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Hi all,
Just thought that with daylight saving time about to end and the first frosts about to occur in many of the northern regions I would place a quick reminder to start checking your oil catch cans more frequently and empty them completely every time.
Having a OCC is a great preventative measure to help keep your valves and intake cleaner for longer, however this come with the very real risk of blowing seals unless you stay on top of checking them.
Quick rule of thumb before we delve deeper - If you have condensation on your windows that has frozen, you need to check and empty your can!
Here is the rationale with a quick and dirty (pun intended) reason why you need a catch can in the first place:
The PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) system is critical to proper engine performance. It is designed to keep your motor from seeing pressure that will put stress on the seals where it is not supposed to be. This pressure is caused by what is known as blow by (air, fuel, water, and oil that makes it past the piston seals) the PCV system is designed to vent blowby oil, water, and fuel, and recirculate it back to the intake manifold to be reburned by the engine to prevent it from being released directly into the environment, this is an emissions improving measure.
Unfortunately by doing so it can very rapidly increase buildup on our valves, hence the reason many of us are using oil catch cans.
During the colder months (below frost point) water in the PCV system re-condenses very rapidly as it exits the hot engine into the cooler low pressure region of of the recirculation hose/oil catch can. once it re-condenses into a pool of liquid and the engine cools down while turned off, this water/oil/fuel mixture can freeze thereby plugging up your PCV line, valve, and oil catch can. The primary concern is that the water component of this mixture can accumulate at a very fast rate when the weather is cold. For instance during the summer months I can easily manage to go a month between draining my can and collect less than 30ml of fluid. during the winter months I can collect that same amount in less than a week due to the increased condensation. Think of it as the same thing as having your windows fogged up/covered with ice, in the winter if you don't do something about it, you WILL crash eventually.
A plugged oil catch can will not vent your crankcase properly and will increase your crankcase pressures. Eventually your seals will blow and you will have a huge and very expensive problem, also by definition you will be left stranded out in the cold.
Don't let this be you!
Check your catch can(s).
The easiest interval for checking your cans are every time you fill up at the gas station, for some regions and conditions this may still not be enough. Check frequently to determine the required interval for your region, conditions, and fuel.
Additionally, the best time to empty your can is once the engine has warmed up and melted the ice back into liquid form, but not if it is close to reaching the top of the can, in this case take the extra effort to remove the ice asap.
-Dennis
Just thought that with daylight saving time about to end and the first frosts about to occur in many of the northern regions I would place a quick reminder to start checking your oil catch cans more frequently and empty them completely every time.
Having a OCC is a great preventative measure to help keep your valves and intake cleaner for longer, however this come with the very real risk of blowing seals unless you stay on top of checking them.
Quick rule of thumb before we delve deeper - If you have condensation on your windows that has frozen, you need to check and empty your can!
Here is the rationale with a quick and dirty (pun intended) reason why you need a catch can in the first place:
The PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) system is critical to proper engine performance. It is designed to keep your motor from seeing pressure that will put stress on the seals where it is not supposed to be. This pressure is caused by what is known as blow by (air, fuel, water, and oil that makes it past the piston seals) the PCV system is designed to vent blowby oil, water, and fuel, and recirculate it back to the intake manifold to be reburned by the engine to prevent it from being released directly into the environment, this is an emissions improving measure.
Unfortunately by doing so it can very rapidly increase buildup on our valves, hence the reason many of us are using oil catch cans.
During the colder months (below frost point) water in the PCV system re-condenses very rapidly as it exits the hot engine into the cooler low pressure region of of the recirculation hose/oil catch can. once it re-condenses into a pool of liquid and the engine cools down while turned off, this water/oil/fuel mixture can freeze thereby plugging up your PCV line, valve, and oil catch can. The primary concern is that the water component of this mixture can accumulate at a very fast rate when the weather is cold. For instance during the summer months I can easily manage to go a month between draining my can and collect less than 30ml of fluid. during the winter months I can collect that same amount in less than a week due to the increased condensation. Think of it as the same thing as having your windows fogged up/covered with ice, in the winter if you don't do something about it, you WILL crash eventually.
A plugged oil catch can will not vent your crankcase properly and will increase your crankcase pressures. Eventually your seals will blow and you will have a huge and very expensive problem, also by definition you will be left stranded out in the cold.
Don't let this be you!
Check your catch can(s).
The easiest interval for checking your cans are every time you fill up at the gas station, for some regions and conditions this may still not be enough. Check frequently to determine the required interval for your region, conditions, and fuel.
Additionally, the best time to empty your can is once the engine has warmed up and melted the ice back into liquid form, but not if it is close to reaching the top of the can, in this case take the extra effort to remove the ice asap.
-Dennis
