What happens if full

[Christok]

I asked this question in another catch can thread but to no avail. I recently installed my RX catch can and after emptying it for the second time a question came to mind. I live in Canada and presently we are having a weird winter - cold one day warm the next and due to this there is a lot of condensation being caught in the catch can. when it is well below 0 it is not really the weather you want to empty your catch can in so my question is

What happens when the catch can is full? Does it still function or is there a bypass and the water/oil goes into the intake system as if there was no catch can?

attached some pics of the installation as well as the contents of my last empty procedure which is only a few weeks of content

[Ventmaster]

Yes, it will overflow and be ingested by the engine.

The milky gunk looks normal...

[Nutbutt]

Don't want this too happen. If a big enough gulp is ingested you could hydro lock the engine damaging pistons or other hardware. This is why a lot of people switched to the apex type can that has a easier screw off bottom.

[RubyCamaro]

That is kind of like asking how many licks does it take to get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop. I don't know of anyone who has aver made it that far. I have never had more than like a quarter inch deep oil in the bottom of my Elite catch can. If you check it at least at every oil change you should not have a problem. But yeah, Just don't go there because it would not be good. Just check it often.

[Sikoriko]

Clean the can more often. And check clean the hoses. They could need cleaning as well. Just take a look.

[Evil-Bee-NH]

Just empty it every oil change i had the same concern with mine this winter the milky gunk is normal sadly. It threw me because i put mine on early summer and it was always clear oil until the temps dropped it's just the extra condensation but even with the Elite can it's never over half full this winter.

[Christok]

thanks guys. i realize the milky gunk is normal as it is a mix of water and oil and it is great that this crap is not being ingested by the engine. It just seemed that after a few weeks there was a lot so I was worried that in the extreme cold the can could possibly get full so if it is full it will operate like there was no catch can and this stuff will be ingested. WHen it is -10F outside it is just a little too cold to clean this thing out

[Nutbutt]

Right there with you ! Last week in New England with the Polar Vortex (or what ever they named it) I was doing an oil change and SC oil change and I froze ! My heated garage would notget over 15 degrees.

[Christok]

got an answer from RX performance the makers of the RX catch can which now has a new 1/4 turn empty valve as opposed to the petock. It is very important to make sure the can ,any catch can pretty well, does not get full as once full the excess will also ingest into the engine as suggested by some of the other answers and also some of the can contents could also get sucked in. I guess i will be checking it often during the winter months.