Does anyone use Oil Catch Cans here?

[KrisZ]

Originally Posted By: TiredTrucker
Not sure I would class it as a "feel good mod". If it actually is catching the oil from making it's way into the intake, how is that only a feel good mod? Check out this thread from another forum. Scroll down and see some of the photos of intakes. Good idea to read the entire thread as well. The mod might not be needed as you state, especially if one is not planning on keeping the vehicle and trade every few years anyway.

http://www.silveradosierra.com/vortec-5-3l-v8/pcv-catch-can-t92241-20.html


One of my vehicles is almost 8 years old and another almost 11, none of them had the catch can installed and nothing bad ever happened.

Having said that, my Mazda 3, with electronic throttle control and no idle control valve, could probably benefit from a good catch can because the throttle plate has to be cleaned every once in a while, otherwise the idle will get a bit rough. But then again, the EGR greatly affects throttle plate deposits as well and a catch can will do nothing about that.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: TiredTrucker
Not sure I would class it as a "feel good mod". If it actually is catching the oil from making it's way into the intake, how is that only a feel good mod? Check out this thread from another forum. Scroll down and see some of the photos of intakes. Good idea to read the entire thread as well. The mod might not be needed as you state, especially if one is not planning on keeping the vehicle and trade every few years anyway.

http://www.silveradosierra.com/vortec-5-3l-v8/pcv-catch-can-t92241-20.html


Just think about it. EVERY SINGLE CAR has an oil sump that generates oil vapors and the PCV pumps this vapor back up to the intake for burning. Every single one.

How many have catch cans installed? Hint: an extremely small minority.

My car is eight years old, has over 200 dragstrip passes and countless track days all over the country, yet I do not have a catch can. OMG!

As for longevity my fleet trucks go half a million miles in actual service without one.

It does indeed keep your intake cleaner, if you have a lot of blow by then it should do a great job. But the word "needed" is critical here.

I do run one on an 850 hp supercharged 572 in a boat, but that is a need as all that boost can really pump out the oil vapors!

 

[TiredTrucker]

I guess each has to make up their own mind. I like the idea myself and have one on my 2013 Silverado. Given that it has collected over 3 shot glasses full worth of oil in just over 4000 miles is enough to convince me. I really have no dog in the hunt regarding other folk's rides since I was not, and am not now, in the purchasing an operating loop on their stuff. I have, on the other hand, seen what happens to intakes on diesels that I and others have owned since the EPA '07 mandates and the recycling of crankcase gasses into those intakes. Especially combined with EGR being shoved in there as well. Really make a serious mess of things in the intake and can really coke up some valves. I realize that it is not near on that scale with typical NA gas engines, but keeping that oil out of the intake sure seems like a good measure anyway. I suggest that anyone who feels it is not necessary, that they don't do it for their own peace of mind. For those that feel it will increase their comfort level, have at it. I like the idea. It is necessary for my engines for my peace of mind. And it is just a simple, cheap mod that sure won't hurt.

 

[wtd]

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
As an update, I checked mine today and nothing. Either it isn't working, or nothing is happening.


I've been reading a lot online about catch cans and it seems like a lot of people that are running the JLT ones are not catching as much oil as people with other brands. I've never seen the inside of a JLT one so I don't know how they are designed.

I think the other thing that we talked about previously is the oil viscosity you are running is quite a bit thicker than most of the 5.0 cars and others that run that weight don't seem to get as much in their cans as those of us who run 5W-20.

I know earlier in the post you said you checked yours with about 500 miles on it and you only had a couple of drops. When I changed my setup yesterday, I had about 554 miles on the car since I had last emptied it and I had 1 1/2 tsp of oil in my can.

You might try going with another brand of can to see if you see a difference. You could always sell the JLT one on one of the mustang forums.

Wayne

 

[SIXSPEED]

I have one of the JLT catch cans and agree that it does not perform well. However, they recently developed a new filter element that they claim offers better performance.

http://www.fordgt500.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44082

 

[wtd]

Originally Posted By: SIXSPEED
I have one of the JLT catch cans and agree that it does not perform well. However, they recently developed a new filter element that they claim offers better performance.

http://www.fordgt500.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44082


That looks like it might help things out. I watched the video and it was pretty interesting. bdcardinal should probably get one of these new filters to see if he notices any differences in the amount that is collected.

Wayne

 

[TiredTrucker]

I have had great results with the Conceptual Polymer HE catch can. I have heard good things about the RevXtreme catch can they offer.

One thing that has been missed somewhat in this discussion. Any oil making its way up to the intake may not cause any real problem, but mixed with the average grade fuels we have available, the oil increase can actually reduce the octane rating of the fuel and facilitate a pre-detonation sequence that triggers the ECM to revert to low octane tables and retard timing and such which leads to less than desirable power and fuel economy. Of course, to what level this is a possibility is dependent on each situation. Yet another reason I decided to use a catch can on my engine. True, without doing anything, the catch can wasn't needed. The engine will still run.

