Is a catch can important on a modern turbo diesel?
If you own a modern turbo diesel without a catch can that has an active EGR or DPF, you’ll probably look back in the future and wish you’d fitted one.
You can get a variety of different brands and models of catch can kits for $150 – $450 installed, and they play a hugely important role for your motor.
The only reason you’d not bother fitting one is if you are going to sell the vehicle after a couple of years, or you’ve gone down the EGR delete path (which is not legal).
Regardless, its still an attractive item for a lot of buyers due to the longevity improvements they provide, as long as they are well maintained!
What is a catch can, and what does it do?
By nature some oil, fuel and even water escapes from the motor during normal operation and ends up in the crankcase.
In standard form, this film of oil is sucked back through the positive crankcase ventilation line (PCV) and ends up in your air intake, where it goes back into the motor to be burnt in the combustion process.
A catch can sits in between your crankcase and the PCV, and it is designed to separate the fluid and mist from the air that makes its way through and catch it in the bottom of the unit.
Some catch can’s have filters in them, and others use mesh, steel wool or a variety of combinations. If its just a can with an inlet and an outlet, you have bought one that won’t work very well!
Why is it so important?
I can already hear you asking is a catch can worth it? Is it actually important? I’ll cover that now. The biggest reason you want a quality diesel catch can on a modern motor is to stop the massive problem it causes when it mixes with your exhaust gas recirculation system (EGR).
Turbo diesel motors have had exhaust gas recirculation systems now for some time, where a portion of the exhaust gas is recycled back through the motor.
This isn’t a massive issue, except that by nature your exhaust gasses have carbon in them, and when this black soot mixes with an oil mist, it sticks to anything that it can.
Without a catch can, your engine’s air intake system cakes up with sticky black muck and soon becomes badly restricted.
You only have to jump on Google Images and look up EGR intake clean to get an idea of how bad this actually is. Left without being cleaned, you will suffer significant losses in power and fuel economy.
There are a variety of ways of cleaning motors, which can be time consuming and expensive. If you can avoid the build up in the first place you’ll save a heap of headache.
The second reason catch cans are very important is because oil reduces the efficiency of your intercooler when it covers the pipe work. The colder the air going into the motor the better it performs, and if your intercooler doesn’t function as it should you are missing out on its potential.
The oil catch can benefits are simple; your intake stays clean which improves economy, power and reduces your long term maintenance costs.
How much oil does it catch?
This question depends on lots of different factors, but the amount of oil, water and fuel that is caught is actually significant. In 10,000km you should easily get 50 – 300 ml of fluid.
What ever you don’t catch goes straight into your engine. Not good. Any mechanic worth their weight will tell you that much oil going into your intake is not good.
Catch can legalities
Despite what some people say, Catch can’s are completely legal, and on some well designed diesels they actually come as standard. Sadly, this isn’t the case for your average 4WD motor.
In the past, people would just run a pipe to the inside of their chassis, and let the oil film run into the chassis, for ‘rust prevention’! This is not legal (and its actually pretty dumb), and is one of 32 ways to make your 4WD illegal.
Catch cans and warranties
There’s a lot of comments online stating that fitting a catch can will void your warranty. Whilst there is some merit to this idea, its more complicated than a black and white arrangement.
Isuzu themselves sell a catch can on 4JJ1 truck engines as a factory fitment, and if its correctly engineered you should have no issues.
On the flip side, a poorly designed catch can or one that isn’t emptied regularly, or doesn’t have the filters replaced can cause excess back pressure and make things leak.
I know that Toyota Australia is looking very carefully into catch can installations, and they’ve knocked back some turbo failure warranty claims on the basis that the catch can created resistance, and helped the turbo seals to fail.
Either way, the catch can has to be directly related to the failure. You can’t have a rear differential failure warranty claim declined because you fitted a catch can, as the two have nothing to do with each other.
Is the turbo related enough? Possibly, and its hard to argue either way. Want to know more? Check out do aftermarket accessories void your warranty?
Blocking the EGR
Another way to stop the build up of carbon in your intake is to block the EGR. This is also not legal, and yet a massive number of people do it.
