Oil Catch Can. Yes or No?

[importfighter01]

This thread is pretty long and a lot to digest at this point. If I were to add a catch can would it catch most or all of the fuel that is ending up in my oil so I could effectively “move on” from dealing with that or would it not be effective? For those that previously had an issue with that did the catch can help?

Secondly, I see it’s about a 2-3 hour install but are we talking completely reversible with no major signs of the install if the truck needed to go in for warranty work? I really don’t trust my local dealer for warranty shenanigans with an aftermarket upgrade like this. I wouldn’t take it in for any oil changes so it would only be if there was a major recall or repair needed I would want to be able to take this thing off.

It catches a lot of fuel in my experience and my oil has zero fuel smell to it. Very easy to uninstall, just have to put in the labor to do it. I don’t see how a dealer would ever know you had a catch can as the connector for the PCV lines doesn’t have any paint on it or anything to show it had been disconnected ever.

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[JohnnyO]

Just because Fords engineers didn't add a catch can, or anything else for that matter, doesn't mean that the truck would not benefit from it. Engineers need to work within a budget when developing any new vehicle. Im certain that the company bean counters have as much a say about what's included and what's left out as the engineering team. In this post we talk about catch cans that are missing. In other posted we hear about the peeves of buyers who think Ford should have included A,B,or C widget. If Ford were to include every single thing that us consumers think that they should, we would be paying twice the price for our trucks.

Also it would be a small maintenance item that most people would never think to do.

 

[dtech]

Also it would be a small maintenance item that most people would never think to do.

Yes and if you are not willing to deal with that best not to go there, the pcv is part of the emission system and is thus subject to epa approval - IIRC someone mentioned Ford has installed a catch can on certain performance mustangs - if true would be interested to see how that is dealt with from a maintenance perspective. Should a catch can fill up - then the PCV system is compromised and that's a no no from a regulatory perspective.
Since I'm an old codger I can recall when engine crank cases vented to the atmosphere - emission regs changed all that .

 

[VAMike]

Yes and if you are not willing to deal with that best not to go there, the pcv is part of the emission system and is thus subject to epa approval

I would expect the worst case scenario for overfilling a catch can is sucking incompressible liquid into the engine and destroying it, not emission control problems.

 

[TORQUERULES]

I would expect the worst case scenario for overfilling a catch can is sucking incompressible liquid into the engine and destroying it, not emission control problems.

Without the catch can that liquid is already going into the engine. I would think that the can's filter/screen would slow things down to be similar to what already goes into the engine without the can. I think the biggest issue is in the winter if you have a completely full can and it freezes due to high moisture content.

 

[VAMike]

Without the catch can that liquid is already going into the engine.

Mostly, vapor is going into the engine and the catch can condenses the gas into a liquid. There's a very important distinction between the compressibility of steam and the compressibility of water.

 

[SFB]

Well around 50 to 60K when most warranties are up and over and the buildup on intake valves is causing issues that would require a walnut shell blast to fix at a hefty expense, you can tell us it wasn’t worth the forward thinking on our parts? Bet most if not all that are using them won’t be half as bad as the ones that did nothing. It’s a known issue with TDI engines. So the question now becomes, do you feel lucky today? ?

The car I had before my Ranger was a 2012 Edge with the 2.0 Ecopoop. When I traded it in it had 125000 on the odo. Never an issue with the motor! I didnt buy it new it was a lease return and had 38K on it. The milage I put on it was largely highway miles, which I do think helps. I would think more around town driving would have the likelihood of causing gunked up intake valves. The 2.0 I had never even hiccuped, it was a rock solid motor, at least that one was. I used Mobil 1 and changed it every 5K.

 

[TORQUERULES]

Mostly, vapor is going into the engine and the catch can condenses the gas into a liquid. There's a very important distinction between the compressibility of steam and the compressibility of water.

I am not seeing much oil/gas residue in mine. Yes, it smells like oil/gas, but it is mostly water. Moisture drawn from the crankcase. I agree that if the can has no baffling, etc. then a full can could become an issue, but it also will not go in there all at once. If the can has no baffling to slow down the mixture from continuing into the intake and collecting like it should, then it will be pretty much the same as no can at all and doubtfully ever fill up.

For instance, the old supercharged F-150 Lightnings were bad about the intake filling full of oil below the intercooler which would allow the oil to go into your intake ports and dilute the combustion mixture. It was A LOT of oil. I know, I owned a 2000 model and took the supercharger and IC out to clean it before I installed a better PCV valve and a catch can system that would allow me to drain it off before it entered the intake. It was a large pool of oil that collected over time. By the same logic as a full catch can dumping into the intake and wrecking an engine, this should have done the same, but it did not. Even with the supercharger sitting right over it and plenty of boost (16lbs in my case) pushing it. Now did it dilute the intake charge with oil and create the possibility for detonation. Of course it did. That is why us Lighting owners installed a system to mitigate that possibility as much as possible.

Some examples that have been left too long and the oil started to coke up. Mine was still clean and liquid because I believe in changing my oil often and Blackstone can suck it.

 

[puckdodger]

^^^^

that's a lot of crud, better off in my catch can than clogging up my engine.

 

[Racket]

Knowing that the crud I consistently drain out of my catchcan isn't going into my intake system has been reassuring enough.

 

[lawrench]

I'm well read on the subject, and have seen (most) all of the videos and talked to mechanics that are knowledgeable on the topic also.

None of which are showing, or know, or can provide data that definitively shows positive, or negative, results of a catch can on our Ranger motors, the motors that already have a separator from the factory.

So let me get this straight, you are saying that 2.3L Ecoboost engines already have a separator installed from the manufacturer? So it isn't so! rofl

 

[rooster]

Removing the hoses were just as fun as installing them. I just posted for sale in the classifieds here.

 

[HenryMac]

^^^^

that's a lot of crud, better off in my catch can than clogging up my engine.

You have a supercharged F-150 engine in your Ranger?

So let me get this straight, you are saying that 2.3L Ecoboost engines already have a separator installed from the manufacturer? So it isn't so! rofl

Separator - Ford (K2GZ-6A785-A)

 

[lawrench]

I don't think Ford, or GM or any manufacturer of TDI engines for that matter, would install a catch can at the factory because people are generally lazy or ignorant and wouldn't empty it which could lead to other problems, or they would think that there is something wrong with the engine in the first place if it needs something extra like that under the hood.

I think that if the manufacturer installed a catch can and told buyers that it would need to be emptied every x miles, then the government would make the dealer perform the service and the disposal of the caught fluids. Then everyone would have to pay more for their new vehicles because of all of the "free" disposal of catch can contents.

Say that 3 times really fast.... catch can contents catch can contents catch can contents

 

[lawrench]

Without the catch can that liquid is already going into the engine. I would think that the can's filter/screen would slow things down to be similar to what already goes into the engine without the can. I think the biggest issue is in the winter if you have a completely full can and it freezes due to high moisture content.

But the question should be is the catch can making vapor into liquid or is there truly liquid going back into the engine?

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