catch can contents

[14u2nV]

What is this? It's not antifreeze, there is some oil, but what is the rest? Checked my catchcan today and it was full. This has a VERY strong gassy/something smell, but doesn't seem to be flammable. I just recently ran a bunch of seafoam through the engine, then did an oil change and put some seafoam in with that oil to help clean it more. Planned another oil change in a week or two to get whatever is left out. Looking inside the oil cap is very clean. Is this just possibly the seafoam that has made it's way to the catchcan?




* You can't really tell in the pic, but the fluid is all clear/yellowish aside from the oil slicks, and is about half an inch deep.

 

[Terry Posten]

It is mostly water that has been mixed with oil.

Mine used to do it also before I had Class One rebuild the motor.

Completely normal, don't worry about it.

But you do want to drain it often so the reservoir does not overflow and start leaking all over the engine bay (if you have a filter top like I do anyway)

 

[14u2nV]

cool, the smell is what made me wonder. I didn't want to taste it and see what it was. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[beaner]

tubgirl is in your engine.

 

Quote:
tubgirl is in your engine.



Oh God

 

[mitsuturbo]

It could definitely be seafoam as well as oil vapor and normal condensation. It's normal to see plenty of emulsified crap come out of the catch can. There's always going to be some condensation.. you catch can is a place for it to cool and coalesce, rather than simply evaporating. Anything that evaporates out of your engine is probably going to wind up in the catch can.

This is causing me to have 2nd thoughts about having a catch can drain back into the block with my -10AN breather oil cap setup.

 

[DynastyLCD]

my engines a fresh rebuild - new rings, bearings, fresh hone, new valves & seals, the whole 9 yards. i change my oil & filter every 1500 with rotella T 15w40. and the catch can always had the "fugatz" as my friends and i lovingly call it. as mitsuturbo stated, the catch can always has some condensation in it, and whatever condensation is in the engine's crankcase will mix with the oil within the can.

i would definetly think twice about dumping the catch can back into the engine due to this, unless you always see straight oil coming out of it.

 

[JSchleim18]

Vent it to the atmosphere during street driving...recirculate it to the block when racing.