Do Oil Catch Cans Actually Work?

A lot of questions asking "why don't catch cans come stock on cars?" Lots of reasons here, but some of the most obvious: 1) It's another maintenance item, and customers have a hard enough time just keeping up with oil changes. Examples like AdBlue and water injection systems, come to mind, engineers try to develop solutions around customer maintenance. 2) If a customer neglects it, the catch can fills, and then you're dumping that oil into your intake; this is worse than doing nothing at all. Then it's a liability issue for the manufacturer. 3) Ideally, a proper engineering solution to prevent carbon buildups wouldn't require any effort on the customer's part. This is where auto companies will put their focus. "How do we prevent carbon deposits." There are companies that do much better than others with DI engines. Catch cans are not the only solution. If you have an engine that suffers from carbon deposit problems, a catch can is likely to improve the system, as demonstrated in the video.

I have same catch can as that $100 1, but in amazon it’s 19$.. i was rong about it not working from a hoses distance, etc., but I did notice something on amazons directions, it says when cleaning, to spray this or whatever ‘back through out port to push oil back to catchcan’, which makes sense so far, BUT THEN ON OIL FILTER RECTANGULAR section, it says, ‘after brass filter, clean air only will flow out intake’🤔 - which I’m guesscing might mean most, or 1/2?, people will now be hoseing that penguin up backwards(guess their definition of intake means into engine?). anyway a direct contradiction - hUd of thunk?👋

I've has the $25 one on my car for about a year and a half and have not been disappointed!

Interesting! 😃👍
Best option: no GDI!
2nd best option: a big can, easy to drain.
3nd best option: any can is better than no can.
I'd be a bit sceptical with the filters, made if tiny bronze/brass spheres. I had such a filter in an additive can for an engine running on LPG.
The filter became heavily clogged up by gum/wax after some years. It's difficult to clean when completely clogged up.
So I'd suggest you sprayclean this filter every time when disposing the residue in the can.
One thing you forgot to mention: some engine oils create fumes/droplets that increase engine knock!!!

Thank gawd
My Camry has a D4S technology

eBay baby‼️ $17.99 drain cock/top vent filter‼️ oil check stick‼️👌☝️👍🏻

Sintered solid filter

Does the filter restriction cause any issues vs an engine that isn't expecting that?

I have an S10 I'm thinking about building and designing an oil catch can / vacuum distribution. Transfer case fluid is coming up into the vacuum system where it settles in the HVAC actuators causing the rubber to degrade and fail. The way I plan on building mine will have the oil go back into the transfer case.

Why not run outlet to atmosphere and plug intake ?

I actually bought the $$25 one

I just can't believe manufacturers don't have an inline foam filter before the PCV hose enters the manifold. We had them in the 1970's! It was a part of basic maintenance to replace the filter which caught all the oil droplets and nasties before they entered the manifold.

Why shouldn't a catch can work? I used a beer can on a 30,000 mile 250K4 Honda in the 80s after noticing an oil weep out of the crankcase breather tube. Caught plenty of oil and the bike went a couple of thousand miles like that. End came when blow-by got so bad that blown-by mixture ignited in the crankcase after an hour at 70 to 80 mph on the M4 going into Wales and blew out all the bottom end oil seals. Beer can was free. Rebuild was DIY and revealed that 2 rings on one pot and one on another were broken. All else was fine, but this shows that if your motor is breathing heavy, there is something wrong.

I use that cheap one on my vdub before my carburetor. It works well, but finding a way to mount it is difficult. It is not install friendly.

well yeah it works on most applications, or just let it drip down the block. appropriate that you had a Predator on the table haha. catch cans for these small engines are mostly basic reservoirs tho

None of them are large enough for a decent powered turbo car. The idea is to "catch" the oil/water if you blow a headgasket or burn up ringlands. For instance a catch tank on a topfueler is the size of a garbage bin. Catching everything stops it going on your tires. What you're showing is an oil/air separation system.

I put the $25 catch can on my Prius. Since it doesn't have a filter, I put in half a stainless scouring pad in the bottom. It doesn't exactly filter but it keeps the oil form splashing up and out into the intake manifold. Especially in the winter time, it catches a lot of oil, water and gunk that would've gone into my cylinders via the intake manifold.

what a load of dog poop! He testing NOTING so we dont know if anything works nor if any of them are better or worse..

For us USA folk. that 800,000Km is about 500,000 Miles

So do I not need to run a catch can if I'm port injected, even on a heavily boosted car?

I got a deep can with bronze filter and drain valve for less than $50.

