riceburner
Autocross Champion
After myself and now a few others recently have discovered this issue, I wanted to give a friendly reminder to anyone using a catch can!!
They fill up with oil and water vapor, otherwise known as an emulsion.
During the summer they do not fill up very much and draining is required only so often, and generally you don't need to worry about it...
in the winter however, it fills up FAST with alot more water/condensation vapor and CAN AND WILL FREEZE. if this happens, and it is full, your excess crankcase pressure has nowhere to go which can result in white smoke, rough idle, blowing out the rear main seal, and probably a whole bunch of other stuff.
I forgot all about my catch can until I thought i lost my headgasket out of nowhere.
A few friends of mine suggest draining it every other day in the winter, and I think that is a very fair estimation - my O34 catch can is almost half full after just 150 miles of driving in 0 degree temps!
You definitely do NOT want to risk it!
cheers,
Adam
They fill up with oil and water vapor, otherwise known as an emulsion.
During the summer they do not fill up very much and draining is required only so often, and generally you don't need to worry about it...
in the winter however, it fills up FAST with alot more water/condensation vapor and CAN AND WILL FREEZE. if this happens, and it is full, your excess crankcase pressure has nowhere to go which can result in white smoke, rough idle, blowing out the rear main seal, and probably a whole bunch of other stuff.
I forgot all about my catch can until I thought i lost my headgasket out of nowhere.
A few friends of mine suggest draining it every other day in the winter, and I think that is a very fair estimation - my O34 catch can is almost half full after just 150 miles of driving in 0 degree temps!
You definitely do NOT want to risk it!
cheers,
Adam