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Horsepower Obsessed recently put up a video where he showed the installation of an oil catch can on his C8. It’s a nice piece of kit and looks to be an easy project but I’m confused about one thing. Doesn’t the C8 already have an air/oil separator? If so, why would I need a catch can in addition? Would it really make that much difference?
Does anyone have a link to a searchable parts catalog that includes engine and accessories? How could I research this?
Let's see. GM has a 5 year 60,000 mile powertrain warranty on the C8. If they felt it needed a catch can, it would come with it. The debate will rage on.
Let's see. GM has a 5 year 60,000 mile powertrain warranty on the C8. If they felt it needed a catch can, it would come with it. The debate will rage on.
The catch can is good for 28 horsepower. Fender hash stripes make almost 15. Together, we're talking real power gains. Adding crappy Chinese LEDs to your engine compartment increases all of those gains by 1.6%.
A catch can would take the oil fouled air from the valley cover that now goes to the intake manifold and get burned, and separate out the oil so that you still get crank case ventilation but do not fill the intake manifold and intake valves with oil residue. In normal driving very little oil flows thru that system. On a road course in a C6Z, running 4-7K RPM and then hard throttle close under braking will generate about 4 ounces of oil per track day. That oil would otherwise puddle in the intake manifold, foul the intake side of the intake valves and reduce the effective fuel octane burned in the combustion chambers. Just a couple hard pulls on the street or at the drag strip won't generate much oil flowing thru the OEM system.
Let's see. GM has a 5 year 60,000 mile powertrain warranty on the C8. If they felt it needed a catch can, it would come with it. The debate will rage on.
adding something that requires maintenance every few thousand miles (and if you slack on that it freezes up in cold climates it blows out your seals) isn’t an option for GM
Let's see. GM has a 5 year 60,000 mile powertrain warranty on the C8.
And I’m guessing the majority of owners won’t keep the car for 5 years AND 60k, so we’re back to the adage of the supermodel girlfriend and the next guy.
Let's see. GM has a 5 year 60,000 mile powertrain warranty on the C8. If they felt it needed a catch can, it would come with it. The debate will rage on.
Those drawings are great! Thanks so much for providing that. Is there any way to view the entire set? What document did those come from?
The catch can is good for 28 horsepower. Fender hash stripes make almost 15. Together, we're talking real power gains. Adding crappy Chinese LEDs to your engine compartment increases all of those gains by 1.6%.
And I’m guessing the majority of owners won’t keep the car for 5 years AND 60k, so we’re back to the adage of the supermodel girlfriend and the next guy.
Let's see. GM has a 5 year 60,000 mile powertrain warranty on the C8. If they felt it needed a catch can, it would come with it.
Considering that the scavenged oil = additional maintenance that would need to be dealt with by either the customer or the dealer, no...it probably wouldn't. Cost cutting is a huge part of any mass manufactured car, and a catch can would certainly add expense to a C8 (even more than the correct amount of transmission fluid!)
If someone can provide documentation about the benefits of oil in an intake, I'd be interested in reading it
C8 has an air/oil separator under the intake manifold.
See diagram up above where the Foul air (oil soaked) from that valley oil separator is BURNED IN COMBUSTION. An oil catch can would strip that oil out and keep it from being burned in combustion (knocking down the fuel octane).
I understand that GM would not want a high maintenance device like a catch can, which would have to be drained after every track event, to be included on the regular production car. On the street you could drive 5000 miles and maybe pick up 1-2 ounces of oil. You would get 4 ounces in one track day. This is one area where those that need it should just expect to add it and take care of it's regular draining maintenance.
Oil catch can
