Notices
86-95 Trucks & 4Runners 2nd/3rd gen pickups, and 1st/2nd gen 4Runners with IFS
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by: DashLynx

pcv catch can vs. breather

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 03-28-2008, 12:02 AM
  #1  
Registered User
Thread Starter
 
joshuapc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 121
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
pcv catch can vs. breather

i was planning to do some mods to my 22re and was wondering whether i whould perform the pcv catch can mod or just disconnect the hoses, plug them, and place breathers on the valve cover. anybody got any input on which ones better and what are the benefits? THANKS!!
Old 03-28-2008, 08:00 AM
  #2  
Registered User
 
thook's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: NW Ark on wooded ten acres...Ozarks at large!
Posts: 8,656
Received 15 Likes on 13 Posts
There is atleast one....probably more....thread on this that I can think of. As I recall, some using the breathers noticed quite a bit of combustion odor from within the cab. Very intolerable.Then, there is the enviromental impact issue, if that is a concern to you at all. Your choice on that.

Personally, I'd do the catch can. That way, both your concerns and the benefit of the world at large are addressed at the same time. (No moralism here. My EGR is bypassed at the moment for economic reasons. Need a new valve.)

However..... if you're getting excessive blow-by, that will have to be addressed sooner or later and neither mod will fix it. You may be able to keep out of the intake, but oil will still get into the combustion chambers eventually fouling your plugs and oxygen sensor/s. And, the by-products only make the condition of your rings worse. Viscious cycle.
Old 03-28-2008, 09:15 AM
  #3  
Registered User
 
INFINITY's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Show Low, AZ
Posts: 1,043
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
see next post

Last edited by INFINITY; 03-28-2008 at 09:17 AM.
Old 03-28-2008, 09:16 AM
  #4  
Registered User
 
INFINITY's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Show Low, AZ
Posts: 1,043
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
the catch can will stop the oil blow by from the pcv valve and help with the oil consumption/burning a bunch. if you do the can put a new pcv in place when you add on the can. or you can just put the breather valve on.
the can, can do wonders on oil burning, made a BIG diff on my old GSR integra. i am running the small breather on the air inlet nozzle (the hose with out the pcv, the one from the air filter or hose) due to the weber carb.
so you could run both breather on inlet and can after the pcv valve.
Old 03-28-2008, 10:42 AM
  #5  
Registered User
 
thook's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: NW Ark on wooded ten acres...Ozarks at large!
Posts: 8,656
Received 15 Likes on 13 Posts
Originally Posted by INFINITY
the catch can will stop the oil blow by from the pcv valve and help with the oil consumption/burning a bunch. if you do the can put a new pcv in place when you add on the can. or you can just put the breather valve on.
the can, can do wonders on oil burning, made a BIG diff on my old GSR integra. i am running the small breather on the air inlet nozzle (the hose with out the pcv, the one from the air filter or hose) due to the weber carb.
so you could run both breather on inlet and can after the pcv valve.
I can see that. It's atleast not being recirculated through the intake and back into the cylinders, but it's still doesn't entirely keep it out. Afterall, that's where it's coming from.

I dealt with blow by for a while. Finally just put new rings in and had the head rebuilt. Should be a none issue, now....
Old 03-28-2008, 11:01 AM
  #6  
Registered User
 
Man4God's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 366
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I did this on my 99 32V Mustang Cobra. I just placed a breather there and it wasn't too bad. But whenever your PCV valve is hooked up to your intake like from the factory, any excess oil vapor gets into the air stream (obviously). The problem with this is that usually it is unmetered air as well as when it combines with fuel, it lowers the overall octane fairly significantly. PCV is a nasty little device if you ask me.
Old 03-29-2008, 03:42 PM
  #7  
Registered User
 
yotaman90's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Taos, NM
Posts: 560
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
What does the catch can mod look like on a toyota?
Old 03-30-2008, 12:55 AM
  #8  
Registered User
Thread Starter
 
joshuapc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 121
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
thanks everyone! got a list on materials i should purchase to do this mod?
Old 03-30-2008, 07:46 AM
  #9  
Contributing Member
 
mt_goat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Oklahoma State
Posts: 10,666
Likes: 0
Received 5 Likes on 5 Posts
I'd say do a can, not a breather. Reason is, a breather isn't "positive" ventilation. Without the positive ventilation you can get a buildup of sludge inside your engine.

