Oil Separator-Good!

[SSuperDave]

I was checking under the hood today, and unscrewed the can from my separator to check it. In 800 miles, it had two tablespoons of thick, smelly black oil in it. Keeping this out of the engine has got to be a good thing!

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[cosmo73]

A clean intake manifold and valves is never a bad thing!

 

[Stang24]

I was checking under the hood today, and unscrewed the can from my separator to check it. In 800 miles, it had two tablespoons of thick, smelly black oil in it. Keeping this out of the engine has got to be a good thing!

What oil separator ?

 

[SSuperDave]

Oil separator, catch can, one that I installed in the PCV line that has a reservoir that traps oil vapor and keeps it from going into the throttle body. When I worked at Lexus we had a lot of problems with valves coming up from those deposits and the separator keeps that from happening.

 

[Skye]

What oil separator ?

Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) have a certain amount of blow-by: gases and emissions which make it past the piston rings and into the crankcase. The engine is vented, so as those gases increase, they can escape without creating unwanted pressure on the opposite side of the rings, gaskets, etc.

Emissions laws years ago directed those gases be captured. ICEs will have a hose which feeds back into the intake. The engine takes these gases and spent products back in, where they mix with the air and the fuel and are combusted.

The concern is the by-products contain not only gases, but a certain amount of oil vapor. The oil vapor is like a really fine mist. Some of us prefer to keep the oil out of the intake system, which coats the intake plenum, runners, valves, etc.

Ford Coyotes use two fuel systems, for both economy and performance: traditional Port Injection (PI) and Direct Injection (DI). The former has injectors in the intake, the latter, in the cylinder. PI should bathe valves with a fuel mist (hopefully a top tier, high-detergent fuel), and keep the valves from building up any deposits.

The advantage of the oil separator is it keeps the oily mist from entering the intake system in the first place. The vapors exit the crankcase, where they enter a trap. The oil products drop to the bottom of the catch, the gases continuing on. The disadvantage of the oil seperator is it needs to be emptied. Over a brief period of time, owners realize how much they are catching and know when to empty. I check mine a few times a year and empty as needed. The container would fit in the palm of your hand.

Ford Performance sells the separators. There are aftermarket companies. The decision of which one to use is a personal preference. For most of us, they'll be installed on the US/EU passenger side, UK/AU Driver's side of the engine. People that track will often install on both sides. Boosted applications, either Turbo or Supercharger, should discuss with the vendor of those packages.

I'm using one. IMO, it's a step towards goodness. I'd rather keep it out of the engine over its service life. It also gives me a bit of insight as to how well the engine is running. Others feel the modification is unnecessary, that the design of the engine prevents any meaningful by-products from building up over time.

I'm averaging what the OP is: about two tablespoons, 30 milliliters of oil every 1000 mi / 1600 km.

 

[SSuperDave]

Good description, thanks. One of the instructors at the Lexus training center had a Porsche 944 that he tracked and he said that his would completely fill on a track day. That was the first I had ever heard of them, I knew what was causing the problems with the Lexus engines but didn't know what might be done about it. I had one on a 2012 and 2014 GTS that I've had, but they didn't feel quite as quickly as this one did. Now I'm just going to check it every thousand miles, it's not like I'm not under the hood anyway!

 

[Zig]

What oil separator ?

It’s the smoky room syndrome. Same thing happens [or used to] in a bar or a room where there is a lot of constant smoke [misty vapors]. After a bit remove a picture or something that has been in place for the bit. The degree of difference in what was collected is now evident by the apparent discoloration and that is what is prevented from settling in the otherwise ‘clean’ intake by using an oil-air-separator or ‘catch-can’. Almost never come stock. Rumor there is a unicorn that self drains (no user maintenance required?) but that’s a rumor of a unicorn.

 

[DukeCLR]

I just watched an install video and I was wondering if you would need an oil separator for each side, it looked like he only installed on the passenger side.

 

[cosmo73]

Unless tracked, only the passenger side is really needed.

 

[LETHAL]

Running both sides on mine. UPR

 

[IFFV68]

Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) have a certain amount of blow-by: gases and emissions which make it past the piston rings and into the crankcase. The engine is vented, so as those gases increase, they can escape without creating unwanted pressure on the opposite side of the rings, gaskets, etc.

Emissions laws years ago directed those gases be captured. ICEs will have a hose which feeds back into the intake. The engine takes these gases and spent products back in, where they mix with the air and the fuel and are combusted.

The concern is the by-products contain not only gases, but a certain amount of oil vapor. The oil vapor is like a really fine mist. Some of us prefer to keep the oil out of the intake system, which coats the intake plenum, runners, valves, etc.

