Justina Mathews writes issues that currently affect the performance car enthusiast. She also writes about issues that affect the street tuner industry, as well as import scene lifestyle. She's a staff writer for cooling systems.
Here's a real surprise when it comes to adding power to your car, ever hear that an oil catch can actually helps? An oil catch can, traditionally purchased and installed to keep you cylinder heads and intake tracts vented and clean, can actually increase power. Believe it or not, replacing a breather filter with a properly engineered catch can definitely bring you some noticeable power gains. But how can this be?
Oil catch cans are engineered to fit between a port in an engine's valve cover an its intake. They also use the vacuum from an engine's intake to draw blow by contaminants out of the cylinder head and into a reservoir where they can manually be disposed of. Blow by contaminants include oil, fuel, and exhaust gas that seeps past the valve seals during combustion. By drawing out these contaminants, they also create low pressure within the head, allowing components to move more feely. This decreases parasitic loss. In many OEM applications, an uncomplicated vacuum hose is placed between the valve cover and the intake. This alleviates excess cylinder-head pressure and draws contaminates out of the cylinder head. Unfortunately, this occurs at the expense of re-circulating them throughout the intake tract; soiling intake manifolds, fuel injectors, valves, and decreasing intercooling performance of force induced cars. Even more detrimental is when those cute little breather filters are used instead, these neither vent excess blow-by pressure as much as a vacuum driven alternative, nor stint the buildup of contaminants in the cylinder head-doubly robbing you of much needed power.
So the purpose of oil catch cans are to trap contaminates, but will an oil catch can really increase your power? You can experiment yourself by installing a quality oil catch can in a very dirty engine, so you can see and feel the difference it will make. You can compare its power output versus an off the self breather filter. To make sure of proper testing accuracy, be sure to put on a designated amount of highway miles with each arrangement before an engineering outfit to test for power changes with multiple runs at each stage. But we've gone thought all that trouble for you already. And here is what we found.
Not only does the catch can generate power, but you can see it actually working. A noticeable amount of blow by sludge will accumulate in the tank after extensive highway driving. And compared to the breather filter, there is no question. Power numbers will be low, as blow by pressure will have a significantly harder time exiting the head than when sucked out by the catch can. The result is the following: catch cans will have an impact on your racing speed. They keep engines clean and vent power robbing pressure from your engine's cylinder heads. The more moving parts that make up your engine's cylinder heads, the higher cylinder pressures increase, or the more your engine suffers form blow by, the more a catch can will help your car.
- Related Videos
- Related Articles
- Ask / Related Q&A




Tips For Choosing Auto Loans
By: Derry Dharmawan | 19/12/2009If you decide to buy a car through auto loans then in my opinion there are some things you should know before you make the decision to sign a credit agreement with a financial institution or banking institutions.
350Z Body Kits for the style enthusiast
By: Louie | 19/12/2009Sports cars are a distinct class amongst cars in the market. They have a special fascination for young people and most sports cars aim to appeal to them.
4 Runner headlights help you move up in style and performance
By: Louie | 19/12/2009How much is enough? Well that question is asked by people all over the world for various reasons. How much money is enough, how much love is enough, how much time is enough.
Show your support
By: Charlie | 19/12/2009For football fans across the globe, there’s not much that we wouldn’t do to show our support for our favourite football team. We pay hundreds of pounds for a season ticket, travel thousands of miles up and down the country to support them week in and week out, and some of us are even dedicated enough to tattoo our team’s emblem onto our bodies.
A guide to vehicle shipping
By: Miguel Covarrubias | 19/12/2009There are many auto shipping companies that can ship your car anywhere in United States. Why do you need auto transport service?
Economy Car Rental: A Way to Save Some Money
By: David Patullo | 19/12/2009An economy car rental is a great solution for most of our travelling needs. Family get-togethers, weddings and birthday parties are all reasons you may need a car just for a few days. The weekend getaway is one of other best reasons for renting a economical car. You can save the wear and tear on your own vehicle if you have one rented car.
Discounted Car Rental – How to Get a Few Dollars Shaved Off Your Car Rental Expenses
By: David Patullo | 19/12/2009If you are the practical type of person, then you would appreciate the fact that you can still get discounts for car rental these days. We all know that renting a car can go from being affordable to outright expensive. However, there are just times when you need to rent a car and you practically have no choice but to pay the advertised rental fee. Of course, this does not mean that you can never get lowered rates.
Discount Car Rentals – Why People Like Discount Car Rentals
By: David Patullo | 19/12/2009Discount car rentals can be very easy or very hard to get. It really depends on where you are travelling to and what you plan on doing when you get there. If you are interested in getting a car close to an airport generally the price will be a little bit higher. The information that you will need is obvious for the most part, the city that you are going to be visiting. The time and date you would like pick up the car as well as the drop off time and date.
Types Of Pulleys To Use On Your Muscle Car
By: Justina Mathews | 14/10/2008 | CarsWhat are the best pulleys to use on your muscle car? Let's find out!
Oil Catch Cans Increase Racing Speed
By: Justina Mathews | 08/09/2008 | CarsWill an oil catch can really make your car go faster? We'll find out.
Learning about Subframe Connectors
By: Justina Mathews | 21/08/2008 | CarsWhy are subframe connectors good for your muscle car?
Choosing A Performance Shifter
By: Justina Mathews | 20/08/2008 | CarsThe right shifter for your street racer can drastically reduce your gear shift times...
Using A Performance Throttle Body For Racing
By: Justina Mathews | 20/08/2008 | CarsHow to increase speed on you car with a throttle body.
Maintaining Your High Performance Electrical System
By: Justina Mathews | 20/08/2008 | CarsMaintaining the electrical system on your ride can mean the difference between wining and embarrassment.
Increase Racing Speed With Pulleys
By: Justina Mathews | 20/08/2008 | CarsMake your car go faster with performance underdrive pulleys? We'll teach you how.
Getting Strut Tower Braces For Your Street Racer
By: Justina Mathews | 19/08/2008 | CarsWhy should you get strut tower braces for your car?