See here for more info:
http://www.yotarepair.com/Sludge_Zone.html

Here's the main point in the link:
The actual cause of the problem is an inability of the engine's crankcase ventilation system (PCV) to move the normal gases from the engine. When these gases stay longer in a hot engine it allows deposits to form on the metal parts of the engine. When enough deposits are present "Sludge" is formed.
Pic of my catch can, made with parts from Home Depot:

Last edited by mt_goat; 03-30-2008 at 07:53 AM.
Old 03-30-2008, 11:40 PM
  #10  
Registered User
Thread Starter
 
joshuapc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 121
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
looks great! what will i need and where can i get it?
Old 03-30-2008, 11:50 PM
  #11  
Registered User
 
apalmer1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Bend, OR.
Posts: 652
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
just route your PCV line into your intake somewhere, breather or no. as stated above its called POSITIVE crankcase ventilation for a reason. When you hit the throttle your intake will produce a vacuum which creates a low pressure area and causes any excess air in the crankcase to be drawn into the intake resulting in more effective ventilation.
Old 03-31-2008, 12:05 AM
  #12  
Registered User
Thread Starter
 
joshuapc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 121
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
really? makes sense but wouldnt the catch can remove harmful deposits?
Old 03-31-2008, 08:50 AM
  #13  
Registered User
 
thook's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: NW Ark on wooded ten acres...Ozarks at large!
Posts: 8,656
Received 15 Likes on 13 Posts
Yes it would. But, I don't think he's saying not to do the catch can.....just that the breather is not a good idea.
Old 03-31-2008, 10:36 AM
  #14  
Registered User
Thread Starter
 
joshuapc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 121
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
oh yeah that makes even more sense! where can i purchase these materials?
Old 03-31-2008, 11:14 AM
  #15  
Registered User
 
thook's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: NW Ark on wooded ten acres...Ozarks at large!
Posts: 8,656
Received 15 Likes on 13 Posts
I don't know.

Mt. Goat where'd you get your parts?
Old 03-31-2008, 01:20 PM
  #16  
Contributing Member
 
mt_goat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Oklahoma State
Posts: 10,666
Likes: 0
Received 5 Likes on 5 Posts
Originally Posted by mt_goat


Pic of my catch can, made with parts from Home Depot:
It's just an air line dryer for a compressor and assorted fittings screwed together to fit the huge PCV line on the 5VZFE (hose barb fittings on the ends. I can't remember what the 3VZE line looks like but I'm thinking it is smaller. In never hurts to take a small section of your hose with you when looking for hose barb fittings at the hardware store. Oh, also I removed the filter part of the dryer. It all came from Home Depot.

Last edited by mt_goat; 03-31-2008 at 01:24 PM.
Old 03-31-2008, 01:41 PM
  #17  
Contributing Member
 
mt_goat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Oklahoma State
Posts: 10,666
Likes: 0
Received 5 Likes on 5 Posts
I should probably mention something that surprised the heck out of me. I have yet to "catch" anything in my catch can. Yep, not a drop of anything. I suspect its because this is a very low mileage engine (less than 30k miles). When I first posted about the lack of "stuff" in my can someone mentioned I needed to put something in the can to help "catch" the oil in the can, or help the vapor condense in the can. So, I rolled up some alumiunum window screen material and put it in the can, but so far its still clean as a whistle. I'm not complaining about it, at least I don't have to empty it. I've heard getting the truck at extreme angles during wheeling can fill a can up quickly, but sadly I haven't been wheeling since I added the can.
Old 03-31-2008, 04:34 PM
  #18  
Registered User
Thread Starter
 
joshuapc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 121
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
great for your engine!
Old 04-04-2008, 01:05 AM
  #19  
Registered User
 
apalmer1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Bend, OR.
Posts: 652
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
what i would do if you want to avoid making a catch can is to rout it into the airbox before the filter. the filter can stop the crud from going into the intake again and it will still provide some vacuum though not as much as in the intake piping itself.
Old 08-04-2009, 08:23 AM
  #20  
Registered User
 
95 Yoda 4runner's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: San Diego, Ca
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
My 4runner blows a lot of oil thru the PCV and back into the combustion chamber. I'm wanting to do this mod and was wondering what you'd do with the oil that gets caught in the can? Put it back in the motor if it looks clean? I go thru about a quart of oil every 800 miles i think. It's costly and annoying having to constantly check my oil level and buy oil to refill my engine back to a full level.


Quick Reply: pcv catch can vs. breather



All times are GMT -8. The time now is 06:56 PM.