Oil Breathers vs Catch Can

[scottsjjackson]

Looking at getting an oil breather set up or a catch can. Oil breathers are cheaper and require less maintenance and IMO look great in the engine bay. Are there any downsides to the breathers vs the catch can. What the best option and why?

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[Jay-rod427]

Breathers will result in a drooling oily mess no matter what a manufacturer claims... and will always have an oil vapor smell. Catch cans do as the name implies and catch the excess oil, and the remaining vapor is routed back into the intake.

 

[Rlhay2]

Get the catch can. That way if you ever go FI, you are already setup for it!

 

[dubster99]

I ran a UPR catch can before I went supercharged. It was good. Now I run breathers. No oily mess. I do get a little bit of an oil vapor smell inside the cabin from time to time. But no oily mess in the engine bay. Some cans (like the upr) won't work from side to side if you end up going boosted. Would've cost me another almost $200 to make it work, and then that means I have $400 tied up in a damn catch can. Breathers ftw.

 

[Draklia]

I ran a UPR catch can before I went supercharged. It was good. Now I run breathers. No oily mess. I do get a little bit of an oil vapor smell inside the cabin from time to time. But no oily mess in the engine bay. Some cans (like the upr) won't work from side to side if you end up going boosted. Would've cost me another almost $200 to make it work, and then that means I have $400 tied up in a damn catch can. Breathers ftw.

Curious if you can elaborate why some cans won't work from side to side. I was thinking of "T'ing" my right and left side together then put them into a catch can then into the FI intake. Just a rash decision, hadn't researched that yet, but looks like I am now, lol. It's on my list to read up on clean side/dirty side as I am not sure how that all works yet.
Thanks.

 

[sonofoldcars]

I'm thinking about how I can run a carch can with my turbo. I hate the breathers. They leak and smell all the time. But the guy who installed the kit is using the nipple on the manifold to run boost lines. So I have to figure out a way to make a new nipple. Maybe throttle body spacer.

 

[dubster99]

Curious if you can elaborate why some cans won't work from side to side. I was thinking of "T'ing" my right and left side together then put them into a catch can then into the FI intake. Just a rash decision, hadn't researched that yet, but looks like I am now, lol. It's on my list to read up on clean side/dirty side as I am not sure how that all works yet.
Thanks.

The UPR kit (at least for paxton/vortech cars) consists of a catch can, as well as a CSS (clean side separator) for the drivers side that tees with the catch can, and the catch can requires new lines to reach. The can must be moved from the pass side to drivers side due to where the supercharger sits. Whatever can you have, contact the manufacturer to see if it'll work.

 

[GT Pony]

Open breathers also do not evacuate the guts of the engine properly like a PCV system does, and therefore over time the contaminates that never leave the engine crankcase could cause negative effects.

 

[sonofoldcars]

I just ordered the upr procharger can for my set up. I think it'll work great.

 

[dubster99]

Open breathers also do not evacuate the guts of the engine properly like a PCV system does, and therefore over time the contaminates that never leave the engine crankcase could cause negative effects.

Can you explain that? The PCV system is for crankcase ventilation. Breathers are venting the crankcase vapors. The oil that goes into the throttle body, and is caught by catch cans, won't be going in anymore. It's hardly sludge and contaminates. PCV was created for emissions. If breathers are so bad, ask JPC why they run breathers on almost everything.

 

[Jay-rod427]

Breathers simply let out the pressure inside the crankcase, catch can routed to the intake actually pulls it out under vaccum.

 

[dubster99]

I understand how it works. I don't understand how breathers leave contaminants in. All the PCV system pulls out is some oil into the intake tract. Maybe a little water.

 

[Rebellion]

PCV's don't really remove contaminants out of the crankcase,me thinks...unless those contaminants are evaporated. Changing your oil removes contaminants.

 

[NightmareMoon]

Force induction is a different beast than natural aspiration for crankcase vent solutions.

After buying some crankcase breathers and then reading up on what the PCV system actually does, the breathers now have a permanent home on the shelf. Among other things, removing the PCV system will loose you a few hp. (It's easier to move those pistons with a vacuum below them.

Mostly the PCV pulls vapors from the crankcase (including blow by contaminants) so probably the system is helping to keep your oil cleaner for longer.

 

[Jay-rod427]

Force induction is a different beast than natural aspiration for crankcase vent solutions.

After buying some crankcase breathers and then reading up on what the PCV system actually does, the breathers now have a permanent home on the shelf. Among other things, removing the PCV system will loose you a few hp. (It's easier to move those pistons with a vacuum below them.

Mostly the PCV pulls vapors from the crankcase (including blow by contaminants) so probably the system is helping to keep your oil cleaner for longer.

Take the extra big boy drag motor step and put on a belt drive vaccum pump!;)

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