I have an 05' base with 65k on the odo. I rarely drive the car real hard and I cruise at 80 mph on the highway. I have been reading and watching videos
on the catch cans. Should I install one and which one are you guys using? Thanks in advance.

 

The topic was very recently discussed but the simple answer is that you don't need one.

 

+++ what Chat said.

 

Nope, If a catch can was necessary the Chevrolet engineers would have had them installed at the factory

 

You haven't raised the compression ratio have you?

 

When I had Vengeance install their NA Stage 3 build on my 09, a Billet catch can was a part of the build. If your car is stock and you plan to keep it that way it probably isn't necessary.

 

Thanks to all who replied.

 

BUT....... when I removed the throttle body on my stock LS3 there was a puddle of oil in the intake manifold. I put on a catch can.

 

As an automotive engineer at one of the big 3, I cannot stress enough how wrong this thinking is. All manufactures have a team of bean counters that will calculate warranty cost vs production cost. GM ignition switch. There are documented email threads of engineers calling for a solution to the ignition switch weight issue before it was put into production, yet the management went ahead with it citing that the numbers claimed it would be less expensive to deal with the repercussions than to pay for a supplier side redesign. LS7 dropping valves. Same story, GM knew it was an issue after the first couple model years, but by 2010 the z06's were built in such low volumes that it made absolutely no financial sense to force the supplier to change tooling (not to mention the fact that most weren't driven hard so most didn't see the issue). The Ford Pinto gas tank fiasco. The Ford PowerShift transmission. The FCA 9-speed. The BMW subframe reinforcement. The list goes on and on and will continue to. The automotive industry functions as engineers work towards the best car they possibly can, and I assure you, they know what they're doing, but it's management's job to keep the car profitable, and the end result is a middle ground between well engineered and cut cost (warranty or otherwise). The stories I've listed are examples where the warranty (or legal) cost vastly exceeded the manufactures calculations, but there are thousands of others that did wind up costing less in warranty. Can't say for sure if the inclusion of a catch can is one of them, but it very well could be. Just something to keep in mind.

 

So Mr Engineer Sir....do you have proof that the GM bean counters told the engineers not to install a catch can because of the additional cost involved? If you do I will retract my statement

 

Literally read the second to last sentence again. But sure, if you want to ignore my entire point with multiple proven and cited examples of that line of thinking being dangerous because there's no public proof of this very specific issue, feel free. Ignorance is in fact bliss.

 

^^^Better yet Mr. 449er, do you have proof they didn't?

As an engineer I can stated as fact the bean counters carry a lot of weight. If you can save $1 and you build a million cars....

 

LS7 valve guides, C7 cooling, C7 wheel strength, superchargers, drag radials, meth injection, backup cameras, MGW Shifters, window tint, ALL unnecessary! The Chevrolet engineers would have included them from the factory if they felt necessary.. Guess the entire automotive aftermarket is unnecessary with that line of thinking! There was oil puddled in my LS3 intake as well. Now it's caught in a little reservoir I can empty, regardless of what some engineers drew up (compromised on) two decades ago..


"Why don't these kids just leave their cars stock? The way the good General intended!"

 

Catch cans are an unnecessary item that creates one more maintenance task that the majority of consumers would not perform in a timely manner. Cost benefit analysis performed, and deemed not needed. Many LS-based V8s with 300k+ miles without a catch can, so my assessment in this regard is that GM was correct. Just like with the myriad other mods that we choose to put on our cars, add one if you want. It's pretty much as simple as that; personal choice.

 

If you have $$$ that is burning a hole in your pocket get one. If not, save it for something you really need.

 

oil vapor mixed with fuel and air lowers the effective octane of the fuel your using

 

I have an '06 with 48k on the odometer. I don't race it. If your car isn't boosted and you don't track it. You don't need it IMO.

 

I will remove the throttle body out of curiosity to see if there is oil present. As I said, the car is stock, I don't drive the car hard and I will never track the car.
I agree with bingo002, and believe there is always a cost/benefit analysis. I was just curious about what other guys were doing knowing I would get opposite
opinions. Isn't that what this forum is for, discussions of our opinions? In conclusion, I doubt I will install a catch can. Thanks again for your replies.

 

jj, your comment is spot on. This is a GREAT forum because we get a lot of differing opinions, rather than only thumbs up. And, we get maybe 50-70 posts per day. Another popular Vette forum I once visited was "busy" if it got 5 posts a day.

Please be sure to let us know what you find when you remove the TB. Better than having 3000 people do it, only to find what you will likely find for us. You do the work.....we'll watch...haha.

Jim

 

I installed a 'Heartbeat' supercharger on my GS when the car had 18,000 miles on it.

Prior to the supercharger install, it was stock except for a set of headers and a dyno tune ... never raced.

When I installed the supercharger at 18,000 miles, I found quite a bit of oil in the bottom of the stock intake manifold ... That's when I also installed a catch can.

I really don't want all that oil gumming up the rotors in the supercharger (since the supercharger is a Roots type blower)