If you are looking to buy an oil catch can kit, then you are probably aware of the importance of keeping oil vapor and oil droplets separate from your engine intake.
An oil can is an invaluable tool that helps reduce crankcase pressure in engines. It is also a great product that ensures your oil last longer and is kept clean throughout while your engine operates. It is designed to trap oily vapors and prevent them from entering sensitive components such as the turbocharger, intercooler, cylinder heads, and intake manifold.
In summary, oil vapor from your engine can cause all sorts of damage to your car if it is not properly taken care of. So, if you add an oil catch, you can reduce all of these problems. That’s why we put together the below 5 reviews of the top oil catch can kits. We provide you with their features, the top brands, and the best deals too.
Please have a look at our buying guide and FAQs.
Featured Product: Dewhel JDM Oil Catch Can
The Jewel JDM 750ml Aluminum is the best oil catch can for those who want an extremely well-rounded oil can product.
It is our top pick, not only in quality but also in price.
It has great performance, is rather light, and is cost-effective.
We tested it and we were extremely pleased with the performance. In addition, the oil can product has a lot of positive reviews on amazon too. This is a sign of a good product at the right price, delivering the appropriate performance. Find further below a full review of this product.
Why Do You Need an Oil Catch Can?
When you are driving a performance or modded car, did you realize that there is a bunch of waste oil that can damage your intake valve and engine? Probably not as you don’t really “feel” the difference between an oil catch can. So why do you need one then?
In short, they greatly benefit direct-injected engines and prevent oil and contaminants from building up in the intake manifold. This in turn helps save engines and just makes your car run more smoothly in the long run.
It is definitely not something you will notice right away. The catch can act as a filter that plugs into the hose line and “catches” bad stuff before it reaches the intake manifold. Without the best catch can, your intake valves can end up looking like the following, which is not a pretty picture at all.
Without an oil trapping can, the waste oil, which is not completely burnt, will cause carbon and sludge to build up in the intake system and the engine. It will also harm your car’s performance and destroy your engine in the end. Additionally, dirt, water, and everything from the outside can also do harm to your car.
People often ask “Do I really need an oil catch can?” The very short answer is yes because it is always better to catch contaminants and unwanted oil from building up on your intake manifold. Although performance vehicles tend to build up more, why not just have that extra line of defense for a very small fraction of the price to replace an entire engine?
5 Best Oil Catch Can Kit
- Dewhel JDM 750ml Aluminum Engine Oil Can
- Evil Energy 10AN Baffled Oil Catch Kit
- Mishimoto Baffled Oil Catch product
- Auto Dynasty Universal Aluminum
- RX Speed Works McNally
#1. Dewhel JDM 750ml Aluminum Engine Oil Catch Tank – Best Overall
There are so many brands of oil catch cans, why did Dewhel become popular and our top pick? Just look at the well-painted body of the can, which is made of Light Weight High-Quality Aluminum. And with a very clear sight tube and a PVC fiber-reinforced hose, we know Dewhel gives us the highest cost-effective product. Compared with other products at similar prices, the special design and the reasonable size of this can make it much easier to install.
It weighs 2.2 pounds, not light, but very solid. The capacity is 750ml, twice as big as those expensive tiny little cans, and just right for our daily use. Since it’s empty inside the can, you may need some additional parts. These include a breather or a filter to make it work better.
You may also want to take it apart and stuff it with steel wool, and replace the PVC hoses with better ones. It should work better and makes it much cheaper than those brand-name products after adding all those parts. The bolt-on top allows for an easier custom installation. It is truly a great catch can, if you know how to modify it.
#2. EVIL ENERGY 10AN Baffled Oil Can, Oil Breather Tank with Valve, 750ML – Cheap oil catch cans for what you get
What are you looking for? The best oil catch can? Or the cheapest? If you want a good value catch can, your best choice would be Evil Energy 10AN.
Like other oil catch products priced below $40, it is solid, stable, and easy to install. Most of the cans we reviewed have nearly the same design. They also use the same material and can even the same problems such as oil leaking. We make this one stand out in that it is cheaper than its competitors without sacrificing quality.
The good thing is that it works no worse than its competitors. There is no doubt that it saves oil and protects your engine. The 750ml capacity is quite enough for daily use. There is no better choice at such a price. According to our calculations, if you don’t want to pay more than $40, the Evil Energy 10A is the oil can for you.