You can do this a number of ways; electronically by tricking the ECU into not using the EGR, or mechanically by installing a blanking plate.
By doing this though, often the ECU will pick up that there is a ‘problem’ and will throw a code with the check engine light come up. Also, if you are caught tampering with any emissions gear on your 4WD, you can be fined huge money.
I believe in NSW the fine is up to $250,000 for an individual! That said, as far as I know there hasn’t been anyone fined near that amount, but they are starting to crack down on it.
Beyond that, the EGR actually provides some useful engineering benefits; its not just there for emission controls. By turning it off, you are changing the way the motor was engineered to run, and a huge amount of money and time goes into designing a quality 4WD motor.
By blocking the EGR you still end up with the oil going into your intake anyway, so its only half a fix.
The HPD catch can on our Dmax
The first accessory I bought for our Dmax was a catch can, from HPD. I spent many hours reading and researching the best catch can options, and settled on the HPD (which as it turns out was a mistake).
EDIT: I’VE REMOVED THE HPD CATCH CAN
After 34,000km of testing on our Dmax, and reading an independent study on catch cans I’ve removed the HPD catch can in favour of something that catches a LOT more oil.
If you want to know more, have a read of this; Why I’m removing my HPD Catch Can. Spoiler alert; the Provent Catch cans are far more effective. My HPD Catch Can Review isn’t favourable.
For the full test results including the 5625km the Provent 200 ran on our Dmax, check this out – Provent vs HPD Catch Cans. In terms of oil catch can reviews, make sure there is some independent, scientific research before you commit to buying something!
EDIT – After running the Provent 200 Catch can for about 35,000km, I’ve caught somewhere in the realm of 1200ml of oil, which is pretty incredible.
Why the HPD catch can?
At $385 delivered to your door, the HPD catch can is one of the more expensive ones on the market. Here’s a couple of reasons I initially chose them:
100% Australian made
Billet aluminium and stainless steel brackets made to exceptional quality
Dipstick for checking the oil level
Substantial volume to catch oil, meaning it doesn’t need emptying very often.
Inlet and outlet both high up meaning even on weird angles when 4WDing its never going to run back into the motor
Maintenance free. No filters to replace
It comes in a kit for the Dmax, and several other vehicles. Bolts, fittings, hoses, brackets and all.
Quality gates hose used in the kit which is the same size (marginally bigger) than the factory hose.
Highly recommended by a huge variety of people (even without any sales motivation)
These have 4 stainless steel pieces of mesh on the inlet and the outlet. The idea is the air flow is disrupted going through the mesh, and causes the oil mist to stick to it and fall into the catch can.
Things I wasn’t entirely happy about with the HPD catch can
When I purchased and fitted the HPD catch can, I was fairly impressed with it. However, in the interest of being 100% honest, there were a few things I wasn’t 100% happy with and I’ll mention them below:
I found a tiny piece of wire from the mesh at the bottom of the catch can when I received it, presumably from when the mesh filters were installed.
The edges of the mesh filters are cut and have strands of wire that are not meshed together, and are not overly strong. It would never have made it into the intake, but it shouldn’t have been there.
The instructions are ok, but not amazing. Some extra photos would be great, and using a standard motor (not one with aftermarket intercooler hoses!) in their photos would be helpful.
The bracket rubs on the brake line unless you bend it over. I was aware of this, but only through reading online about it. Simply bend the brake line a little out of the way.
The intake clamp rubs on the catch can if you don’t move it around, and will damage the can if left for a long time (and make an annoying noise). This could easily be part of the instructions.
You have some adjustment for the way the catch can sits. I couldn’t get it to sit clear of everything; if I twisted it around the hose rubbed on the air filter intake hose, and the other way meant the outlet sat over the dipstick a little.
I opted for the later as you can just twist the outlet around when you want to lift the dipstick out, but its not perfect. You don’t want things rubbing on each other on a vehicle; they will wear out over time.
The hose clamps that come with the kit are not adequate for the OEM plastic barbs. On the catch can it fits snugly and the spring clamps lock it on well. On the Dmax barbs though, the hose is just a smidgen too big, and the clamps don’t apply enough pressure to lock it on. I can pull the hoses off the barbs very easily even with the clamps on. Never mind; replace them with 2 hose clamps and you are laughing.
