MRGTX

I appreciate your input here but I'm still not convinced.

I see the point about Ford assuming (correctly) that people would not want to check and empty the can...but any car on the road today is capable of going 200k miles. Why isn't this a widespread problem? Is there something uniquely poor about the design of the 4.6 and 5.0 motors?

It's a nice looking part, and it seems pretty easy to install, etc. and assuming there is an actual benefit, the price is pretty good to...but if it's not needed, it's a total waste.

Unfortunately, we won't get much feedback in this thread from those who don't believe this is necessary...

So what are the detriments experienced by those who DO keep their cars past 100K? What are those who buy a used Mustang (that hasn't had a seperator) getting themselves into?

Tucker

See picture below, then also think back to any engine you have ever seen torn apart. Oil in the intake track will put a gummy coating on the runners, throttle body blades, valves and the worst, intercooler fins on S/C cars. Now, that sticky lining will now attract more oil and more oil decreasing the ID of these areas and reducing air flow. It's just simple fact, not snake oil.
Not only for people looking to keep a car past 100K, but the amount of oil stopped can delute fuel as well. Think about the small amount of fuel shot in the combustion chamber per cycle, then add a small shot of oil in there as well.

I'm not here to convince the none believers, it's a simple part that works very well, is price right and installs easy enough even a cave man could do it.

This is not a "Ford" thing or a 5.0 thing, all engines with a PCV systme do it, but some more then others.

Thanks

Jay

way2qk4u2c

Had a 2001 taurus- when i took it apart to do the intake manifold gaskets- i couldnt believe how much of the intake was covered in oil- I thought i had a leak somewhere and dumping oil into it. I sure don't want all that oil running through my mustang's intake.

ill be buying one this weekend.

m4reapr

I'm not going to say I'm not convinced because pics don't lie but I also don't think it's necessary

IMO there is a benefit if you want your car to not "suffer", the reason I say this about the 2011 GT is that after owning an 1987 LX 5.0 and a 2003 GT, this car is more akin to what SVO and SVT was doing in those years, this isn't a regular Mustang, at least to me.

I don't think it's necessary, my 2003 GT has 149+k miles with no oil separator, burns less than 1 quart between my 8-9k mile oil changes with non-synthetic and still gets 24-25 mpg every tank, and I don't drive it like a Prius owner.

I haven't seen any detriments to not having an oil separator, my 1987 LX 5.0 also went 186k before I sold it and only leaked oil from the driver side valve cover. Maybe the detriment is lost performance, but to compare a high mileage car with no OS to a new one with has other variables to account for anyway.

That said, I will be buying one for my 2011 GT because I just want to keep it from 1 of the little things that I perceive are hurting it.

Modshack

Slightly different situation, but this is a picture of an Audi/VW 2.0T motor. Build-up like this occurs in as little as 50K miles. While this motor is direct injected and doesn't have the cleansing action of Gasoline over the valves, it is an indicator of what can happen given Blow-by (the 2.0 is FI) and a marginal OEM PCV system. I have poured oil out of Intercoolers on Turbo'd Audi motors.

FastRedPonyCar

DAAAAAAAMMMMM

Do you know if anything has changed since then?.... cause my wife has a 2010 A4 with the 2.0T....

Modshack

Unfortunately this is a by-product of direct injection (be careful what you ask for). Since the fuel is injected downstream of the valves, they no longer benefit from the cooling and detergent effects of fuel flowing over them. Some manufacturers have an additional small injector upstream to prevent this problem. De-carboning the 2.0 motor is becoming a regular service issue on higher mileage cars. As a contrasting example, here's a 1.8T motor (predated the 2.0) without direct injection, at 140K...

FastRedPonyCar

how much does that service typically run? I'm not THAT worried about it since we'll probably trade ours in for a newer one in a couple of years but..

Modshack

It's generally done chemically. No idea the cost but several hundred would seem the norm at an Audi dealer. YOu can do the same with a periodic treatment of Sea Foam or other top end cleaning additives (introduced through the intake manifold via a Vac line)

FastRedPonyCar

yeah I've done the seafoam in a baby food jar being sucked into the vac tree on my volvo and it was quite an improvement. the neighborhood wasn't too thrilled about the massive white cloud pouring from the back of my car as I drove around

KonaBlue5.0

Crankcase breathers will live you with oily residue all over the engine bay after some time, especially if you like to wind out the motor in the twisties. Really not a good idea for anything but a show car.

Coalminer

Send you a pic of my cfm breather, for racing applacations, no oil, it takes the place of my filler cap,$50 each side, most all racecars have em.it does not leak oil, it does not have intake sucking oil out. Pvc valves are like converters I don't need them on my hotrod.

Coalminer

It's not legal without pvc valve, but?????

Coalminer

If anyone knows? How does it suck oil all the way through the pvc tube an than magicly stop an drop the oil in the catch can with out pulling some on through?i think I would rather clean up a drop here an there than worry about it gumming up the valves.I'm a good cleaner.

FCMalie

The oil separator doesn't suck oil through the PCV tube, it's the vacuum in the system that sucks particles through it. The separator puts a filter between in the system that keeps the oil out of your intake.

yugoboss

Why don't you ask all the cab drivers that had the crown Victorias with the 4.6 if they needed one. They put a ton of miles on those motors with no problems.

mystickeith50

They also dont give two $hits about there engines...not a logical or fair comparison at all.

BTW- Tucker your oil seperators are awesome and it was the best and easiest $119 I have spent yet on my car.

KonaBlue5.0

As has been pointed out several times now - it's not a question of whether or not the engine needs it. Your engine doesn't need an aftermarket tune, intake or supercharger, but that doesn't mean none of those things will make the engine more efficient / powerful / etc.

Those cabs are driven constantly in traffic, and I'd imagine most of them never see the northern side of 3000 RPM. The oil separator really shine at high RPM and especially under heavy load.

This is preventative maintenance. Anyone with simple common sense understands that oil being piped into the intake is not ideal. I posted in a different thread almost this same thing: Back in the day, instead of having a catch can or having it piped back into the intake, auto companies used to just run a tube down to the bottom of the engine compartment and let the oil drip onto the road. The EPA is now more involved in the dealing of automotive companies, and obviously that was unsafe for the public (oil on the road) and the environment.

An easy solution is to dump the oil back into the intake. People these days complain about having to change their oil every 3000 miles - hence the main reason the automotive companies keep raising the reccommended oil change intervals - can you imagine how the general public would feel about having to empty a little catch can every 1000 miles? It would never happen. Ever.

If you're not mechanically inclined, that's fine. If you have absolutely no understanding of how an engine operates, fine. Don't get a catch can, you probably won't ever have any problems without one. Meanwhile, if one day you need to tear down the engine, you let me know how much fun it is trying to get those valves clean.

yugoboss

Too funny

KonaBlue5.0

Which part was funny? The part where I used logic in an attempt to explain to you why catch cans are useful, or the part where you replied with absolutely no useful rebuttal?