Oil Catch Can, Eliminate that knock!

@Krall

Do not even waste time and money doing a leak down test.

You have a blown head gasket, now you need to figure out if you want to replace the gasket, throw in a used engine or get a rebuilt engine put in.

Mine had all the same things and I ended up getting a rebuilt.

 

Aye captin!

I think at 280k while the car is still amazingly solid for being in the NE, a used or rebuilt engine is pushing my luck. I'll explore the gasket issue, but I may run into a bent rod since it's been knocking for a week.

 

If you’ve done plug changes and EGR cleaning on the car, a head gasket won’t be out of your league. More difficult, more steps, but do-able.

 

Yeah it doesn’t look very difficult just time consuming. The problem is it’s an oil burner so really to do it right I’d need to do the pistons as well and to do that I believe you have to tear down to the block to get to the crank.

I don’t know, on one hand it’s been a dream car with wheel bearings being the most expensive replacement thus far. I can probably do a used engine for $3k or get myself a nice 5 year loan for $350/month.

 

You can get a new block for about $2K USD? Not trivial, but...

 

That's what I mean, in the grand scheme of things $2k is a lot, but not really a lot compared to purchasing a new or somewhat new car. If I'm going to do the head then I'm just going to rip it all apart and correct the oil burning issues as well or find a decent used engine.

 

My 2012 Prius has 55,000 miles, and driven only 3 - 4K miles per year since I recently retired. At what mileage does it become smart to install an OCC? I'm trying to put it off as long as possible.

 

the earlier the better /
the install is easy-peasy, no reason to put it off /

 

Agree, install OCC as soon as possible. Because OCC is not a remedy to eliminate oil consumption. It is a solution to slow it down from happening sooner.

 

And not a perfect solution; goop will still get past. But it reduces it.

 

Thanks for the advice. Is there agreement as to the best thread to follow for the procedure?

 

I installed mine at 65k and now at 69k it has collected quite a bit. It really works!

 

Depends where you want to install it.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

I think @danlatu’s thread (first link in my sig) is the go-to thread.

 

That's this thread...

REVVL V+ 5G ?

 

Does/Did anyone know/figure out/explain why the Atkinson component, (along with VVT), of compression DOES NOT negate this issue in the first place??? I mean is it not a true Atkinson cycle engine?

Anyways we've been running 91 (highest readily available here in So Cal). I can drive about 15 mi round trip for 100 (pump) fuel, albeit at almost $10/gallon. I regularly mix it for 93 in one of our cars so I can get 5 or 2 gallon can filled with it while I'm there. Hmm, for the price of a cheaper catch can I guess....

I'll stay the course regarding catch can as a smog check may just force me to return it to stock. (Though I don't recall him ever opening the hood during a check). That's Cali for you, home of CARB....

REVVL V+ 5G ?

 

Hi all! Greetings from Romania!
Please be tolerant with my English writing, I'm not a native speaker.
I've been reading the topic for several weeks and I find it amazing how creative you guys got in solving the knocking issue. The topic is packed with useful information and I feel thankful to those who shared their in-depth experience to the rest of us. I also watched NAB how-to and several other videos and they too helped a lot with understanding the under-the-hood situation. Thus, I am preparing myself to do a thorough EGR cooler and IM cleaning, together with an OCC install.
I own a 2014 Toyota Auris TS HSD (a rebranded Corolla) with the same 2ZR-FXE engine setup as the 3rd gen. Prius (minus the troublesome cowl ).
The car has now 91.000 km and I own it since 82.000 km. It was serviced only at the dealership until I got it, but I decided to do all maintenance my own from now on, so first things I did was a complete brake job (the rotors were very rusty and caliper slide pins somewhat stuck) as well as sparkplugs (Denso Iridium SC16HR11) and oil/filters change, including eCVT transmission. Only used Toyota 0W20 and WS oils.
Since I bought the car, I experienced twice the start-up knocking for a few seconds - once during the summer and once in the autumn. These days we experienced -12 freezing temperatures and I do a lot of short trips, but didn't get the knocking. However, I intend to do the OCC install coupled with the next oil change this spring, when the weather allows it, since I don't have a garage to work in.
So I started acquiring the necessary parts, but I'm still not sure about the approach.

I have two LOCATION options, I will try to mention the Pros and Cons for each of them as follows:
1. On the drivers side at the rear of the headlight, or on the lower crossbeam as Mendel Leisk did. Each of the two mounting points has its advantages and disadvantages in my view. Rear of the headlight involves longer routes for the vapors to travel up from the PCV to the OCC and this may lead to condensation of oil/water and trickle back to the PCV. On the other hand, the location is very friendly for periodic check and emptying the OCC.
2. The crossbeam location means a shorter route for the vapors to travel and allows a lower mounting point related to the PCV valve location, so the vapors will travel down to the oil OCC. One of my worries is the freezing of the liquid in the ducts or oil separator. From this point of view, I think this 2nd location is better, since it is closer to the engine and right behind the radiator, where it will be hit by the warm air passing through. The downside is the not so easy access, as compared to the 1st location above.

Now for the OIL SEPARATOR, I also have two options:
A. the cheap OCC most of you guys used (including Danlatu, in the first post of the topic). PROS are the ease of installation, check and emptying, pretty much walking an already paved road, due to the other users experience with this. CONS - relatively low reservoir, rudimentary baffling.
B. a cyclone separator, also mentioned in the topic, but not used yet here, part number Metzger 2385019. If I opt for this, I need to figure out a transparent, airtight collector. PROS - simple construction, easy to clean periodically by spraying/soaking in brake cleaner, possibility to a attach a decent size recipient to collect the slime (any ideas?). CONS - have to figure out custom fittings for the 18mm OD In/Out to the PCV valve and intake manifold...

I still have time to decide which location/ oil separator should I use, but I would like to see your opinion on this.
I already purchased both oil separators, a set of 10 mm barbed splicers (which I will file round a bit) , an OEM PCV-to-IM hose to get a grip on the In/Out diameters and a new OEM PCV valve.

 

I have to say the OCC idea does not convince me. So much more oil get into combustion chamber the traditional way so few table spoons more does not matter really. When my IM was cleaned at 210kkm there was oil which was rinsed away, that’s it

The OCC idea is clever in that sense that nobody can say it does not work. It does catch oil for sure. Promise kept.

 

An Oil Catch Can is not a shut-off tap for oil coming in through the PCV circuit. That stuff is oil vapour, and it’s coming through fast. An OCC stops some though.

Putting two in series stops more, and makes you realize a lot got by the first one. Albeit, more so after winter, and it's maybe 4/5 water.

And removing the intake after another 20k miles, there will still be some oil in there. And that’s just the stuff that didn’t remain airborne, pass right through.

an Oil Catch Can is an incremental improvement, not perfect but it helps.