No pressure relief valve.
HPD vs Provent Catch Can
The other contender for catch cans on the Dmax was the Provent, made by Mann and Hummel. These are quality gear (make sure you get genuine ones), but they are massive.
They also don’t come in a kit for the Dmax, and you have to replace filter cartridges every 45 – 70,000km at about $70 each.
Based on everything I’ve read online, I’d say the Provent probably catches marginally more than the HPD (EDIT: Not anymore; I’ve since learned they catch a LOT more). They are a German engineering company that runs a proper filter. You’ve got to expect that sort of result.
However, there were things that I didn’t like about the Provent (like its size, inlet and outlet position, pressure created etc) and I decided on the HPD instead.
Not all catch cans are equal
Yep, you can go on eBay and buy an oil catch can for $45, and fit it to your expensive 4WD. The only problem though, is it probably won’t catch anything! If you want the best oil catch can, stick with a Provent 200!
There is some pretty intense engineering that goes into the design of a quality catch can; a steel box with a hose in one side and out the other is not going to do much. The best oil catch can may not be the prettiest looking.
Make sure you buy genuine too; there are a lot of rip offs, specifically around the Provents.
Diesel Catch Can Problems
Like everything, there’s no free lunch. A poor quality catch can has the potential to cause issues if it restricts the flow too much, or is not emptied regularly enough, or not maintained well.
The solution to this is to get a well engineered and proven catch can, and look after it.
I have heard of people having issues with restrictions and blowing rear main seals, but with a good catch can this should be avoided providing you empty it regularly!
Returning the oil back into the engine
Some people take the oil collected from a catch can, and tip it back into the motor. You can do this, but I wouldn’t. For starters, its often got moisture in it, and even fuel thats escaped the combustion process. The oil is not good quality; get rid of it.
Is a catch can necessary?
If you are wondering are catch cans worth it, you’ve got some decisions to make. There’s a lot of diesel motors out there that don’t run catch cans, so they are not an absolute must fit.
However, if its your vehicle and you plan to keep it for more than a couple of years a good catch can should be considered important. I wouldn’t own a modern turbo diesel without one.
Future updates will come
I’ll pass on how the diesel catch can goes in the future – maybe after 5000 – 10,000km. For now though, I know its another thing ‘fixed’ and it will save a lot of headache down the track.
EDIT – If you missed the updates, I’ve removed the HPD catch can and fitted a Provent 200 which catches significantly more oil.
If you want to see the rest of the 4WD build, check this out – Isuzu Dmax build for touring Australia.
Do you run a catch can? What did you fit? What do you think of it? How much oil do you catch?
Hey Tony,
Western Filters have a diagram showing the way the Provent filters work. The air enters at the top, and is spun around, through the outer of the filter, and the oil drops out the middle, into the bottom. The clean air then returns to the PVC, and the oil falls down into the hose where you can drain it out.
I wouldn’t run a copy of a catch can unless it was on a vehicle I didn’t really care about; the risks just don’t seem worth it to me.
All the best
Aaron
I bought a provent (copy) catch can.
Reading the fitting instructions and examining the filter arrangement was a bit worrying.
The whole thing seems back to front.
1) the air to be filtered enters at the top, and through the filter, to the turbo out, the bottom!!
2) This means that any drops of oil drip down into the bottom and can be sucked back into the turbo.
3) The oil collection space is very limited, compounding the problem
4) Normal filter practice is from the largest filter area (the outside) to the smaller (inside) this one does the opposite.
I can see it keeping out any half bricks and lumps of carbon out of the works, but dropping the separated oil back into the “cleaned” air seems a dumb idea.
Any comments,Aaron?
thanx.
Hi Dodgy Dave,
Thanks for your opinion. Perhaps you could explain why so many modern diesel engines have them factory fitted, and why you think they should be left alone? This would certainly add a bit more weight to your comment
All the best
Aaron
I agree with the fellow that said it’s a farce….it’s just a fad you 4×4 warriors are into at the moment…leave your modern diesels alone
Hi Neale,
I’d welcome your own independent research on the topic; more than happy to have a critical discussion about it. You don’t think that car manufacturers have to balance the cost of the vehicle and its maintenance against sales targets?
