Catch Can to prevent gunk on plenum, intake, valve, spark plugs, cat conveter.

[Slade901]

Guys, I just recently have no power issue. Clogged Catalytic converter on my truck.

 

Prior to that problem, I have been having idle issues, surges. Spark Plug fouling. Finally, the catalytic converter was just fully blocked. I can't even make 10MPH.

 

I know there was some discussion here before a long time ago regarding Catch Can. I just wanted to share this information. I finally decided to create one on my truck to prevent gunk on plenum, intake, valve, spark plugs, cat conveter. I don't want those excess oil/gas mixture from going out of the PCV and into the plenum. As you can see, the EGR also returns unburned oil/fuel mixture out from the Exhaust system and back to your plenum. If you vehicle has been pumping a lot of oil/fuel mixture out of the PVC and into the intake, those excess oil/fuel mixture clogs plenum, intake, valves, spark plugs (fouls), also affects the fuel injectors, O2 sensors, catalytic converters. EGR is also another part which returns back unburned fuel/oil mixture and dilutes air/fuel mixture and incrase octane requirement for combustion. Over time the EGR pipe and the EGR itself gets clogged up so badly and it might get stuck open and probably cause for vacuum loss.

 

If the oil/fuel mixture that comes out of the PCV valve is catched in the first place then it would greatly help the engine performance and eliminate oil/fuel fouling of components or eliminate gunk build up from happening in the first place. You may not prevent 100% carbon build up in your engine but at least you would eliminate the no. 1 source of those carbon build up and engine problems.

 

Remember, if you are still burning oil and having to put oil a quart a month or so, you would still continue putting a quart every month or so. However, instead of those oil going back into your intake, you are catching it instead and dispose them properly like you would when changing oil. Autoparts store accepts used oil now for recycle. Do not attempt to put back into the engine the oil/fuel/water mixture that the catch can store.

 

http://slade901.fortunecity.com/automobile/catchcan/catchcaninstall.htm

 

I will be converting all of my vehicles and add Catch Can on each one of them.

[dohc v6]

I added one to my turbo, well see if it catches anything.

[dohc v6]

BTW, linky no worky

[Slade901]

BTW, linky no worky

 

There.

[1990lumina]

I know Neb is thinking of adding one to his Maxima..it's apprently a popular mondification

[intern8tion9l]

my friend has one on his srt4, it's amazing how much that thing catches! i would have never thought that much oil was going back into the intake. i haven't gotten around to putting one on the cutlass. it's a damn cheap mod too

[Crazy K]

where can I buy/find this in a store?

[Slade901]

where can I buy/find this in a store?

 

The air water separator with (3/8" inlet and 3/8" outlet) and hose adapter (3/8" Barb x 3/8" MIP) and hose clamps can be bought from HomeDepot. The fuel line can be bought from any auto store. The sooner you do it on your vehicle the better will be for your engine.

[dohc v6]

^ I guess you can use that. I used a turbo xs one, looks nice and hopefully it works well

[mfewtrail]

I wouldn't bother with a catch can unless you have a high mileage engine that has a ton of blowby.

[Garrett Powered]

I just use a jar with 2 holes in the lid. with a hose going in then out to the end of the k/n air filter.

 

the mist condenses on the glass. not that much though. but I like my intercooler clean.

 

hey, its a free mod.

[Slade901]

I wouldn't bother with a catch can unless you have a high mileage engine that has a ton of blowby.

 

I don't think having a high mileage is only a candidate for a Catch Can. Race cars drivers even use catch can on their race car vehicle which I doubt they have a high mileage engine. Race car drivers used to just put a hose down to the ground coming out of the PCV valve but it was not good for the environment as well as not good for the race track with oil mixture on the surface. So they put catch can on their vehicle. It is just not the blowby you are trying to catch. As the piston goes down, it creates pressure as well and without the PCV valve, it will rupture seals, gaskets. The PCV valve is the outlet of the positive pressure. Oil/fuel/water mixture that comes out of the PCV will make rob you of power and the fuel combustion require a higher octane.

[Schurkey]

I wouldn't bother with a catch can unless you have a high mileage engine that has a ton of blowby.

There's a voice of sanity--although--if you have that much blowby, FIX THE ENGINE.

 

I don't think having a high mileage is only a candidate for a Catch Can. Race cars drivers even use catch can on their race car vehicle which I doubt they have a high mileage engine. Race car drivers used to just put a hose down to the ground coming out of the PCV valve but it was not good for the environment as well as not good for the race track with oil mixture on the surface. So they put catch can on their vehicle.

Racers may do that because they have no intake manifold vacuum to make a PCV system functional. That isn't true on any gasoline engine driven at part-throttle.

It is just not the blowby you are trying to catch. As the piston goes down, it creates pressure

Yeah, but the piston next to it is going up, so overall, no crankcase pressure increase from piston movement. All crankcase pressure comes from blowby; if you have excessive blow by, FIX THE ENGINE.

and without the PCV valve, it will rupture seals, gaskets. The PCV valve is the outlet of the positive pressure.

Only if the engine is sealed--any number of people (who should know better, but apparently don't) disable the PCV system but still use filtered breathers. It's not a good idea to disable the PCV, but it won't cause ruptured seals and gaskets if the engine is merely "vented". Oil life goes way down; and that leads to bearing problems not to mention the environmental cost of disabling the PCV.

