement
You must be physically located in the United States.
We are not looking for offshore contractors, agencies, or freelancers working from another country while presenting themselves as US-based.
If your profile lists the United States but you are actually located elsewhere, please do not apply. We verify location during the interview process.
Budget
We're looking for excellent engineering at a realistic budget, with the opportunity for a long-term working relationship on future automotive products.
If your typical project budget starts at $5,000–10,000+, we're probably not the right fit for this project.
Let's value each other's time and build a strong, long-term working relationship.
We're looking for an experienced mechanical engineer or product designer to develop a production-ready aluminum oil catch can for a diesel engine platform.
This is not a reverse-engineering project. We're not looking to copy an existing design - we're developing our own product with our own internal architecture.
This is also not a cosmetic CAD job. We need someone who understands mechanical design, manufacturability, machining, sealing, and fluid dynamics, and can turn those concepts into a production-ready product.
Important
I am a professional mechanic with 15 years of experience working on these engines. I do not need someone to engineer the complete PCV system or determine hose routing, mounting location, etc. I already know how the system should be installed, how it will be mounted, and how it integrates with the engine. I am looking for someone to engineer and design the oil catch can itself - its internal architecture, manufacturability, sealing, and production-ready CAD.
Project Scope
Design a premium, filterless aluminum oil catch can that includes:
6061 aluminum body
Threaded top cap with O-ring seal
Multi-stage internal oil separation using vortex flow and baffles (no filter media)
External oil level sight tube
Bottom drain
Mounting interface for our vehicle-specific bracket (mounting bracket and installation layout are not part of this project)
Complete production-ready CAD model
Manufacturing drawings for CNC machining
The design must be effective, reliable, practical to manufacture, and easy to assemble.
Deliverables
Complete 3D CAD assembly
Individual part files
2D manufacturing drawings with tolerances
Exploded assembly
Bill of Materials (BOM)
STEP files
Native CAD files (SolidWorks preferred)
Requirements
You should have experience with:
Automotive components
CNC-machined aluminum parts
Threaded assemblies and O-ring sealing
Design for Manufacturing (DFM)
Production-ready mechanical design
Experience with oil separators, PCV systems, fluid handling, pressure vessels, or similar products is a major advantage.
When applying, please include:
Examples of similar mechanical products you've designed
Products that have actually been manufactured (not just renders or concept models)
The CAD software you use
Your estimated timeline
Your fixed-price quote
A brief explanation of how you would approach the internal oil separation design
Requirement
We are not looking for someone to learn on this project. We don't have the time or desire to train a designer at our expense.
If your experience is primarily consumer products, hobby-level CAD, 3D printing, or basic modeling without real engineering experience, this project is probably not a good fit.
We're looking for someone who thinks like an engineer, challenges assumptions when appropriate, and can deliver a design that's ready for manufacturing.
Location Requirement
You must be physically located in the United States.
We are not looking for offshore contractors, agencies, or freelancers working from another country while presenting themselves as US-based.
If your profile lists the United States but you are actually located elsewhere, please do not apply. We verify location during the interview process.
Budget
We're looking for excellent engineering at a realistic budget, with the opportunity for a long-term working relationship on future automotive products.
If your typical project budget starts at $5,000–10,000+, we're probably not the right fit for this project.
Let's value each other's time and build a strong, long-term working relationship.