Do you believe vehicle manufacturers do everything they can to make a vehicle last as long as it could?
All the best
Aaron
Sounds like nonsense pushed by manufactures of catch cans and/or confirmation bias from those that have been sucked in. Service your car according to manufactureers warranty
Hey Dave,
The amount you collect is relative to the blow by, and condition of the motor. 100ml for 20k seems a bit low, but if its new it takes time to fill the filter before it actually catches oil in the hose. Keep an eye on it, but it should be fine
All the best
Aaron
Hey
Installed a Provent in our 125,000km old Jeep Grand Cherokee, running the 3L V6 turbo diesel. I was really surprised when I drained it (after 20,000km as I thought the service guys did it) and only got 100ml out of it! Is that normal?
Hey Bruce,
The hoses pop off when they’ve got oil inside, especially around where the hose clamp and barb are. I’d say there’s a good chance that the hoses weren’t cleaned when they were put back. That said, the Provent won’t stop every last millilitre of oil going through, but it will stop most of it.
Keep an eye on it, but I’d say it won’t happen again if its been well cleaned, and you’ll be good long term.
All the best
Aaron
Hey Aaron , I liked the article , I have a Provent on my 2014 Colorado , Ive done about 15k with it and collected about 300mls of oil , I empty it about every 5k or so , I’m happy but do have a question , I had an intake system clean done a month back and whilst travelling the hose connected to the throttle body blew off , no probs it just wasn’t fitted correctly after the clean but I did notice that the inside of the throtle body and inside the intake hose that blew off were covered in wet oil , is that normal ?, we have done about 5k since the clean was done.
Cheers Bruce
Hi Sam,
You are correct, and that would be a good test to do. However, as you say, every vehicle is different and getting two identical setups is almost impossible in the real world.
At the end of the day though, the build up is the primary reason for a catch can, and if that wasn’t a problem you’d probably not bother fitting one
All the best
Aaron
The effectiveness of a catch is obviously related to how much oil, water etc. It catches; Some are better than others from what I see. But different engines in diffetent mechanical condition and states of wear, using diffetent oils and driven in very different conditions, will produce varying amounts of blowb and oil vapour. All things been accounted for, Should we not actually do tests where a camera is put into to the manifold and intercooler and EGR valve to see how much gunk has accumulated after so many K’s, with and without a catch can?
Hey Levy,
Thanks. You won’t get a formal answer from Isuzu, except that they don’t endorse the use of aftermarket accessories. That said, the fact that they sell their trucks with the same motor with a genuine Isuzu catch can should speak volumes. You can actually buy this catch can and fit it to your 4JJ1 if you prefer.
The only people that will give you answers are the dealers, and some will say it will void your warranty, and many will not. The fact remains that they can’t decline a warranty claim unless its directly related to the component you’ve fitted. For example, if you fit a catch can and the rear springs break in half, they can’t say the catch can caused it.
The grey area is that they can blame something and not give any further evidence, and then you are left trying to fight them, which isn’t a great place to be. It can be done with independent mechanical services, but its just a pain in the backside.
Ultimately you have to make a call, and do what you are comfortable with. Speak to reputable diesel service centres, and go off their advice and what you are comfortable with
All the best
Aaron
Hi Aaron!
I really enjoy your blog, lots of info with some decent research behind them.
Although I feel like the elephant in the room hasn’t been addressed regarding this matter: have you got a positive confirmation from Isuzu Ute Australia about fitting a catch can wouldn’t void the warranty?
I’ll take delivery of my new Mux in a few weeks, so I am keen to understand whether I shoot myself in the foot with a catch can or not.
Hi Ross,
A Hilux is no different to any other modern turbo diesel. They will have gunk that builds up which eventually hurts your fuel economy, power etc.
There are generally 3 trains of thoughts.