#3. Mishimoto Baffled Oil Catch Can For Your Vehicle – Comes With A Great Oil Filter
Most of the oil cans available on the market do not ‘catch’ the oil. Instead, they are usually empty cans with tubes, collecting liquid oil from naturally cooled oil gas. People put steel wool into the cans to make the oil collection more effective. But that’s not good enough. You need the Mishimoto Baffled Catch Can if you want to catch oil the right way.
The 50-micron bronze filter inside the Mishimoto Baffled Oil Catch can separate the oil gas from the air, leaving nothing but clean air to pass through to the intake. The internal baffle ensures the oil sinks to the bottom of the can. It sounds simple but works great. The oil collected is far more than we expected.
Although the Mishimoto Baffled Oil can add some special parts to make it more effective, it is still easy to use. The can is 100% washable, so there is no need to replace our filtration system. All the kits are serviceable, we can find them on the market.
The Mishimoto Baffled Oil Can is much more expensive than its competitors, but it is worth it. It includes all the fittings, clamps, and brackets that we need for a quick and easy install. Also, you can enjoy the Lifetime Warranty of Mishimoto. Compared with those cheap cans, The Mishimoto Baffled Oil System can save time and energy. It is definitely the best oil can product on the market if you want a premium product.
#4. Top10 Racing Aluminum 350ml Can Tank Kit Polish Baffled Reservoir with Breather Filter&3/8″ Fuel Line
When you are looking for the best oil catch can, you usually find them very good but too expensive or very cheap but nearly useless. Now we have a balanced choice – Top10 Racing.
Because the cheap products include nothing but a solid can and some flimsy hoses, they are not good choices for us. We have to buy air filters to protect our engines from the dirt in the air. It’s acceptable to pay more for our cars, but our time and energy shouldn’t be wasted on unnecessary shopping.
You don’t need to pay hundreds of dollars to buy the product and all its kits. With the Top10 Racing, Universal Aluminum Filter Reservoir Breather Baffled Oil Catch Tank, you are sort of getting a happy medium.
It includes not only the can but also an air filter outside and a baffle inside. This oil can is just like those famous brand products, but half the price. It can work effectively even without the steel wool which helps in collecting oil. Since it has the highest performance price ratio, it is one of the better oil catch cans for most consumers.
#5. Vincos Universal 400ml Aluminum Oil Catch Can Dual Cylinder Polish Baffled Engine Air Oil Separator Tank
This is a great oil catch product if you have money and are into racing. It has solved a huge problem that most of the oil cans on the market can’t solve.
So, if you are looking for a high-quality and durable can for your vehicle then the Vincos Universal 400ml Aluminum Oil Catch Can Dual Cylinder is a great choice. It is made with top-quality aluminum for enhanced strength and durability, this oil catch tank is the perfect upgrade for anyone who takes long-term performance seriously.
This oil can effectively capture the oil and moisture in the blow-by gas that causes carbon and sludge to build up in the intake system and engine. This can keeps dirt and oil from entering your engine, making it an essential tool for anyone looking to keep their engine clean, increase horsepower, and preserve engine life.
The Vincos Universal Can Dual Cylinder also comes equipped with an air filter, which makes it useful as a vented system. Overall a good product if you want to boost up your oil system.
Buying guide for oil cans
Things To Consider Looking For The Best Oil Catch Can
When shopping for an oil can, you need to consider some different features:
- A lower price is attractive, but an expensive well-designed can may help you to save more in the long run
- The best oil catch product should be made of Lightweight Aircraft Aluminum Alloy or something better and should be painted to prolong its life.
- It should be universal to fit all types of cars unless your car is really special.
- A bigger oil can help to keep more oil inside but may make the can harder to install.
- A sight tube helps to see the working state of the oil can, but also increases the risk of leaking.
If you want to save money by installing it by yourself, make sure that there are instructions inside the package. If you like to push your car to its limits, your oil catch can work all of the time, not only on idle. For most cans, steel wool and better hoses would be necessary.
Frequently asked questions – FAQs
How An Oil Catch Can Work? Here is The Structure of an Oil Can
An oil catch can is pretty much like a fancy filter, and it can have a filter or baffle element, or both. There is usually a stainless steel media component that acts as the first line of defense and filters out any large particles.
