Oil Catch Can. Yes or No?

[dondonbabyraptor]

Some additional info from a user on another forum, hes trying to find me pictures from 6 years ago atm.

"So coming from a focus st and the 3.5 ecoboost world many years ago this was a large problem. In college with my st we did a test of diffrent things and catch cans seemed to do minimal for carbon buildup. The only thing besides walnut blasting we found to work is to run water meth injection which cleaned the valves in 3 gallons so about 2 months and then maintained it. Definitely not for everyone but if your wanting to add some performance to its a great choice"

And someone else told me that is mostly vapor/oil sludge as how wet it is. this is 90k miles of actual carbon build up. Thus, it seems catch can works great for vapor/sludge but not carbon build up.

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[Racket]

I think there was the suggestion that after so many miles the catch can wouldn't collect as much crap as the engine would be fully broken in. I don't have a pic but at nearly 30K miles mine just puked up a disgusting amount of milkshake. ?

 

[RangerPNW]

I think there was the suggestion that after so many miles the catch can wouldn't collect as much crap as the engine would be fully broken in. I don't have a pic but at nearly 30K miles mine just puked up a disgusting amount of milkshake. ?

With my Focus ST, i ran a couple catch cans on it. I would find it pretty clean during the summer months, but once the weather cooled off i would regularly grab a few ounces of milkshake...The ranger seems to do about the same for me.

 

[TheKracka]

Think oil is another element to factor in regards to oil being recirculated by the PCV system. In my experience I've had best results with Rotella T6 5W-40 in both Ecoboosts I've owned. Any other brand of oil and it reeks of fuel and is diluted to the consistency of water by 3-4000miles. Typically change every 5k, longest interval with RT6 has been around 7800, the oil viscosity seemed typical(thick/tacky), smelled of exhaust, decided to send off a sample to Blackstone and they reported back, forget exact language used, basically everything looked good and try driving "X" miles more.

On another note, has anyone experimented with a breather plate? Not sure how I feel about them, understand the theory, my concerns would be not evacuating gases and pressures in the crankcase fast enough.

https://www.mountuneusa.com/Breather-Plate-Ford-Ecoboost-2-0L-And-2-3L-p/2363-obp-aa.htm

 

[TJC]

This is my collected goo from my 2020 Ranger since purchased new in Aug 2020. The last 1800 miles was over this winter including two 600 miles trips. One little rain, the other clear. Temps were ~35F on both trips.

The bottom appears to be oil, the creamy delicious stuff in the center appears to be water/oil mix (a good guess based upon what happens to oil when a headgasket leaks from a water jacket into the oil), top appears to be unburnt fuel (smells like it anyway).

It collects much faster in high humidity cold weather.

I rarely check it in the summer, but buildup is quite fast in the winter. I've had the UPR can fill in a week!

As an aside I replaced the baffle oil O ring with a zip tie (the O ring functions as a retaining ring holding the top baffle plate down against the baffle. The zip tie is also loosening up over time (expanding). I'm going with a stainless steel crimp ring the next time I have it apart. I'll use the retaining ring at the bottom to take it apart to clean it. Why UPR didn't use a retaining clip on the top eludes me. They put the detent on the shaft.

 

[TJC]

In my experience I've had best results with Rotella T6 5W-40 in both Ecoboosts I've owned. Any other brand of oil and it reeks of fuel and is diluted to the consistency of water by 3-4000miles.

I think that this is a very good suggestion! I have been researching this oil and viscosity for some time. It appears to be superior in almost every category important to TGDI engines. I am hoping that it staves off, or at least slows the accumulation of the crud on the valve stems.

I looked for it the last time I was in town, but no one had it... guess it's time to order online.

Your results confirmed my initial impression. Thanks for the data point!

 

[Doc]

This is my collected goo from my 2020 Ranger since purchased new in Aug 2020. The last 1800 miles was over this winter including two 600 miles trips. One little rain, the other clear. Temps were ~35F on both trips.

The bottom appears to be oil, the creamy delicious stuff in the center appears to be water/oil mix (a good guess based upon what happens to oil when a headgasket leaks from a water jacket into the oil), top appears to be unburnt fuel (smells like it anyway).

It collects much faster in high humidity cold weather.