1 – do nothing, and just get it cleaned every 100k or as needed
2 – blank the EGR or turn it off. This is illegal, but will stop the build up
3 – fit a catch can, which is legal, needs filters replaced and will also stop almost all of the build up.
I like the last option, but everyone is different. Just get a good unit, like a Provent 200, or a Ryco
All the best
Aaron
G’day Aaron, we have a 2015 Hilux -Explorer 4×4 Motorhomes with just over 70,000km. Rarely driven on short around town journeys. Our mechanic suggested fitting a catch can at our last service. I’ve read your excellent article and the majority of comments received but haven’t seen any mention of fitting a catch can to a hilux. Any advice for an elderly non mechanical couple? Thanks, Ross
Hey mate,
Some interesting comments. Some I agree with, and some I don’t.
Mann and Hummel are a filtration company, and world leaders at that. They employ around 21,000 employees across the world, and have a very strong engineering background. Yes, the Provent is ‘just a piece of plastic’, but there has been millions of dollars of research and development into how best to separate oil particles from air. It is far more complicated than just fitting a soup tin. Try it for yourself, and you’ll find the Provent catches a LOT more oil as that is what they are engineered to do. Of course they are easy to make once you have the gear, but to design, test and engineer is not something any backyard Joe can do with decent success.
As for the pricing, that’s fairly typical of businesses. Mann and Hummel are leaders in their field, and are still cheaper than some of their ‘competitors’ that sell products which perform far worse. At the end of the day like other businesses, they exist to make money, not to sell them for as cheap as possible.
The Chinese copies are exactly that. They are brilliant at taking someone elses hard work and engineering, and copying it. They’ve done zero engineering in the performance of these units, and they have a habit of copying the best out there. Of course the result is going to be the same, except for longevity and quality. They can’t copy the filters, and anyone who installs a Chinese copy or uses fake filters is asking for issues.
Driving the vehicle hard does not get rid of the build up of muck. It might aid it a bit, but its the combination of soot and oil particles that creates essentially vegemite on your intake. The only way to legally stop this is to install a good catch can, or clean it regularly (which is time consuming, expensive and a filthy job).
I wouldn’t run a modern turbo diesel with an EGR without a catch can unless I was getting rid of it quickly. If its pre EGR, then by all means ignore the catch can as you can easily get away with it without any significant problems.
All the best
Aaron
The intercooler is my catch can. Every 40,000k’s I take it out & soak it in de-greaser. It is always dirty on on the intake side but spotless on the out/other side.
When I fitted a provent 200 the intercooler still got dirty (although not quite as much). I thought that it should/would stop the intercooler oiling up but it didn’t.
They are just more expensive unnecessary must have aftermarket products.
Now, I can understand the initial cost of a provent 200 (or any product for that matter) when they first came out, but after being on the market for all this time they would have paid for the original design & production costs 100 times over (after all they did not originally invent the Catch-Can) & they should be at least half their selling price now. But no, they keep getting more expensive. Why is this?
The truth is that they are just a Plastic Can & there is no Rocket science involved in making them, but people continue to get sucked into thinking they will fix everything that is wrong with their common Rail diesel engines. The only difference between a provent 200 and an old soup tin is the filter & bigger intake hose dimensions.
This is the concept of mass production, the more you sell the cheaper they become, but that concept seems to have gotten lost somewhere at Mann Hummel.
The only thing that sets the Provent apart from the cheap Chinese made $50.00 versions is the filters. A friend of mine has a cheap one & in my opinion it is exactly the same build quality as the Provent 200 that I no longer use. He just puts an overpriced provent filter in his & it does exactly the same job.
If you want to get rid of soot building up in your intake then drive your 4×4 on the highway at the maximum permitted speed, & do it regularly from new. Don’t be would-be off-road warrior & putter around the city for months on end like so many do. Drive the dam thing and drive it hard.
Hi Suresh,
30k isn’t much; it shouldn’t be a problem. You can get the intake cleaned out, but its probably not necessary
All the best
Aaron
If I’m to install a catch can for the first time around 30K for my Dmax in India, what else should I do to take care of damage (if any) already done till now?
Thanks
Hi Arron,
sorry, I did nearly 60k with the D40’s & NP300 has 66k up including towing a 3.3tonne caravan.
