Oil Catch Can, Eliminate that knock!

In about 3 thousand miles, mine caught all this (see attached photo). Its only going to catch more and keep your intake manifold and other areas cleaner longer. I plan on keeping my car for a long time. A little preventive maintenance can't hurt.

 

The majority of engine designs, since the onset of PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) have had oil catch chambers in their design to return oil back to the crankcase, while the vapor is sent to the intake to be burned.

Some systems are better than others. The oil catch can removes these contaminants and is the best solution for those individuals who service and empty them. Most car users will not as those who defer oil changes.

So, only if serviced regularly, an OCC is good idea.

 

I am curious what running higher octane fuel does in the Prius? I've never heard anything about this before. I run the cheapest lowest octane stuff always (I think it is 87).

 

Left mine a bit too long without checking it on a highway trip and the OCC was full to the brim (95% of it was water). It probably was sucking stuff back into the intake for a bit, Whoops! I find in the winter the OCC seems just to catch a ton of water, in the summer it catches just a small amount of oil (about a tablespoon a month). I havnt installed a steel scrubby like others, I will put it in this week and we will see if that noticibly increases the amount of oil that it catches.

 

At this point it just gives me comfort that I have the best (readily available) fuel in there to combat knock/the concern of this thread. I did have one morning where I believe there was cold start knock. I drove a freeway trip (maybe 20 mins/mi) and it seemed to have gone away.

A little background of the household, there are 14 vehicles:

1 diesel
13 that use gas.
Of the 13 that use gas our '04 Sienna manual says higher octane fuel increases engine performance. (This was our first Toyota product). There is one late model Honda Clarity PHEV that also says 87, one Scion iQ, those and the Prius v are the 3, or 4 including Sienna, that say 87 can be used. Of the 9 remaining 1 says 93 on the fuel flap, the 8 left require 91/premium.

I guess in a way it's just easier to keep going with what we are used to putting in. My father and wife are the other two people in the household (currently of 6) who actually fill fuel. For my father octane = energy/power (albeit mistakenly). For my wife she just follows what I say. (She only fills the Clarity now, (very rarely), I fill her other car with the 93 concoction, 100 and 91 mix. We seem to have less issues with that car nowadays so I have been very scared to go back to plain 91. Relatively speaking it's the 93 car with 25 gallon tank getting low 20s MPG (maximum) on the freeway that is the costly one to fill. Last fill up of 21 gallons cost $138.

Does it prevent knock? To the extent that going from 87 to 91 does, that's a given. Since I don't change to 87 nor 89 I can't tell you I notice any difference as I have nothing to compare. Whether it's enough for the issue noted here, I guess depends on the severity...

I can say that that 93 car has three different stop leaks in it:

K-Seal for the coolant, Lucas Oil Stop Leak, and Lucas Power Steering Stop Leak.

To be honest I would not hesitate to try them on the Prius v if I ever notice progressive fluid loss, (something that topping off doesn't seem to solve)....

REVVL V+ 5G ?

 

The "knock" referred to in this thread is not traditional knock caused by pre-detonation, it's caused by misfire, which in turn causes the damper to rattle... which sounds like rod knock. While higher octane fuel can reduce pre-detonation, it cannot do anything for the cold start misfire.

 

Hmm. I was unaware that there was a different kind of "knock" until now, or as you note it's not pre-detonating but something similar that's beyond me yet. Thank you.

REVVL V+ 5G ?

 

The "knock" is the messenger?

 

Popsicle anyone?

moto g power ?

 

Ok what the heck is that; the content of the OCC??

 

It looks like the end of a popsicle stick sold by the trucks that used to drive around with music blasting so kids knew what it was. (I'm pretty sure it is. Just whether it is the poster's own curious if it brought a tear to his/her eyes? It would for me)...

REVVL V+ 5G ?

 

It is concerning though. More frequent checks needed, Michigan winters?

 

LOL, it was the contents of my OCC. I'm driving more and need to check it more often

moto g power ?

 

A lot of short trips?

 

It was a couple of fill ups and the polar vortex. I drive 30 miles/day and temps have been in the teens and single digits lately.

moto g power ?

 

Here they mix ethanol to gasoline (probably in U.S. and Canada as well) and 95 has 10% and 98 has 5%. Hence i always use 98 in all my gasoline vehicles assuming/hoping it keep engine cleaner. Had a vintage Corolla and it ran noticeably smoother with 98 so decided that ethanol is for beverage purposes only In 600cc high revving sportsbike i felt the difference (98 made the bike slightly weaker) but in cars no noticeable difference other than maybe slightly worse mileage

 

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Installed OCC on the left side of the motor in the space down by where the washer fluid container is.
As in this location the OCC bracket, which came with the OCC I ordered, could be bolted to. As well as sufficient space for the hoses in and out of it.
Strongly recommend not installing down there. As each time I empty it out, which was about once over this past Winter, required unbolting the left side black plastic air filter related component. Can then reach down and untwist the OCC. To facilitate doing this requires disconnecting the MAF sensor. Taking it off requires a bit of force. Vehicle harness clips aren't designed to be taken on and off monthly.
If/when the clip eventually breaks or wears out it may require a tow, and being at the mercy of to the stealership to repair it.
Yes you could jack up car, remove the underneath covers, and then reach up to access the OCC.
But am not trying to go through all that on a monthly basis either.
Was a person on PriusChat years back who 3D printed and sold a white plastic OCC holder which fit on the top right side over by the fuse box. When clicked on the link to buy it, it was no longer available for purchase.
Would not have to repeatedly remove air flow related components, and jeopardize the MAF sensor clip, if had been installed in that location.

 

The issue with mounting the can up high, is the hoses to some degree still hold the moisture and junk the catch can is designed to catch. I bolted mine to the block just below the PCV separator plate and valve. I drain it at oil changes and it’s never been more then half full of anything. The added benefit of it being bolted to the block(the can is aluminum) is the engine heat helps get rid of the condensation, leaving only oil behind.


I will add, that my catch can has a drain on the bottom of it. That does make it less of a hassle to drain when the time comes.

 

might be not so good for the condensation of the vapors ?

 

Agree, you want the hoses and OCC to be cool(er) to encourage condensation of hot/warm oil vapor to liquid state, where it will drip down into the catch can. I put heat shield sleeving over the OCC hoses that pass near the engine or radiator to keep it cooler.

Hot OCC will just pass on more oil vapor to the intake manifold where it will condense in the cooler intake air.

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