Oil/fuel/water mixture that comes out of the PCV will make rob you of power and the fuel combustion require a higher octane.

Oil will reduce octane of fuel. Fuel doesn't reduce octane of fuel, and water doesn't reduce octane of fuel. How much oil are you pulling out of the engine with a properly engineered PCV? (not enough to affect octane ratings!) Considering that the carb or fuel injection is tuned to expect the engineered vacuum leak from the PCV system, there's no reason to NOT use a PCV on any engine primarily operated at part throttle; AND there's NO (NONE, ZERO) need for a "catch can" unless the engine is so terrifyingly clapped-out that it's about ready to begin it's second life as a mosquito fogger. If the engine is that clapped-out (C'mon, say it with me...) FIX THE ENGINE.

[Slade901]

I would suggest to read other readings regarding PCV valve and Catch Can. Look at other post where people have a lot of oil accumulation in their Catch Can.

 

The main thing is that the huge amount of oil gets trapped by Catch Can. The less oil gets into the intake the better. Less carbon build up in the plenum, intake, valve, piston, spark plugs (foul), O2, catalytic converter, EGR.

 

 

[Garrett Powered]

I got oil in my jar but Im not gonna fix the engine.

 

Im gonna keep my intercooler and new turbo clean though and rebuild another LG5 to drop in.

[Schurkey]

I would suggest to read other readings regarding PCV valve and Catch Can. Look at other post where people have a lot of oil accumulation in their Catch Can.

Sure. It's possible to install--and fill--a catch can. And why is that?

 

1. They have a frightful amount of blowby, so the fumes coming out of the engine have enough velocity to keep oil in suspension as it goes past the oil-seperating baffles; or

 

2. They don't have appropriate oil baffles to begin with.

 

Either way, the answer is to fix the engine; or to fix the baffles. The Catch Can is nothing more than a band-aid put on top of the "real" problem.

 

The main thing is that the huge amount of oil gets trapped by Catch Can. The less oil gets into the intake the better. Less carbon build up in the plenum, intake, valve, piston, spark plugs (foul), O2, catalytic converter, EGR.

Yes, the less oil in the intake the better. What you're missing is that with an engine and PCV system in good condition--there isn't any oil in the PCV system. Well, not enough to make any difference, anyway. What is being pulled into the intake is primarily FRESH AIR that was filtered when it entered the PCV breather on the other side of the PCV system; as the air travels across the engine it picks up some water vapor and other combustion by-products; and also traces of "decomposing" engine oil--some of the more volatile chemicals in the oil may evaporate out. If you're getting liquid oil in the PCV system, SOMETHING IS WRONG, and the proper "fix" won't include a reservoir to separate, collect, and hold it until it can be disposed of.

 

What else might be found in a "catch can"? If you have an internal coolant leak--seepage of water/antifreeze inside the engine--there will be a tremendous amount of water boiled off when it hits the hot oil; and that's all going to end up in the PCV system. Some of it's bound to condense, and when it does it surely won't look like Evian or Perrier. FIX THE COOLANT LEAK.

 

A fuel system (Carb or injection) that's throwing too much fuel will have the excess fuel washing the cylinder walls; not only is this hard on the rings but it will drain past the rings to contaminate the oil. Naturally, when the oil gets hot, the excess fuel boils out and is pulled into the PCV system. So some of that--maybe--will end up in your catch can. FIX (which may mean "tune" or "adjust") THE FUEL SYSTEM.

[Slade901]

What you're missing is that with an engine and PCV system in good condition--there isn't any oil in the PCV system.

 

If you're getting liquid oil in the PCV system, SOMETHING IS WRONG, and the proper "fix" won't include a reservoir to separate, collect, and hold it until it can be disposed of.

 

You are not getting liquid oil to begin with. It's oil vapor and other harmful contaminants and when it hits your air/water separator that is when it condenses and that is when you see fluid in the catch can.

 

 

[rockfangd]

see i thank god because i pull my pcv valve alot and i have never seen anything but normal

[BXX]

The idea is nothing new. Remember breather filters??? Did basically the same thing, catch contaminants in the PCV system. And of course, the good ol Quad-4 utilized a oil/air seperator... But you know something funny. New cars dont have anything like that. Why?? Because it makes no damn sense.

 

But hey, if you think by catching a little bit of oil is gonna make your engine last longer and run better, then you better remove your EGR system completely too . Because guess what? It dumps exhaust gas into the intake. So much for keeping 'contaminates outta your intake. Just keep your damn oil changed, air filter clean, make sure everything stays in good tune, and your engine will live to see another day just fine.

[mfewtrail]

There's a voice of sanity--although--if you have that much blowby, FIX THE ENGINE.

 

No doubt you should fix the engine if you got a lot of blowby. I temporarily installed a catch can on a friends car with a highly modified engine before. The rings were shot in it after a short time of driving with an insanely rich tune. He continued to drive it for a while like this until he could afford to fix it. Right before we fixed it, it was drinking a quart of oil per 500 miles of driving. Even though it was burning a considerable amount of oil, it only smoked out the exhaust noticeably when you were hard on the throttle. We had to jack up the fuel pressure quite a bit to keep it from detonating while it was burning all that oil. That engine was still really strong even though it was eating all that oil. Now it's properly tuned and putting down a lot more power than it ever did.

[per0781]

some LS1's will gather oil in the intake manifold casue of the shitty pvc system. the catch can will work. deleting the pvc system works better. get rid of egr too.