John.
Thanks for your advice. It’s a big help. I’ll definitely go for Provent 200.
Regards
Tom
Hi Tom,
The Provent 100 is the same as the Flashlube. I would recommend the Provent 200 in most cases as it has a filter that will last a longer time. These units will leave your intake looking very clean; there is no need for two. I suspect if you did install two (if you could even fit them anywhere under the bonnet!) you may have issues with excess back pressure, which would cause the seals in your motor to leak.
Take care mate
Aaron
AAron, how does the flashlube c/can compare with provent? I’ve heard they are pretty good; also if some oil etc gets past most c/cans , would two cans in line be a good idea?
Tom
Hey mate,
There are a lot of diesel motors with factory fitted catch cans (just not in the 4WD game), and Provent is the OEM for a lot of them. The OEM will always look unfavourably towards aftermarket modifications, whether they are a bull bar or catch can, as they are not supplied or certified by them. That doesn’t mean they are no good.
If you think you can engineer, prototype, build, test, re-engineer and make the Provents for $50 all the best to you. They are a market leader for a reason.
If you took a few minutes to look around you would see results of those running catch cans from new, and their manifolds are spotless even after 200,000km.
I’ve never run synthetic oil, but I assume you have a tribology degree to make such statements?
Either way, each to their own mate. If you don’t feel the need to fit one then don’t. In my opinion though, if you are keeping the vehicle for more than a couple of years they are a must
Aaron
They are not necessary so, leave your 4×4 alone.
If they did anything worthwhile the factory would fit them from new. Your manifold is still going to gum up no matter what you do.
Your engine warranty can be made null & void by fitting a C/Can too. Some Manufacturers are stricter than others, but Mitsubishi will try it on if you have engine trouble & also have a C/Can fitted to a Triton. Hell, some of their workshops will try to void your warranty if you have an aftermarket bull bar fitted, even if they had it fitted for you as an aftermarket accessory from new.
The prices for a Provent 200 is an absolute rip-off and they are only worth about $50 bucks maximum which is the same amount as the non genuine versions. And in reality the filters for them should be worth about $5 bucks max.
Wait until the novelty wears off & the 4×4 fan-boys move onto their next best thing ever & you will pick one up for the cheap as chips.
I reckon your all brainwashed & have more money than sense. Bet most of you pay Top dollar for your Fully Synthetic oil as well. Never believe anything an oil company tells you about their products. Always go for the mid range stuff because the only difference between it and the $150 dollar stuff is in the packaging.
Hey Michael,
The new post is live mate, with my results running the HPD catch can and the study done by Curtin University. You can read it here – https://www.4wdingaustralia.com/4×4/why-im-removing-my-hpd-catch-can/
Take care
Aaron
Hey Michael,
I will – it’s not live just yet. Stay tuned
Aaron
Cheers mate. Care to share the report?
Hi Michael,
I will, in time. All I can say for now is that the HPD catch can has not performed very well on my Dmax, and I have a report here that clearly shows the Terrain tamer and Provent 200 do a much better job at removing oil.
Aaron
Hi Aaron,
Please share your findings on the HPD, as I’ve just purchased a brand new Triton and think I’ve narrowed it down to either going with the Provent or the Prolube catch cans, but keen to learn more about the HPD also.
Cheers
Mick
Hi Eric,
I share a similar conclusion mate, and actually have some very interesting and controversial information to share shortly.
Stay tuned
Aaron
I installed a HPD catch can in Feb 2018 on my 2015 Isuzu MUX (32.000 km on the clock when inst.) and I found that it caught very little (100ml) oil in approx. 18’000 km. mostly towing a 2 ton caravan. Vehicle has now 50’000 km on the clock. To me it looks that this catch can is not very effective at removing the oil mist. Also, it has no pressure relief valve. But it certainly looks good in the engine bay!
Hey Carlo,
That seems like a lot! My HPD has caught very little in 25,000km.