Next, there is usually some sort of baffle inside in the form of a metal plate which is more or less like a shield that only allows air to go out of the outlet hose.
And usually on top of the baffle on the oil can, there is a filter disc that ensures that there is no additional oil that passes through and escapes the catch can.
The good thing is that you can easily just replace the filter without having to replace the entire oil catch can. The filters should be checked around once a year if you are actively using your car. Next, you can easily drain out the oil in the catch can that is collected with any sort of plug or hose. Be sure to check the oil levels frequently in your catch can.
Why Don’t Cars Come With Oil Catch Cans?
If you are just reading this and don’t know much about cars, the first question that pops up is why do I even have to deal with this? If it is oh so important, why don’t cars just come with catch cans right out of the factory?
The short answer is that car companies don’t want you modding their cars and under their tests, there is not enough damage from the excess oil to warrant such an item. Another common theory is that auto manufacturers purposefully leave it out so that your engines and intake valves will break down faster, so you end up spending more money on them later. But this is clearly up to debate and a serious conspiracy theory.
In our opinion, with and without performance mods, you should always just have something there to catch contaminants and oil before they buildup in the intake manifold and inhibit both engine longevity and performance. This argument holds way more water if you are dealing with a performance-modded car as you will need more lines of defense and ways to filter out contaminants, because to put it simply, your engine will be working harder.
To be honest, most people don’t even know about baffled oil cans or PCV oil catch cans until they start doing performance enhancements. We know that this is just another chore that you have to put on your list of things to do to maintain your car, but it is a necessary one. Heck, people don’t even bother changing their oil, so good luck with changing out the filter on your catch can. Luckily, if you are reading this, you are probably one step ahead of the game and are a bit wiser.
What Can An Oil Catch Do?
The oil catch can do the following:
- Block everything from the outside (dirt, dust, etc.).
- Keeps the engine clean and protects it as the oil is cleaner.
- Recycles the oil gas, so the oil last longer.
- Protects the environment by reducing fumes.
It basically stops the oil that is being thrown into the PCV valve and prevents that pressure from reaching your intake manifold. So basically, it does a great job of keeping your intake manifold much cleaner.
By using the right oil catch can, you can prevent the build-up of contaminants and air-restricting carbon. Also, it helps reduce harmful exhaust fumes when you burn oil and it helps you maintain the proper emission health for the environment.
How To Install an Oil Catch Can?
Each model is made differently but in general, you want to plug the oil can directly into the plug that runs from the engine crankcase to the intake manifold. This plug is typically known as the inlet hose and you simply reroute from your existing PCV valve into the inlet port on the oil can.
The inlet hose will usually be lower than the filtration component and allows incoming oil into the can. Also, it only allows air upward past the filtration component.
Next, the outlet hose is connected from the oil catch can outlet port to the PCV intake port, which lets clean air back into the intake system. This also collects and keeps the oil that would have burned while in the intake process.
What Does Oil on the Intake Valves Do?
Clearly, we all want to avoid a situation where there is a ton of oil caked into your intake valves. But what are the ramifications of this issue and how does it affect your car in the long run?
Well first and foremost, excess oil on the intake valve will lead to knocking and plenty of pre-ignition. You can also get fouled sparked plugs and generally reduced combustion. Over the long haul, this is clearly very bad for your engine and can easily be avoided with a properly installed oil catch can.
Next, you definitely get a loss in power and a loss in fuel economy, which are also pretty damaging to you on performance and financially. For a small upfront price for the catch can, you may be able to come out on top just on fuel economy savings in just a few years.
What Makes One Oil Catch Can Different From Another?
Not all oil cans are built alike, and some are just going to be way more convenient and better made than others. For some, some catch cans have a dipstick built in so that you can easily monitor oil levels in the catch can and know exactly when to replace the filters and empty the can.
Next, a properly made oil can have a proper baffle on the outlet, which does the job of keeping oil from being sucked back up. This is actually quite important in our opinion and is definitely something that separates the amateurs from the pros.
Some catch cans may not be designed properly and could potentially use an open vent to release air out of the top of the can. This is usually done to save costs and is a bit of a design flaw in our opinion. This leads to you harming the air quality more and actually kind of defeats the entire purpose of the PCV.
Overall, we think that you should either go with a baffled single inlet oil catch can or a dual inlet, single filtration oil can.