I did a review on that $25 unit used on my z06 uploaded here.

those are thimbles .

And it's even better to have one on a turbocharged engine, because those fine [oil + unburnt things] particles can actually create some hot spots inside the cylinders and produce knock when your engine is on the limit. Modern engines know how to reduce ignition advance timings, but it's better to get rid of this this problem for good.

weird wig choice

Is it really so obvious that it doesn’t need explaining; why it needs to be routed back to the intake?

High temp of gas flowing doesn't get trapped due to lack of condensation radiator (or similar device) optimal would be having a bubler type of set up in water or to prevent possible corrosion it could be bubler in diesel. Basicly something with high smoke point yet enough thermal capacity to maintain lower (oil and water condensating temp).
Water: 4.18 J/g°C

Brass: 0.38 J/g°C (varies depending on the exact composition)

Oil (varies based on type): Generally around 2.0 - 2.5 J/g°C

Tell me if i missed something or why this would be a bad idea?

Absolutely a must for BMW e46. If you attach the catch can input to the drain on the dipstick tube it the can can be hidden under the intake tube yet still simple to access for maintenance.

Had one on my Golf R (Stage 2, APR) for 5 years and have yet to collect even a drop of anything in my catch can. My mechanic can't figure it out either. My ride must be tight!

Do you need an oil catch can for the S2000 or K20 Honda?

Air oil separators are even better than catch cans because they automatically deposit the oil condensed from the vapor back into the oil pan. They cost around $300 in parts to install.

What are your thoughts on using one in sub zero temperatures, considering much of the fluid in the can is water?

Where is the rest of this series???

Porsche has an Oil Colalesing filter system that does not need emptying. I have a Pirren unit for my Subaru Turbo XT too that just replaced the oil filler cap. You do NOT want oil inside the intercooler at all.

A coalescing filter system removes oil by forcing oily PVC air through a housing that makes the air change direction. When the air changes direction and collides into itself, it forces any oil to coalesce, or stick together. This creates drops which are caught on the outer screen and gain mass, then forced down into the lower housing by gravity.

What about oil and air seperator catch can?

It also causes piston ring coking. Which makes the piston rings stick in the piston groove. Now your compression will decrease and oil consumption will increase. A oil catch can will eliminate this problem.

How much oil can an oil catch can catch if an oil catch can can catch oil?

Hi Sir I getting a very Excellent Quality 3 Port Oil Catch can from one of Aliexpress Stores for a price of NZ $42.50 & I'm going to make up a bracket for it so it will fit the PT Cruiser & also buying high tempature ID 10mm Black 5 M Silicone hose for NZ $34.19 & cut pieces of hose to so it fit nicely to fit to the 2 inlets on the oil catch can & the outlet fitting on the oil catch can to the intake manifold as I have one hose from No 1 rocker cover & the one from the PCV valve No 2 rocker cover Kind Regards Peter PS this 0il Catch Can has a brass fine filtering system & has a baffle & tap at the bottom of the oil catch can as well & so I can drain it & a filter at the top of it & it is well made too Sir

This sounds like complete nonsense. If piston blowby is causing oil to be blown out of the crankcase, the oil level on the dipstick will be going down and that indicates an engine overhaul is required. Some deposits on the inlet valve are the least of the problems. Also, don't I understand that modern emgines have oil catch facilities built into the crankcase and the collected oil just drains back into the oil pan?

I just let the oil mist and blow to blow out under my car!

Why not use old beer can😂?

Thought using Mazda Skyactiv 2.5 Turbo?

On the cheap one, the baffle unscrews and you can put some steel wool or similar In it

Hey Jason I have the new hybrid accord it’s direct injection. Is it any different from other direct injections ?

So which brand should i get feom the 100$ cc

Jason, this was such important info. I trust your advice more than any other - there seems to be a logical disconnect. If Catch Cans work - why the heck don't manufactures put these on your engine? I don't subscribe to the angle that all companies are pushing engineered obsolescence, and therefore I can't understand why every GDI engine isn't designed with this in line. The only other answer is in fact designed obsolescence, and they want people to purchase a new vehicle at 100K miles?

Hi i have a question doesnt the bronze filter creates more crankcase pressure im scared to put it on my 2.3 focus st i need advice

Don't need them unless you're running high compression, Turbos or a supercharger.

I’m disappointed. All you did in case of oil catch cans comparison is just presenting the features. If anyone was serious looking for the answer if he should pay more for “better” catch can, he didn’t get the answer. Some features might look good on paper and sometimes they even can justify higher cost, but that doesn’t mean that in real life situations there will be any significant difference.