Aaron
i have a provent 200( the real one) fitted to my 2013 BT-50 .. drained it the other day, 200 mls in 5000ks
Hey Chris,
Glad to hear that its working for you mate. There are lots of catch cans out there, and to suggest that anything off eBay is no good would be a farce; there are lots of quality products sold. So long as it has a decent ventilation system and you can prove it actually catching as much oil as possible (not just ‘a lot’), you’ve got yourself a winner
Aaron
I have tried the cheap eBay ones that cost me $50 and it works just fine. Catches a lot of oil which would of made its way into the PCV. It is a baffled Can with dipstick that screws in with a rubber seal so it’s a closed system.
Hey Roger,
Cheers for the information. I think that I may also be getting similar results, but time will tell.
Aaron
i had the HPD can but took it off and put on a Flashlube pro,the HPD didnt catch hardly any oil compared to the Flashlube
cheers
roger
esperance WA
Hey Mark,
Interesting to hear, and rather daft that they don’t come out from the factory with a catch can. Fitting one at any stage is a good idea, and you can always remove it for the next vehicle anyway. I guess it depends on how long you want to keep it for.
Aaron
I didn’t have one of these on my last diesel and it cost around $4-500 to replace the EGR when it gummed up. Haven’t got one on the current vehicle and wished I’d known about them before now. I’m 60,000km in and wondering whether it’s worth doing now as the EGR likely has a dusting on it and I might exchange the vehicle anyway. Point to note for future though.
Hey mate,
Interesting, so lots more vapour was going through than it should have been in the first place?
Aaron
Hey Reece,
Any decent mechanic, or diesel mechanic will be able to sort it out for you mate. It is fairly widely known, but doesn’t cause major damage, just slowly contributes to a problem which can be fixed by cleaning.
Aaron
Hi Aaron owning my first ever diesel. LDV t60 not four wheeldriving much bought purely for convenience of tub and towing van. I know nothing about these catch cans and would not be confident fitting them. Would I have to see a specialist 4wd diesel mechanic to have installed. Very new to all this. Also why isn’t this widely known as it seems can cause major damage. Cheers.
I had HPD in 100 series n now in 200 series works well but somewhere I have lost the big oring between top n bottom cylinders n blows a bit out
Hi Mark. The provents are good gear as long as it is a genuine one. Stick with it.
Aaron
I bought a provent catchcan
filter has done about 20.000
my question is replace with stainless or go paper filter again??
Hey George,
I’m sure the manufacturers have some data. Unfortunately for us, all you can go off is people’s experiences. Good catch cans should catch majority of oil, but I’m sure some still gets through.
All you can do is pick a catch can you are happy with (via reviews and people’s experiences), and then see how much oil goes through by periodically checking the hoses.
If you can catch the majority of oil you are going to be miles in front of having nothing there at all. The oil isn’t really an issue, except it combines with the carbon and then creates a problem
Aaron
Hi Aaron I have looking into putting a catchcan on my Colorado and I have been looking at a lot of Utube posts about them. They all say how good they work by showing how much oil they catch but I have not seen any that show how clean the air is going back into there engines. ie how much oil or water mist that comes out the catchcan. Is there anyway to test these gases.
Hey mate,
Did you read the post? All of your answers are in there – HPD catch can, 2016 Dmax, yes installed myself, and yes, its a good idea
Aaron
Hey Aaron
What make of can? What make of vehicle?
Did you install yourself?
I have a new Dmax myself and wondering if I should bother.
DonnyBuoy
Hey Brock,
Good to hear mate. Mines only done about 3500km now, and I think its just started to read on the dip stick. Happy with the unit overall
Aaron
I have the HPD catch can fitted to the my 2015 BT50. I researched the subject fairly widely, and finally went for the HPD, its not the cheapest but is very well made.
The fitting kit for the BT50is good, and the instruction pretty good, I did make a couple of changes, instead of just drilling holes in the guard I used some rivnuts (riveted anchor nuts). I also gave the rivnuts a coat of paint after fitting to reduce corrosion. It makes the installation look more professional, and it makes life much easier if you need to remove the unit in the future.
The catch can works well, catching a little oil every 10,000 ks or so, iot may not catch all the oil, but anything caught isnt clogging the turbo/inter cooler/plenum chamber.