Finally Jumped on the Oil Catch Can Bandwagon

[George B]

Thanks for confirming that they flipped the port orientation. I often refer people to that can when they're looking for one and aren't hell-bent on spending $50-$500 for it. The port orientation doesn't affect the function, it just allows for neater hose routing with the can being on the driver side.

You want the oily air coming into the can to hit the filter media first and "stall". This lets the droplets collect together and become too heavy to be carried by the air, so they fall down into the reservoir. They're not gonna be "picked back up" at this point. Look at it as the reservoir catching what made it past the filter. If the oily air were allowed to come into the can on the unfiltered side, it'd freely pass the reservoir and then hit the filter media. You'd only catch what was heavy enough to collect on the filter and fall "back" into the reservoir, against the direction of flow. Whatever makes it past the filter at this point is headed into the intake manifold.

Any condensation should be settled in the bottom of the can. Since it's not pure water, it's gonna have a lower freezing point. Even if it were to freeze, it shouldn't expand enough to fill the reservoir. If your can is filling up, either you're going way too long between drainings or your engine has oil control issues. It's the same condensation that's in the oil in the crankcase. It just turns to steam and catches a ride in the PCV currents and collects in a smaller tank than the crankcase. Most of it still (harmlessly) goes into the intake manifold and is burned off. What collects in the can is a very small amount compared to what passes through the engine when running.

I agree 100% and am glad to finally have this installed.

 

[Sparksalot]

Silly question at this point, but how does that top cover pop off the engine? How many attachment points?

EDIT: I got it. The extra power wiring across the top made it much more fun. And HOLY COW, that resonance chamber on the air intake is huge.

 

[Sparksalot]

What's the cleanest way to cut the tube between the PCV and the intake?

 

[George B]

What's the cleanest way to cut the tube between the PCV and the intake?

I took it off and cut it on the bench with a utility knife.

 

[wsteele]

What's the cleanest way to cut the tube between the PCV and the intake?

I decided to just run the hose to the PCV and intake and left the factory plastic tube out of the equation. Seems to work fine. I did finally get about a teaspoon worth of oil in the can between changes.

 

[Sparksalot]

I decided to just run the hose to the PCV and intake and left the factory plastic tube out of the equation. Seems to work fine. I did finally get about a teaspoon worth of oil in the can between changes.

I have a long piece of hose. I'm guessing you made a short nipple at each end to plug into the spots that tube did.

 

[wsteele]

I have a long piece of hose. I'm guessing you made a short nipple at each end to plug into the spots that tube did.

On mine both ends of the line have nipples and the plastic line was attached with a very short piece of rubber hose. The hose they used was unbraided and quite soft, I assumed they used the plastic as a solid run of the joining hose likely would collapse under vacuum, or maybe they did it that way to save money?

In any case, I just slid the hose ends on each nipple (after I cut each side to proper length) and used a crimp band hose clamp just in case.

 

[Sparksalot]

Saw a few videos, and it seems that hose or tube design changed every couple of years. Mine is a hard plastic tube, and cut like butter with a hot hardback razor blade.

 

[Jason in DLH]

Saw a few videos, and it seems that hose or tube design changed every couple of years. Mine is a hard plastic tube, and cut like butter with a hot hardback razor blade.

Good idea heating the blade! Never crossed my mind to do that. I learn something new every time I visit this forum.

 

[Sparksalot]

Good idea heating the blade! Never crossed my mind to do that. I learn something new every time I visit this forum.

I do too!

 

[Sam Harris]

Good idea heating the blade! Never crossed my mind to do that. I learn something new every time I visit this forum.

I do too!

Definitely!

 

[Sparksalot]

What are y’all using for the hose material? My local store didn’t have vacuum lines that size, so I ended up using fuel line. As I feared it doesn’t hold the shape. I’m not sure if that’s a big concern.

 

[wsteele]

What are y’all using for the hose material? My local store didn’t have vacuum lines that size, so I ended up using fuel line. As I feared it doesn’t hold the shape. I’m not sure if that’s a big concern.

I used braid reinforced fuel line (what came with the can), it is pretty stiff, definitely isn't going to collapse under vacuum.

 

[BG1988]

What temp does engine oil freeze at?

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

-70F or so for 0w30 it's best to build a small fire under the SUV before starting..... /s


most people that live in super cold climates use oil heaters to bring it to about 0C


this is why firetrucks are plugged in while at home so the engine is always warmed up( i'm sure it uses the coolant heated circulation to do this)

the hybrid has an electrical cooler pump going while the engine is off to prevent overheating or thermal damage i.e block warp

 

[George B]

What are y’all using for the hose material? My local store didn’t have vacuum lines that size, so I ended up using fuel line. As I feared it doesn’t hold the shape. I’m not sure if that’s a big concern.

3/8 braid reinforced fuel line. Works well.

 

[Sparksalot]

3/8 braid reinforced fuel line. Works well.

@wsteele thats what I have as well.

 

[Bagherra]

Im just learning of the benefits of a catch can...what do you guys recommend ?

I have a 2016 Denali...

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Im just learning of the benefits of a catch can...what do you guys recommend ?

I have a 2016 Denali...

Do it!

 

[tst1212]

Just make sure to frequently check and empty your catch can. I had no issues for the first couple years cause my driving habits didn't change, then the Wu Flu hit and I wasn't driving as much. We then started taking long trips and I sort of forgot about it until my check engine light went on. I put my OBD ii reader on it, can't remember the exact code, but it had something to do with the PCV. My catch can was almost full, so I emptied it and went for a drive, and all is fine. Luckily the light went on about 2 blocks from my house.

So out of curiosity, what would happen if you continued to drive with a full catch can?

PS - My catch can has a screw on dip stick so it's easy to check without removing the reservoir, and can be checked when the engine is hot.

 

[wsteele]

Just make sure to frequently check and empty your catch can. I had no issues for the first couple years cause my driving habits didn't change, then the Wu Flu hit and I wasn't driving as much. We then started taking long trips and I sort of forgot about it until my check engine light went on. I put my OBD ii reader on it, can't remember the exact code, but it had something to do with the PCV. My catch can was almost full, so I emptied it and went for a drive, and all is fine. Luckily the light went on about 2 blocks from my house.

So out of curiosity, what would happen if you continued to drive with a full catch can?

PS - My catch can has a screw on dip stick so it's easy to check without removing the reservoir, and can be checked when the engine is hot.

You likely would start seeing blue smoke at some point, maybe a code for random misses for oil fouling the plugs (but that likely would be quite a ways down the road).

My catch can has a petcock on the bottom. I empty it about every two weeks and check the oil while I am in there. The most I have gotten was about a teaspoon, when I went about a month.