How does an oil catch can work and why is it beneficial?
How does an oil catch can work and why is it beneficial?
If you ever carefully inspect a tuned muscle car that is powered by a turbocharged engine, you will most likely find an oil catch can installed. Not many people are aware of the functionality and the benefit of an oil catch can, so in this article we will discuss these advantages of the catch can and why you need one if you own a tuned sports car.
What is an Oil Catch Can?
Every vehicle whether tuned or not new or used vehicle produces gas blow-by during the combustion process. This gas blow-by is the build of oil vapor and contaminants that form in the intake system and the throttle body and damage the overall performance of the vehicle. To prevent this, an oil catch can is installed which extracts what is sent out from the crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve and separates oil from the dirty air and collects all the filth and dirt in the catch can. The air is then sent back to the intake manifold as opposed to the PCV system which transfers both air and oil to the intake manifold. An oil catch can is also referred as Catch Tank or Air/Oil Separator.
Although both turbocharged and naturally aspirated engines experience gas blow-by, the amount of carbon and filth produced by turbocharged engines is significantly higher especially when the vehicle is under turbo mode. This may also lead to a dangerous situation where the oil residue converts into a charcoal type substance and damages the turbo. Moreover, many turbocharged engines are now direct injected and they get dirtier much faster than the traditional multipoint fuel injection system. In the direct injection system, the fuel is transferred directly to the combustion chamber and no fuel is sprayed to the intake valves to keep them clean. As a result, dirt and grime build up on the intake manifold walls and valves damaging the performance of the car.
Why is the Oil Catch Can Necessary?
For this reason, the tuned turbocharged vehicles which are used in high-performance race competitions are all equipped with the Oil Catch Can to keep the air intake system clean and allow the engine to deliver optimal performance. The catch can has a high-quality hose attached with the PCV valve and this hose is capable of resisting extreme pressure and heat produced by the engine. The filters prevent the oil residue to escape back out of the can to the intake manifold.
What are the Benefits of Oil Catch Can?
The Oil Catch Can has various benefits and is essential for turbocharged and naturally aspirated with direct fuel injection engines. As we discussed that even in brand new cars, there is a possibility of the blow-by gas escaping into the PCV line in the direct fuel injection engine, the Oil Catch Can does a remarkable job of trapping the oil residue and keeping the intake manifold clean and intake valve. This also ensures a long life of the engine and enables it to deliver excellent performance. Moreover, the fuel economy level also improves after installing the Oil Catch Can. Blow-by makes its way into the PCV line and breather where they are recycled back into the intake manifold reducing the octane level. Moreover, the blow-by results in carbon deposits in the intake system and valve the oil catch can help in reducing this deposit.
What is Universal Catch Can and direct bolt on kit?
The Oil Catch Can comes in Directly Bolt On and Universal Catch Can. The Universal Catch Can is easy to install on any vehicle whereas the Directly Bolt on Catch Can comes with specific brackets and hoses and fitting according to your vehicle.
Final Words
An Oil Catch Can does an important task of separating the oil from the air and collects the dirty oil and contaminants at the bottom of the can. The clean air is then used again for the combustion process. An Oil Catch Can is an important component for the turbocharged and naturally aspirated vehicles. It not only keeps the intake clean and improves the engine life but also refines the performance. Due to its useful application, every professional driver with a tuned vehicle installs an Oil Catch Can.