 

[TiredTrucker]

Oops. Meant to say post-detonation instead. Either way, the ECM will pick this up and adjust accordingly. The additional shock to the internal components is not a good thing.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Yep, boil it all down and you can't prove any of it. It is a fact that many cars have a baffle that condenses some of the oily vapors out of the PCV as it enters a valve cover, but all those poor engines with no catch can.

The horror.

Just like a bigger oil filter...

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: wtd
I will be interested to see how much oil it catches compared to the UPR can I just took off. When I emptied the UPR can today I had 1 1/2 tsp's of oil in it and it had been 554 miles since I emptied the last time.


That's about all that ever comes out of my Moroso, in an even longer mileage span, but it is still 1.5 tsp.s that is not going into the manifold/intake ports. (Sorry, Steve.)

 

[bdcardinal]

It just seems like everyone else with a Coyote catches a ton of oil. That being said I have only had to add a quart of oil and it has 33XX miles on it. I pushed my first OCI back to 5000 miles due to timing.

 

[Clevy]

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
It just seems like everyone else with a Coyote catches a ton of oil. That being said I have only had to add a quart of oil and it has 33XX miles on it. I pushed my first OCI back to 5000 miles due to timing.


Actually its typical of a 4V modular engine. Lots of revs coupled with 4 cams equals significant mist. Then factor in the volume of air circulating in the crankcase and voila.
The piston cooling jets in the coyote also contributes. Think about how hot that oil gets after it's sprayed on the bottom of the pistons.
Sizzling bacon is nothing in comparison.

 

[wtd]

bdcardinal,

Pull off your catch can and look into the line that attaches to the intake and see if you see any oil in the line. If you do, you know that some oil is getting through. I think the heavier weight oil that you are running is keeping the amount of oil that the PVC system is pulling through, down. It is not as fluid as the 5W-20. I'm also on my original fill oil with 3,600 miles on the car. I will probably change out at 5,000 miles also.

Clevy,
I believe that Ford did away with the piston oil squirters on the 13-14 5.0 engines from what I have been reading.

Wayne

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: dailydriver
Originally Posted By: wtd
I will be interested to see how much oil it catches compared to the UPR can I just took off. When I emptied the UPR can today I had 1 1/2 tsp's of oil in it and it had been 554 miles since I emptied the last time.


That's about all that ever comes out of my Moroso, in an even longer mileage span, but it is still 1.5 tsp.s that is not going into the manifold/intake ports. (Sorry, Steve.)


Be careful that you don't miss my point. It's pitched here as mandatory or there may be catastrophic engine damage, etc. That is simply not true.

Funny that my car also has oil squirters aimed directly at the crowns of the pistons and I still seem to run ok even without one!

But seriously, I support everyone and anyone's right to mod their own car any way they want to. We are 'tweakers' here who imagine we get benefits from our tweaks...

 

[wtd]

I know that catch cans are not mandantory and like everyone else, I have vehicles that have run over 100,000 miles without problems but until I bought this Mustang, I was not even aware of what a catch can was or what it did. Now that I know, I don't mind spending the money to keep as much oil out of the intake of my brand new car as possible. Will my car run any better long term, who knows, but just like the majority of people on this forum that use synthetics that make them feel good about what they might be doing for their engine long term, the catch can does the same thing for me.

How many people on this forum make the statement that synthetics are the best thing for your engine and that your crazy if you don't use them. There is no conclusive evidence that running a synthetic will extend the life of your engine. A catch can is the same thing. Both are feel good measures.

Wayne

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Originally Posted By: dailydriver
Originally Posted By: wtd
I will be interested to see how much oil it catches compared to the UPR can I just took off. When I emptied the UPR can today I had 1 1/2 tsp's of oil in it and it had been 554 miles since I emptied the last time.


That's about all that ever comes out of my Moroso, in an even longer mileage span, but it is still 1.5 tsp.s that is not going into the manifold/intake ports. (Sorry, Steve.)


Be careful that you don't miss my point. It's pitched here as mandatory or there may be catastrophic engine damage, etc. That is simply not true.

Funny that my car also has oil squirters aimed directly at the crowns of the pistons and I still seem to run ok even without one!

But seriously, I support everyone and anyone's right to mod their own car any way they want to. We are 'tweakers' here who imagine we get benefits from our tweaks...


Of course they are not "mandatory".

But it cannot hurt to keep oil out of the intake ports when one has a tune with maxed out ignition timing, combined with a somewhat leaned out mixture, and running only 93 octane, even if there is a decent knock sensor system involved.

 

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted By: wtd
bdcardinal,

Pull off your catch can and look into the line that attaches to the intake and see if you see any oil in the line. If you do, you know that some oil is getting through. I think the heavier weight oil that you are running is keeping the amount of oil that the PVC system is pulling through, down. It is not as fluid as the 5W-20. I'm also on my original fill oil with 3,600 miles on the car. I will probably change out at 5,000 miles also.

Clevy,
I believe that Ford did away with the piston oil squirters on the 13-14 5.0 engines from what I have been reading.

Wayne


I am pretty sure the squirters were deleted, they are not listed on the build sheet for my engine.

I have taken the lines off a couple times to check the tank, I find it easier to do it that way. The lines have been dry. The OE one was a little wet when I took it off.