Ford Coyotes use two fuel systems, for both economy and performance: traditional Port Injection (PI) and Direct Injection (DI). The former has injectors in the intake, the latter, in the cylinder. PI should bathe valves with a fuel mist (hopefully a top tier, high-detergent fuel), and keep the valves from building up any deposits.

The advantage of the oil separator is it keeps the oily mist from entering the intake system in the first place. The vapors exit the crankcase, where they enter a trap. The oil products drop to the bottom of the catch, the gases continuing on. The disadvantage of the oil seperator is it needs to be emptied. Over a brief period of time, owners realize how much they are catching and know when to empty. I check mine a few times a year and empty as needed. The container would fit in the palm of your hand.

Ford Performance sells the separators. There are aftermarket companies. The decision of which one to use is a personal preference. For most of us, they'll be installed on the US/EU passenger side, UK/AU Driver's side of the engine. People that track will often install on both sides. Boosted applications, either Turbo or Supercharger, should discuss with the vendor of those packages.

I'm using one. IMO, it's a step towards goodness. I'd rather keep it out of the engine over its service life. It also gives me a bit of insight as to how well the engine is running. Others feel the modification is unnecessary, that the design of the engine prevents any meaningful by-products from building up over time.

I'm averaging what the OP is: about two tablespoons, 30 milliliters of oil every 1000 mi / 1600 km.

Another comparison of the Ford Coyote engine to engines of the past is the HOLLY 4-Barrel Carburetor. More impressive would be TWO-4 Barrels!,or TWO HOLLYS.
When you’re just cruising, you only used two of the four barrels.
When you to step on it the first two & second twos barrels kick in.
You never forget the sound.
Speed cost money, how fast do you wan to go?

 

[Knightro]

I was checking under the hood today, and unscrewed the can from my separator to check it. In 800 miles, it had two tablespoons of thick, smelly black oil in it. Keeping this out of the engine has got to be a good thing!

I am interested in one of these. I use one on my bike and I’m a believer. What brand did you use and was it a straight forward install? I’m looking at the UPR one. Thanks in advance for any input.

 

[SSuperDave]

I used the J&L from CJ Pony parts, but every one I've seen was pretty much the same. I've had a couple of JLT ones and liked them too. It literally snaps into place over the existing PCV ports, and uses an existing bolt for the bracket.

 

[CT22]

Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) have a certain amount of blow-by: gases and emissions which make it past the piston rings and into the crankcase. The engine is vented, so as those gases increase, they can escape without creating unwanted pressure on the opposite side of the rings, gaskets, etc.

Emissions laws years ago directed those gases be captured. ICEs will have a hose which feeds back into the intake. The engine takes these gases and spent products back in, where they mix with the air and the fuel and are combusted.

The concern is the by-products contain not only gases, but a certain amount of oil vapor. The oil vapor is like a really fine mist. Some of us prefer to keep the oil out of the intake system, which coats the intake plenum, runners, valves, etc.

Ford Coyotes use two fuel systems, for both economy and performance: traditional Port Injection (PI) and Direct Injection (DI). The former has injectors in the intake, the latter, in the cylinder. PI should bathe valves with a fuel mist (hopefully a top tier, high-detergent fuel), and keep the valves from building up any deposits.

The advantage of the oil separator is it keeps the oily mist from entering the intake system in the first place. The vapors exit the crankcase, where they enter a trap. The oil products drop to the bottom of the catch, the gases continuing on. The disadvantage of the oil seperator is it needs to be emptied. Over a brief period of time, owners realize how much they are catching and know when to empty. I check mine a few times a year and empty as needed. The container would fit in the palm of your hand.

Ford Performance sells the separators. There are aftermarket companies. The decision of which one to use is a personal preference. For most of us, they'll be installed on the US/EU passenger side, UK/AU Driver's side of the engine. People that track will often install on both sides. Boosted applications, either Turbo or Supercharger, should discuss with the vendor of those packages.

I'm using one. IMO, it's a step towards goodness. I'd rather keep it out of the engine over its service life. It also gives me a bit of insight as to how well the engine is running. Others feel the modification is unnecessary, that the design of the engine prevents any meaningful by-products from building up over time.

I'm averaging what the OP is: about two tablespoons, 30 milliliters of oil every 1000 mi / 1600 km.

Why not just disconnect those hoses from the vented crankcase to the intake and plug the ends? Will the ECU notice?

 

[highvoltage]

After about 700 miles i had maybe an 1oz in my UPR can.

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