I rarely check it in the summer, but buildup is quite fast in the winter. I've had the UPR can fill in a week!

As an aside I replaced the baffle oil O ring with a zip tie (the O ring functions as a retaining ring holding the top baffle plate down against the baffle. The zip tie is also loosening up over time (expanding). I'm going with a stainless steel crimp ring the next time I have it apart. I'll use the retaining ring at the bottom to take it apart to clean it. Why UPR didn't use a retaining clip on the top eludes me. They put the detent on the shaft.

Goes good with Vodka ..?

 

[My12SecRanger]

I will give you a free Moroso universal catch can if you want to try it beef stew

 

[Ibanezbass671]

My Ranger to date only has 1600 miles, far from me to think about carbon buid up. But just wondering here in this forum if there are any members installed an OEM oil/seperator like the one below;

OEM Part# M-6766-R23 .

 

[Racket]

My Ranger to date only has 1600 miles, far from me to think about carbon buid up. But just wondering here in this forum if there are any members installed an OEM oil/seperator like the one below;

OEM Part# M-6766-R23 .

Is there a drain on it and if so where does it go?

I know we're warned to check/drain the CC frequently since sucking the crud they collect into the intake could be disastrous. Now I'm wondering if the CC keeps the intercooler clean too.

Some suggestion in another thread it may stave off egr sensor failure as well. The factory seperator isn't impressive.

 

[Dgc333]

Now I'm wondering if the CC keeps the intercooler clean too.

Whether you have a catch can or not in off boost conditions the fumes are drawn from the crank case via a vacuum port on the intake manifold. None of the mess flows through the turbo or intercooler.

Whether you have a catch can or not under boost conditions the PCV valve closes and prevents boost pressure from entering the crankcase. But, any crankcase pressure from blow by will travel out the clean side line and reenter the intake infront of the turbo. So, under boost you are passing the oily mess through the turbo and intercooler.

The UPR dual valve catch addresses the on boost condition by using the low pressure infront of the turbo to continue pulling the oily fumes through the catch can before entering the turbo. The clean side line can still allow oily fumes to enter the intake but it will be reduced with the dual valve catch can.

As with any catch can they are not 100% effective so you will always have some oily fumes being introduced back into the engine, most of it going into the intake manifold and a smaller amount passing through the turbo and intercooler before entering the engine.

 

[Racket]

Whether you have a catch can or not in off boost conditions the fumes are drawn from the crank case via a vacuum port on the intake manifold. None of the mess flows through the turbo or intercooler.

Whether you have a catch can or not under boost conditions the PCV valve closes and prevents boost pressure from entering the crankcase. But, any crankcase pressure from blow by will travel out the clean side line and reenter the intake infront of the turbo. So, under boost you are passing the oily mess through the turbo and intercooler.

The UPR dual valve catch addresses the on boost condition by using the low pressure infront of the turbo to continue pulling the oily fumes through the catch can before entering the turbo. The clean side line can still allow oily fumes to enter the intake but it will be reduced with the dual valve catch can.

As with any catch can they are not 100% effective so you will always have some oily fumes being introduced back into the engine, most of it going into the intake manifold and a smaller amount passing through the turbo and intercooler before entering the engine.

I see the advantage of the check valves on the UPR then.

 

[TJC]

Is there a drain on it and if so where does it go?

I know we're warned to check/drain the CC frequently since sucking the crud they collect into the intake could be disastrous. Now I'm wondering if the CC keeps the intercooler clean too.

Some suggestion in another thread it may stave off egr sensor failure as well. The factory seperator isn't impressive.

That catch can looks like it barely qualifies as a catch can! I wonder how much testing was done on the design. Emptying it looks to be messy.

BTW, I love the Kershaw Launch 7300BLK knife! Got one just like it!

 

[PltFX4]

My Ranger to date only has 1600 miles, far from me to think about carbon buid up. But just wondering here in this forum if there are any members installed an OEM oil/seperator like the one below;

OEM Part# M-6766-R23 .

FYI: 2019-2023 RANGER AIR/OIL SEPARATOR

 

[Racket]

FYI: 2019-2023 RANGER AIR/OIL SEPARATOR

All well and good - I still think my UPR with it's dual vacuum, check valves and built in drain rather than disconnect crap is better ?

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