J&L Oil Catch Can

[rocks]

Pricey but looks like a quality item and the installation is super easy.

.

Sponsored

 

[jkeaton]

What’s the purpose?

 

[rocks]

What’s the purpose?

8:45 into the second video.

 

[jkeaton]

Maybe on my day off I'll have some time to watch some videos. Thanks.

 

[rocks]

Maybe on my day off I'll have some time to watch some videos. Thanks.

That's one of the benefits of being retired.

 

[Mark S.]

What’s the purpose?

A catch can's primary purpose in a race application is to prevent octane dilution. Crankcase vapors contain oil, oil vapors, and combustion gases that make it past the rings into the crankcase. This mixture is routed back to the engine's intake to be burnt off, and they are far less combustible than the fuel/air mixture they mix with. Liquid oil has the greatest effect on octane, therefore it should be filtered out of the crankcase vapors going to the engine's intake. Ford accomplishes this with the 2.0L and 1.5L EcoBoost engines via an air/oil separator installed at the factory.

A secondary purpose of a catch can claimed by many catch can manufacturers is to reduce intake valve contamination when used on direct injection engines. Crankcase vapors with enough liquid oil in them can deposit that oil on the intake side of intake valves, where they can build up enough to interfere with the free flow of intake air. With port and/or throttle-body injected engines, the fuel is mixed with intake air before going through the intake valve. This has the beneficial side effect of "scrubbing" the intake side of the intake valves with gasoline--an excellent solvent--thus preventing valve contamination. With direct-injected engines the fuel goes directly into the combustion chamber, thus intake valves may be susceptible to contamination from the oil in crankcase vapors.

The question is, does a catch can have any benefit for our engines? First, there is already an air/oil separator on the engine to reduce the amount of liquid oil in the crankcase vapors. Second, Ford designed the software in the powertrain control module to account for any reduction in octane due to the introduction of crankcase vapors, so I see no benefit there. Third, the 1.5L EcoBoost is both direct- and port-injected, so there is no danger of intake valve contamination. The 2.0L uses only direct-injection, so you can make an argument that a catch can will help keep intake valves clean. I would ask, however, for data on the numbers of 2.0L EcoBoost engines that suffer driveability/performance issues from valve contamination. To date, field reports of such issues are rare.

The only time I would consider a catch can to be a necessity is if you intend to boost power output, especially if you plan to increase turbocharger boost pressure. An increase in power demand will almost certainly require higher-octane fuel, and higher boost pressure will result in higher crankcase pressures which must go back to the engine's intake. Oil in the crankcase vapors could absolutely lower the overall mixture octane enough to cause detonation (knocking) issues, and could even increase the likelihood of a low-speed preignition (LSPI) event. A single LSPI event is enough to destroy your engine.

 

[Big Ben]

Pricey but looks like a quality item and the installation is super easy.

.

A catch can is not needed. The BS already has one installed at the factory, which is legal and does not require any maintenance or draining.

 

[Big Ben]

A catch can's primary purpose in a race application is to prevent octane dilution. When crankcase vapors are routed back to the engine's intake the oil, oil vapors, and combustion gases that make it past the rings into the crankcase are far less combustible than the fuel/air mixture they mix with. Liquid oil has the greatest effect on octane, therefore it should be filtered out of the crankcase vapors going to the engine's intake. Ford accomplishes this with the 2.0L and 1.5L EcoBoost engines via an air/oil separator installed at the factory.

A secondary purpose of a catch can claimed by many catch can manufacturers is to reduce intake valve contamination when used on direct injection engines. Crankcase vapors with enough liquid oil in them can deposit that oil on the intake side of intake valves, where they can build up enough to interfere with the free flow if intake air. With port and/or throttle-body injected engines, the fuel is mixed with intake air before going through the intake valve. This has the beneficial side effect of "scrubbing" the intake side of the intake valves with gasoline--an excellent solvent--thus preventing valve contamination. With direct-injected engines the gas goes directly into the combustion chamber, thus oil in crankcase vapors may contaminate the intake valves.

The question is, does a catch can have any benefit for our engines? First, there is already an air/oil separator on the engine to reduce the amount of liquid oil in the crankcase vapors. Second, Ford designed the software in the powertrain control module to account for any reduction in octane due to the introduction of crankcase vapors, so I see no benefit there. Third, the 1.5L EcoBoost is both direct- and port-injected, so there is no danger of intake valve contamination. The 2.0L uses only direct-injection, so you can make an argument that a catch can will help keep intake valves clean. I would ask, however, for data on the numbers of 2.0L EcoBoost engines that suffer driveability/performance issues from valve contamination. To date, field reports of such issues are rare.

The only time I would consider a catch can to be necessity is if you intend to boost power output, especially if you plan to increase turbocharger boost pressure. An increase in power demand will almost certainly require higher-octane fuel, and higher boost pressure will result in higher crankcase pressures which must go back to the engine's intake. Oil in the crankcase vapors could absolutely lower the overall mixture octane enough to cause detonation (knocking) issues, and could even increase the likelihood of a low-speed preignition (LSPI) event. A single LSPI event is enough to destroy your engine.

The BS and probably other Ford engines have a factory installed catch can system.

