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I have the cheaper one from the video in my IS350. I don't know if there is an effective difference between mine and a more expensive one but I collect about the same as pictured above between oil changes. Overall I am happy with it.
Something some folks are missing is that once collected in the CC, the vapor which has now condensed back to a solid never sees engine temperature high enough to burn off the moisture collected hence the MILKY LOOK! It is full of moisture after 6 months.
Just saying it looks worse than it is and there is a reason for it.
Pretty much the same for cars that do a million little trips and never reach operating temp. People FAIL to realize that those short trips are severe duty and NEED a shortened OCI!! So ya, it may be 2008 machine with 20,000 miles on it and be completely worn from being started 20 times and day and never coming up to temp to burn the moisture and sludge off.
Oh yes, I should have added that the contents appear to be mostly water with a thick sludge at the bottom. I have considered mounting my can somewhere out of the way and running a drain line down to the bottom of the engine bay to drain when I do an oil change. The worst part of having the catch can is taking it out and opening it.
Anyone have a better picture of the valve cover?
In short this baffle is the only thing separating the crankcase oil vapor from being sucked up and burned the intake. That said they could have done a better job.
It is supposed to be an oil separator. i.e. allow the vapor/fumes/mist a chance to condense back to a solid and return to the oil pan to be recirculated. A good one has layers, a diffuser if you will. I don't think they put that much thought into it. So once combustion gasses blow past the piston/rings and the crankcase gets positive pressure (it typically runs in a vacuum state on a healthy engine), your get oil loss through the PCV system.
Notice the oil spray bar. Another controlled oil leak in the head to go with the VVTi and block skirt oilers. A lot of reasons to run the best oil you can afford. It's being sprayed and flung everywhere!
Anyone have a better picture of the valve cover?
In short this baffle is the only thing separating the crankcase oil vapor from being sucked up and burned the intake. That said they could have done a better job.
It is supposed to be an oil separator. i.e. allow the vapor/fumes/mist a chance to condense back to a solid and return to the oil pan to be recirculated. A good one has layers, a diffuser if you will. I don't think they put that much thought into it. So once combustion gasses blow past the piston/rings and the crankcase gets positive pressure (it typically runs in a vacuum state on a healthy engine), your get oil loss through the PCV system.
Notice the oil spray bar. Another controlled oil leak in the head to go with the VVTi and block skirt oilers. A lot of reasons to run the best oil you can afford. It's being sprayed and flung everywhere!
Does this suggest we'd also benefit from a catch can on the passenger side crankcase, as opposed to just drivers side like most setups?
One would benefit the most from properly seated piston rings, a sludge free engine, oil scrapper rings that shed the excess cylinder wall lube back to the sump. However as blowby past the ring's happens, the PCV system can't keep up and oil vapor is drawn into the intake at various times but mostly under high load on less than healthy engines.
My 350 sees bouts of WOT daily, 80mph freeway runs and does not consume a drop of oil in 5,000 miles. The PCV vent into the accordion hose shows zero oil contamination. Engine has zero to no blowby.
If it had blowby under load the added pressure into the crankcase would likely push oil into the intake in the form of vapor.
Fact is that since MAF sensors came into play the way PCV is managed changed completely.
- Old school was, one valve cover gets access to fresh filtered air down stream of air filter but very near the airfilter. The other valve cover is vented to through a one way valve to point below the throttle blades where vacuum exists at nearly all times except WOT. In this configuration air is pulled in cover and out the other.
- but we can't do that today because WOT can lead to positive pressure in the crankcase which would then lead to oil vapor on our MAF.
- The compromise: today's system.
Yesterday, I installed a catch can on my IS250, I been thinking about doing it for a while. I bought the $100 one because I thought the extra copper filter and baffle it would help capture more in the can. A few years back I installed one on my Mazdaspeed3 so I was familiar with the installation and how it works.
I’m hoping this will help to keep my intake valves clean. Since I’ve had the car I’ve gotten one check VSC warning, I then used two cans of CRC intake valve cleaning spray and the light hasn’t come back.
It took me a couple of hours to install, I was able to install without taking the fuel line off. I didn’t have a new crush washer for the fuel line and my goal was to do it without taking it off, it wasn’t bad in terms of space to access the PVC valve hose to take off and put on.
The way it’s installed using the antifreeze reservoir bolt I can reach down between the hoses and unscrew the can to empty. I zipped tied the hoses to some hard piping and brackets and that provides good support for the can.
Yesterday, I installed a catch can on my IS250, I been thinking about doing it for a while. I bought the $100 one because I thought the extra copper filter and baffle it would help capture more in the can. A few years back I installed one on my Mazdaspeed3 so I was familiar with the installation and how it works.
I’m hoping this will help to keep my intake valves clean. Since I’ve had the car I’ve gotten one check VSC warning, I then used two cans of CRC intake valve cleaning spray and the light hasn’t come back.
It took me a couple of hours to install, I was able to install without taking the fuel line off. I didn’t have a new crush washer for the fuel line and my goal was to do it without taking it off, it wasn’t bad in terms of space to access the PVC valve hose to take off and put on.
The way it’s installed using the antifreeze reservoir bolt I can reach down between the hoses and unscrew the can to empty. I zipped tied the hoses to some hard piping and brackets and that provides good support for the can.
I’ll report back on how much I get in the can.
Got any pics of how you connected the factory PCV hoses to the catch can hoses? I'm trying to figure out the best way of doing that part.
04-24-19, 10:59 AM
