RX CATCH CAN & BREATHER CAP PROBLEM - CAUSED OIL LEAK - BEWARE *HELP*

[2010 SS RS]

Its late and maybe I did not follow the pics well but your outside hook up is going to the intake and your middle one is going to your PCV valve. If thats what you got then its backwards...Which would result in pressure as you are going the wrong way thru the one way valve....

[rberns]

I am not trying to put the OP down, but was curious about an answer to my question...If the driver would have paid attention to their oil pressure by looking at the gauge (if they have one) could this have been avoided?

[jcollins91106]

Originally Posted by Whitehambone

I got out the directions for the catch can and checked the hoses again. That was the first thing I thought of. The hoses are in the correct location. Also this catch can and breather cap has been installed on the car for almost year with no prior problems.

If the hoses were backwards, wouldnt the engine have pressurized a long time ago??? and if nothing else shown some tell tale signs?

[velociSSimo]

Originally Posted by 2010 SS RS

Its late and maybe I did not follow the pics well but your outside hook up is going to the intake and your middle one is going to your PCV valve. If thats what you got then its backwards...Which would result in pressure as you are going the wrong way thru the one way valve....

I think the close-up pic of the hose connections is taken sideways. Looks like the center hose is hooked to the metal barb fitting which is proper I believe.

I'm thinking the cold temp and long hoses possibly caused some freezing?

[2010 SS RS]

Here is what I was seeing.....First the RX can and the blue taped line is clearly on the outside hook up correct? Then the second he has it hooked up to the Intake not the PCV valve. correct? That is not correct. The outside should go to the PCV and the middle to the intake I thought. To be honest its been almost two years since I installed mine and I have a SC so it all looks a little different to me in my mind. I cant remember what the stock engine even looked like anymore...Guess I am getting old.

[Whitehambone]

Originally Posted by velociSSimo

I think the close-up pic of the hose connections is taken sideways. Looks like the center hose is hooked to the metal barb fitting which is proper I believe.

I'm thinking the cold temp and long hoses possibly caused some freezing?

The picture is sideways, damn auto rotation on the iPhone.

[Cbrenthus]

I doubt the breather oil cap had anything to do with it, as it replaces a sealed oil cap. And I don't see how a breather can cause you to run lean as the intake air is seperate from the air inside the heads, unless you have a leaky valve seal or something.

[IndeedSS1]

Originally Posted by Cbrenthus

I doubt the breather oil cap had anything to do with it, as it replaces a sealed oil cap. And I don't see how a breather can cause you to run lean as the intake air is seperate from the air inside the heads, unless you have a leaky valve seal or something.

There is a reason the clean air side is after the MAF but before the throttle body. The air winds up in the combustion chamber just like the rest of the PCV system. It does change FT's but you have to scan to see it. My WOT LTFTs went from 0/-1.5 to +5/+7. I gave it better than 100 miles for the STFTs to set the LTFTs when doing this test. The nice thing about the RX is that the check valve limits the airflow and reduces the effects of messing with the fuel trims. This restriction or "metering" keeps the LTFT within an apparently acceptable range.

Also it should be noted that when I did this test, I had a Vararam and highflow cats with the stock tune. It's possible on a completely stock car or a car tuned for the installed mods, adding a breather may have even less of an effect on FTs. But you aren't going to sneak air in without and there be no change.

fwiw, my engine seemed to like the breather. When I took it off the motor ran a bit sluggish, until the FTs settled down again.

If I was going to run a breather it would be the RX.

As far as the breather versus a sealed cap. With the sealed cap, you still have the stock air bridge in place. When you install the breather you block that off.


OP - Have you found anything out yet?

[Whitehambone]

Ok, here is a summary. Hoses are routed to the correct locations; the picture I posted was sideways. The center hose form the can is going to the metal barbed fitting, the outer to the intake (vacuum side). So gases from the crankcase go into the center fitting in the catch can and return to the intake from the outer fitting in the catch can. This makes sense if you see the cut away view of the RX catch can. I would not suck the air from the bottom chamber where gravity pulls everything.

Both the breather cap and RX catch can have been installed on this vehicle for almost one year without an issue. However I have not driven the car in freezing temperatures since the install. Just a few days earlier, I had to explain to someone standing by my running car what the rattling noise was from under the hood. So I know it was working fine.

I also did not mean to imply that the breather cap was the problem. The title does say RX Catch Can & Breather Cap. If I understand the breather cap design, it should only allow air into the system. Someone correct me if I am wrong. Pressure in the system should pass through the can, under deceleration any vacuum should be relieved by the breather cap.

After I pulled the breather cap and vented the pressure, I put my hand over the oil fill port. It was very slowly creating pressure at an idle. When I took out the metered valve on the catch can and put my hand over the oil fill, I felt a vacuum. It seems the metered valve on the catch can was stuck or frozen. By the time I removed the valve, the heat from my hand must have thawed it out because it did rattle when I shook it, as well as the breather cap (but it is kept hot).

When this problem occurred to was quite cold, it was in the 20’s. I have my can located on the driver’s side wheel well where the factory air box use to be. This is an optional mounting location for the RX catch can for those of us with a Vararam CAI. The hoses route under the engine cover and get quite warm under there. But this morning I drove the car and it was in the 20’s again. As soon as I stopped, I popped the hood and felt the can. It was ice cold. I suppose that would be the ideal condition to help condensation, but I could see how it could create problems below freezing. Normally the metered valve would be close to the engine and kept warm.

I decided to put the non-metered fitting in the catch can. Essentially this is how it is from the factory. The short hose is a non-metered pass through. I understand the metered valve in the catch can improves its performance, so that is why I put up with the rattling noise. But it does not fail in a safe way; I just hope that I did not damage the seal. Unless someone else can offer an explanation, I believe this is what happened.

[Whitehambone]

Someone asked and I forgot to mention, it was running fine. All gauges normal.

[The Stig]

I've never heard of the check valve in the catch can referred to as "rattling." usually it's a whistling sound. Are you sure the rattling was from the catch can? Not trying to be rude or anything, just trying to help you figure this out.

[toesuf94]

I have to say: Threads like this are why I love owning a Camaro. Not one person in over 50 return posts has been rude or unhelpful. Everyone is trying to help the OP in figuring out why his engine did what it did.

Kudos to everyone on this thread for working this one out. I am following as I am installing a RX cc this week in the same location that the OP is citing his is located.

[Whitehambone]

Originally Posted by stieger

I've never heard of the check valve in the catch can referred to as "rattling." usually it's a whistling sound. Are you sure the rattling was from the catch can? Not trying to be rude or anything, just trying to help you figure this out.

Yes, rattle. The below the text is taken directly from the instructions for the RX catch can.

Note: The can may make a slight buzz or rattle sound when running. This is NORMAL! This is just the check valves working.

[blackknight]

whitehambone, i would still get the seal checked out regardless if it is damaged or not. Obviously something was wrong if it was leaking oil...

Good luck!