HOW A HUMBLE OIL FILTER CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE

If I had to pick one basic mod that ticks the boxes for protection and value for money, it’d be the oil catch can.

The oil catch can is a filter. All of these newer diesel engines are turbo charged and the breather systems circulate oily fumes through the engine and then introduce them back into the engine to be re-burnt to help to produce fewer emissions.

However, this circulation of the oily fumes can create all sorts of hassles…

The oil collects in the intercoolers, and when it’s circulated back into the engine it mixes with the recirculated exhaust gasses and creates a sticky mess.

Yep, in conjunction with the EGR system (Exhaust Gas Recirculation), which is another system in the engine, it creates a sticky paste that collects on the inlet manifold, the back of the engine valves, and the ports of the cylinder heads, creating a restriction.

This paste affects the running of the engine, and hampers performance. This build up at some stage will also need to be cleaned so it becomes an expensive repair down the track.

Now, you may have heard of people blocking the EGR system, but I cannot condone this, because a modification like this is not legal. However, fitting an oil catch can is perfectly fine.

The oil catch can does nothing to change the design or running of the engine it is simply a filter that removes most of the oily mist and water from the breather system before it gets circulated back into the engine for re-burning. Basically, it creates a much drier and cleaner breather system.

There are a number of oil catch cans on the market now from many different companies, and the system we use here in the workshop is the Provent system from Direction Plus.

They can be bought in kit form and can be an easy DIY instillation, or an inexpensive fitment from your mechanic.

This filter is designed to removed moisture and the oily residue from the gasses and to collect it at the base of the filter. The catch can has a drain hose at the bottom, so it can be drained at every service.

I recently fitted one to my wife’s 150 Series Prado. The catch can came with all components required and, more importantly, a really good set of instructions.

In the case of the 150 Series, the breather pipes flow in through the top hose and out through the lower hose after it has passed through the filter. All in all, the fitment took about half an hour.

This is something that I have wanted to do to the vehicle for a very long time and now that I have, I can breathe a bit easier now.

Over time I will be checking it and draining the catch can and I will be very interested to see just how much oil is being collected.

You can check them out online on our store www.nutsabout4wd.com.au under the engine tab.

GO NUTS!

Adam