Oil blow by and catch can results

[superman07]

I changed my oil at 600 miles and added a separator / catch can at that time. I also changed the oil at 3kish. I am at 4k now and based on others that have reported being over a quart low and also others that had relatively high amounts of oil in their cans I realized I needed to check and drain mine.

I had a very trivial amount of oil in mine. If you can call it oil. It is a rather foul smelling exceedingly light brown substance. It smells of oil, ethanol, and gas.

There were very few extremely small specks of black pure oil I assumed had not been completely mixed or contaminated.

Checked my dipstick and I am still right at the top hash of the full mark. It doesn't appear to me that my car is burning or passing much oil, at least not what some others have reported being down a quart.

I assume the waste oil being chocolate brown is normal. My engine oil is still clean enough that it takes effort to see the fluid level on the stick.

Does this seem normal, to the folks with more experience?

Sponsored

 

[mattlqx]

Ditto, same experience with amount and composition of the catch can contents.

 

[superman07]

Thanks, makes me feel better

Incidentally the folks that thought catch cans were a bad idea and that our valve seats needed the oil when running ethanol I think are off the mark. the amount of oil I had wouldn't lube the topside of this motor at 8k rpm.

 

[84venom]

I changed my oil at 600 miles and added a separator / catch can at that time. I also changed the oil at 3kish. I am at 4k now and based on others that have reported being over a quart low and also others that had relatively high amounts of oil in their cans I realized I needed to check and drain mine.

I had a very trivial amount of oil in mine. If you can call it oil. It is a rather foul smelling exceedingly light brown substance. It smells of oil, ethanol, and gas.

There were very few extremely small specks of black pure oil I assumed had not been completely mixed or contaminated.

Checked my dipstick and I am still right at the top hash of the full mark. It doesn't appear to me that my car is burning or passing much oil, at least not what some others have reported being down a quart.

I assume the waste oil being chocolate brown is normal. My engine oil is still clean enough that it takes effort to see the fluid level on the stick.

Does this seem normal, to the folks with more experience?

Which catch can did you get, and which side?

 

[65sohc]

Thanks, makes me feel better

Incidentally the folks that thought catch cans were a bad idea and that our valve seats needed the oil when running ethanol I think are off the mark. the amount of oil I had wouldn't lube the topside of this motor at 8k rpm.

I happened to watch the excellent Motor Trend video again, the one with the drummer demonstrating the difference in sound between flat plane and cross plane crank engines. I noticed that the test car indeed had a catch can on the passenger side, probably a Bob's. Couldn't see if it had one on the driver side. After seeing that I went out to the garage and reinstalled my JLT.

 

[superman07]

UPR, Can on passenger side with a clean side separator on the drivers. I like it.

 

[superman07]

I happened to watch the excellent Motor Trend video again, the one with the drummer demonstrating the difference in sound between flat plane and cross plane crank engines. I noticed that the test car indeed had a catch can on the passenger side, probably a Bob's. Couldn't see if it had one on the driver side. After seeing that I went out to the garage and reinstalled my JLT.

I think your fine, if ethanol was an issue, the can will not fundamentally change anything. The oil I had after 3400 miles, many of which quite spirited was not significant however utterly contaminated. I wouldn't want the shit in my intake.

 

[MAV]

I've had my UPR system on for about 1000 miles now, and I have the same results - milky brownish condensate, probably about a tablespoon. I do notice some oil residue in the return line, however. Anybody else seeing that?

 

[superman07]

there was a hint in the return line, enough to see if I ran a q-tip around in it, but nothing more than what looked like it was put there by hot vapor.

 

[combustor]

How many miles did you go with the catch can installed before you checked it?

What you find in there says quite a bit. If there is water, that means short trips or low engine load hasn't got the oil temp high enough to boil off the water so it can remain steam in the catch can and be removed by the intake.

Smelling fuel in the catch can is somewhat troubling. This usually only happens before break-in is complete or after it is time for a rebuild due to top end wear. Poor ring seal.

What kind of driving conditions has your car seen so far? My experience so far with oil level/consumption is that under street driving, even driving it "hard", the engine doesn't get worked much, and there is no perceptible drop in oil level over several thousand miles. This can be verified by the lower temperature parameters and that "limp mode" for tech cars wasn't discovered until track day.

Under track conditions things change. Engine is at WOT for long periods. Oil temps in the 270s. My car will burn about a quart every 5 hours of track time, which may only be 400-500 miles (one weekend). Compare this to half that (a pint) or less in 4,000 miles of street driving. Also there will be an ounce or two of oil in the catch can after a couple of days at the track.

 

[combustor]

Here is the oil I've collected in 6,000 miles of operation with the UPR. It is 5 ounces. If there is fuel or water mixed in, there isn't enough to be detectable by sight/smell. I have 7 track days on the car so far.

 

[TDC]

Pics of my UPR catch can contents after one track day, about 1 1/2 hours on the track, and about 800 street miles. Not milky, looked like straight up oil but it was less viscous.

 

[04Terminator]

Apologies if this has been asked already, but is this a necessary part if you're not tracking the car?

 

[TDC]

Apologies if this has been asked already, but is this a necessary part if you're not tracking the car?

Ford specifically recommends it for tracking, however if you have a tendency to rev the engine high or run it high for long periods of time, and who wouldn't on this engine, it won't hurt to install it IMO. Cost is reasonable and provides an extra measure of protection in keeping the MAF clean.

 

[04Terminator]

Ford specifically recommends it for tracking, however if you have a tendency to rev the engine high or run it high for long periods of time, and who wouldn't on this engine, it won't hurt to install it IMO. Cost is reasonable and provides an extra measure of protection in keeping the MAF clean.

Thank you. I shall consider it then.

Sponsored