 

[rocks]

So according to that article, a catch can may be more beneficial in the 2.0L. Interesting.

 

[jkeaton]

A catch can's primary purpose in a race application is to prevent octane dilution. Crankcase vapors contain oil, oil vapors, and combustion gases that make it past the rings into the crankcase. This mixture is routed back to the engine's intake to be burnt off, and they are far less combustible than the fuel/air mixture they mix with. Liquid oil has the greatest effect on octane, therefore it should be filtered out of the crankcase vapors going to the engine's intake. Ford accomplishes this with the 2.0L and 1.5L EcoBoost engines via an air/oil separator installed at the factory.

A secondary purpose of a catch can claimed by many catch can manufacturers is to reduce intake valve contamination when used on direct injection engines. Crankcase vapors with enough liquid oil in them can deposit that oil on the intake side of intake valves, where they can build up enough to interfere with the free flow of intake air. With port and/or throttle-body injected engines, the fuel is mixed with intake air before going through the intake valve. This has the beneficial side effect of "scrubbing" the intake side of the intake valves with gasoline--an excellent solvent--thus preventing valve contamination. With direct-injected engines the fuel goes directly into the combustion chamber, thus intake valves may be susceptible to contamination from the oil in crankcase vapors.

The question is, does a catch can have any benefit for our engines? First, there is already an air/oil separator on the engine to reduce the amount of liquid oil in the crankcase vapors. Second, Ford designed the software in the powertrain control module to account for any reduction in octane due to the introduction of crankcase vapors, so I see no benefit there. Third, the 1.5L EcoBoost is both direct- and port-injected, so there is no danger of intake valve contamination. The 2.0L uses only direct-injection, so you can make an argument that a catch can will help keep intake valves clean. I would ask, however, for data on the numbers of 2.0L EcoBoost engines that suffer driveability/performance issues from valve contamination. To date, field reports of such issues are rare.

The only time I would consider a catch can to be a necessity is if you intend to boost power output, especially if you plan to increase turbocharger boost pressure. An increase in power demand will almost certainly require higher-octane fuel, and higher boost pressure will result in higher crankcase pressures which must go back to the engine's intake. Oil in the crankcase vapors could absolutely lower the overall mixture octane enough to cause detonation (knocking) issues, and could even increase the likelihood of a low-speed preignition (LSPI) event. A single LSPI event is enough to destroy your engine.

Guess I should have clarified. What's the purpose on a daily driven, bone stock vehicle? I get the race applications and such. Just seems to me for an ordinary person/vehicle, it falls under the cold air intake category. Does really nothing but look cool and make you think you are actually doing something. ?‍

 

[Big Ben]

Guess I should have clarified. What's the purpose on a daily driven, bone stock vehicle? I get the race applications and such. Just seems to me for an ordinary person/vehicle, it falls under the cold air intake category. Does really nothing but look cool and make you think you are actually doing something. ?‍

That's not true. My previous 3.5l Ecoboost had a UPR Catch can. You wouldn't believe the gunk that kept out of the engine. Literally gallons over the years.

 

[Mark S.]

That's not true. My previous 3.5l Ecoboost had a UPR Catch can. You wouldn't believe the gunk that kept out of the engine. Literally gallons over the years.

While it's true a catch can will actually capture "gunk," there's no way to prove it would have impacted your engine's operation. There are hundreds of thousands of 3.5L EcoBoost engines in operation, and I'm not aware of any widespread issues with valve contamination.

Ford--along with a consortium of auto manufacturers--developed mitigation strategies it believes satisfactorily addresses the issue of valve contamination. These include (among other things) changes to valve/fuel-injection timing, and updates to oil specifications. The latest API/ILSAC oil spec was developed primarily to address the unique needs of turbocharged, direct-injected engines, and among the upgrades is reduced volatility. Volatility is a measure of how much a liquid evaporates, so lower volatility means less oil vapor in crankcase gases.

 

[Big Ben]

While it's true a catch can will actually capture "gunk," there's no way to prove it would have impacted your engine's operation. There are hundreds of thousands of 3.5L EcoBoost engines in operation, and I'm not aware of any widespread issues with valve contamination.

Ford--along with a consortium of auto manufacturers--developed mitigation strategies it believes satisfactorily addresses the issue of valve contamination. These include (among other things) changes to valve/fuel-injection timing, and updates to oil specifications. The latest API/ILSAC oil spec was developed primarily to address the unique needs of turbocharged, direct-injected engines, and among the upgrades is reduced volatility. Volatility is a measure of how much a liquid evaporates, so lower volatility means less oil vapor in crankcase gases.

I had the Gen 1 engine which did not have many of the improvements of the later ones, such as port injection. If a catch can doesn't do any good, then why is Ford putting factory versions on their engines? My 23 Bronco Sport has a Ford Catch can/ Separator.

 

[rocks]

I guess I'll pass on the catch can. When I had my '19 Ranger, a catch can was very popular on the Ranger5 forum. Though, I didn't buy one then and won't now.

 

[Big Ben]

I guess I'll pass on the catch can. When I had my '19 Ranger, a catch can was very popular on the Ranger5 forum. Though, I didn't buy one then.

Your BRONCO SPORT already has a factory catch can.

Sponsored