What Is an Oil Catch Can? | How it Works? | QR

• Car Advice,
• Nov 30, 2020

 
You might have heard about oil catch cans but are not sure as to what exactly they do. Have no fear, as we will be completely diving into the topic to find out all there is to know about oil catch cans.

With all the talk about oil catch cans, it comes as a surprise that no car comes from the factory with one already installed. If by chance you lift up the hood of a car and see an oil catch can installed, it is without a doubt an after-purchase addition. The basic function of an oil catch can is to increase the efficiency of the engine by reducing the blowby. This blowby is otherwise sent to the engine’s intake, which creates problems.

In this article, we start off with explaining what is an oil catch can and how it works. We also look if it is worth the money and hype, especially for those driving a modified car.

 

What Is an Oil Catch Can?

Oil catch cans are basically designed for engines with direct injection. In these types of engines, the blowby of high pressure past the pistons can happen during combustion. As a result, the crankcase is pressurized.

Modern, smart auto manufacturing companies designed the crankcase in a way for a positive ventilation system, sending the pressure back to the intake manifold. It is a great solution in theory, except that the system can take oil and other deposits from the blowby with it. With time, this results in a coating of the intake valves creating further problems. And this is where an oil catch can come in.

The oil catch can kit routes the pressure to the intake manifold so that the oil and other junk is sent to the bottom of the catch can. Oil catch cans for diesel engines are handy and useful for the long run and have been gaining popularity.

Now, there are people who think that oil catch cans are a scam. Well, according to a study from the Society of Automotive Engineers, oil catch cans work wonders! The study shows that the junk buildup on the intake valves significantly decreases with an oil catch can. So, it is certainly not a bad idea.

Another factor is the value factor. Some companies sell oil catch cans for $200, while others are cheaper. Provent oil catch cans have been around for ages, even considered the best oil catch cans in the market. The cheaper products lack a bronze filter which affects the performance of the can. Also, for people who do not like emptying the can out frequently, larger units are recommended, which are more expensive.

 

What is an oil catch can?

Basically, an oil catch can captures the excess oil that passes through the piston seals into the crankcase of your car. In an ideal situation, the lubricating oil for the pistons should be at a precise measure with no waste. But an oily blowby is created many times. An oil catch can stop that blowby from going back into the air intake of the engine.

 

How does an oil catch can work?

An oil catch can is placed between the crankcase and the PCV valve. All excess oil is collected in the can, which is then periodically emptied and rinsed. There are numerous commercial oil catch cans available. However, some people make homemade devices using steel wool and old food jars as well.

Although it may not seem like a big deal, carbon deposits can actually cause quite a few problems for your vehicle. Too much of a buildup can lead to cold start misfires, poor fuel economy, and, eventually, a reduction in engine power. It should be noted that oil catch cans are only really necessary for direct injection engines. Unlike other engines, direct injection engines do not have fuel regularly cleaning the valves and are therefore more likely to experience the formation of carbon deposits.

 

Diesel oil catch cans:

Once you get into the argument, there are multiple diesel oil catch can pros and cons. The guiding principle should be the amount of oil that the vehicle uses. Or the amount of oil that is present in the inlet tract. It rarely happens that an oily residue is not found on the inlet tract walls of a diesel engine. While it may sometimes appear to be excessive, this is usually the result of minute quantities of oil that escape past the seals of even new turbochargers. Therefore, unless there is liquid oil anywhere in the inlet tract, you do not need an oil catch can.

In any case, in the event that you are anticipating purchasing an all-around utilized, or high mileage diesel vehicle that does, or may burn-through unnecessary measures of motor oil under certain working conditions, fitting an all-around made oil catch can from a respectable producer might just spare you a huge number of dollars. By fitting such a gadget, you will be securing both the exhaust system and the diesel particulate channel against the impacts of over the top hydrocarbon loads.

 

Oil catch can benefits:

By using an oil catch can, the blowby is prevented from entering the air intake. This keeps the engine in a better condition for a longer period of time. Since an engine should use fresh air to start and run, an oil catch can ensure that by removing the blowby.

The blowby also results in the deposit of carbon on the air intakes. Carbon deposits reduce the efficiency of the car’s engine, causing unexpected ignition failures and disruptive shaking. The life of engine components is also reduced due to these deposits. Oil catch cans help to reduce these deposits.

It is also a known fact that no engine works at the maximum efficiency if the blowby is cycling through. This can also cause damage to the engine. Getting an oil catch can mean getting rid of the blowby and increasing the overall efficiency of the engine.

People with high performance engines or diesel engines have the most to benefit for oil catch cans. One reason is due to the optimal performance that is required at all times. Also, cars with GDI or DFI have a greater chance of benefiting from oil catch cans since there is a greater potential for deposit buildup.