Catch can for the V6?
 

I saw Scotty Kilmer's YouTube video about catch cans and can't help but think that I should put one on my 2LT V6 asap. Most post on here about catch cans are for the V8. Does anyone know if the V6 will benefit from installing one and if so does anyone recommend a certain brand?

There are several posts regarding the benefits of a catch can on the V6. Polynesian powerhouse has an extensive review of two setups. The general consensus seems to be that Tracy Lewis Performance has the catch can to get. I picked up an Elite Engineering catch can for mine, and have no complaints, so far.

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Check your intake near the throttle body with a white paper towel. If you have oil residue, then a catch can will help. If you dont, then at least for the time being, it wouldn't help at all.

Conditions that lead to oil blowby into the intake change as the car ages and as your driving environment change.. So some people get it just in case.

If you're getting it "just in case", I wouldn't pay hundreds of bucks for a glorified aluminum can. Get a universal fit one (usually much cheaper) and just fab up a simple bracket

For a stock Camaro that isn't used on the track, a catch can is a waste of money. I did a fair amount of research online and came to that conclusion based on comments from GM engineers and users. While it's an easy install on the V8, on the V6 a hole must be drilled into the intake manifold to route the tubings properly, which I'm sure will complicate (delay) warranty claims if something went wrong.

Catch cans rank up there with electronic rust zappers as a product that someone says you can't do without, but show no evidence of effectiveness.

there's two modes of thought.

1. the design of the lgx is flawed and allows normal catch can behavior to filter back into the oil (that's how the internal engine oil separator system works) and so a catch can in such a system wont capture these harmful vapors without adding vacuum pull.

2. The added vacuum line is there to justify the purchase of the catch can because otherwise the proper design and function of the engine will lead to almost nothing getting captured by the 200 dollar device you purchased.


I'm in the latter camp. I think we change oil so often that any fuel contamination of the oil is not high enough to cause any damage. However, there are environmental factors that can sometimes lead to excessive blowby that the internal oil separator fails to deal with. And so for this possibility, I have catch cans installed (universal kind). But there is no added vacuum line. For me, the catch can's purpose is to catch oil that makes it all the way to the intake bridge, not for the unproven and implied improvement of filtering the oil of contaminates.

I've read a few threads on this topic. Still undecided if I want one, and if it is really a benefit. Can a catch can reduce the amount of contaminants getting onto the intake valves on this LGX engine? I do not take the car to the track. I am retired and only average about 4k miles a year on this car...at this point. I have another car and 2 motorcycles.



Please show me photos of your installation and what has been trapped by the can.


Thanks!

I've thought about this as well, and decided it's really not worth it. I don't race this car, do 5k synthetic oil changes, and run top tier fuel. I've seen plenty of DI cars, that are properly taken car of, last for 150-200k no problem with no catch can. Maybe in certain scenarios it makes a decent difference, but for cases like mine I'm not convinced

Like cellsafemode said over a year ago: wipe inside of intake tube at throttle body with white rag. If rag is not oily you are ok.

Here is a picture of my intake. The area in front of the throttle plate seems to be dry. You can see the area behind the throttle plate is black.



I did not want to push the throttle plate all the way open because when I did that on a Saturn ION, something happened to the ECU map! Maybe it's not related at all, but after doing that, it had a really high idle and very poor gas mileage. When I took it into the shop, they said the ECU was in some sort of default with essentially no map. They programmed the ECU back to the factory map and all was good again, except for the $125 bill.

My intake is even cleaner than yours appears to be, including behind the plate, despite ~51k miles on the clock.
I am a firm proponent of cellsafemode's #2 mode of thought.

My car will never see a track day while I own it and its intake is bone dry.
So a catch can with an added vacuum tap would provide no benefit whatsoever (except to the manufacturer of the catch can).
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I prefer to spend my discretionary money on things that provide immediate and verifiable benefits.
For example all our 4-wheeled vehicles have LED reverse, side marker, license plate and trunk (where applicable) lights.
The truck and Cruze have LED brake lights, and the Camaro will have them soon (load resistors and plugs on order).
My CBX is 100% LED lit with not a single filament anywhere on it, not even the headlight or instrument cluster.
Just my two cents worth... :D

I’m trying to figure out how this “PCV” system works. I’m reading about no pcv valve, some internal bits, and now in this thread no vacuum line? How does the case ventilate? Is there vacuum on it anywhere?

Personally don't think catch cans are worth it especially on engines with port injectors. Fuel is sprayed before the intake valves, which cleans them. Definitely not a necessity either. But if it gives you peace of mind, go for it.

Personally I don't understand the in-depth details but I've installed the RX catch can and it just gives peace of mind when pushing the car for some duration and idling for long and other unfavorable conditions. I put about 10000 miles a year, it's my only car. I do catch gunk and dispose it every 5000 miles or so. I did a Blackstone oil analysis as recommended by Tracy to prove effectiveness of catch can and the oil came out good for another couple thousand miles when I got it analyzed at 8000 miles. So this is like double the interval at which most people change their oil. So for me, since I take it to the dealer for oil change, just 2 postponed oil changes will cover the cost of the catch can and then on you start saving money. If you take road trips, the oil life percentage seems to go down fast, so catch can does help more when you put more miles a year.

Hope you know our Camaros aren't port injected cars.