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Water in Catch Can

SLY SKY

By SLY SKY,
in General Automotive Discussion

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JCMarshall_Law Proficient

JCMarshall_Law

Posted
Posted

That sounds very bad, cracked head could leak coolant into the cam cover, from there it could end up in the catch can.

Ther is another posibility, which may be a little less worrying. The reaction of petrol (mostly octane) produces carbon dioxide and water vapour. You could be getting blow by (CO2 and water vapour) and the water vapour could be consensing in the catch can. I would have thought that it would have boiled off again (and ended up being scavanged throught the intake if you have the scavanging system operating).

It is hard to tell which is more likely without seeing the car, I'd need to know:

1) did you find the water when the engine was cold or hot.

2) did you find it right after the engine was running or had tha car sat around for a while.

3) how much did you find

4) could you tell if it was coolant or plain water.

5) is there way the water could have leaked in (is it a atmo vented catch can)

It will probably become obvious if it is a cracked head before long so lets hope thats not it. Blow-by is no big deal, even new engines have it, just gets worse over the life of an engine from wear, eventually could require a rebuild.

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JCMarshall_Law Proficient

JCMarshall_Law

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I don't see how a blown head gasket could leak coolant into the cam cover.

SLY SKY: open up the cam cover (or even just the oil filler cap) and have a look around,

can you see water? (lets hope not),

can you smell water? (got a strange musty smell usually)

is the oil milky at all (maybe drain the oil and check).

Get back to us and tell us how it went.

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SLY SKY Contributor

SLY SKY

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It builds up say after 2>3 weeks, its clear not green. About a cup full.

My water level is always the same, at oil changes everything looks good if a blown head gasket the water in the radiator should drop. I thought it might be condensation. I don't know. :alcoholic

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SLY SKY Contributor

SLY SKY

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I don't see how a blown head gasket could leak coolant into the cam cover.

SLY SKY: open up the cam cover (or even just the oil filler cap) and have a look around,  

can you see water? (lets hope not),  

can you smell water? (got a strange musty smell usually)  

is the oil milky at all (maybe drain the oil and check).

Get back to us and tell us how it went.

Clean as looks normal, oil fine. :burnout:

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SLY SKY Contributor

SLY SKY

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Its only condensation mate. Totally normal during the winter months. From the responses you've received thus far I'd take it the other guys aren't running a catch can.

Sleep well tonight.

Thanks dude, youre right it has only started doing it in the last few months. :thankyou:

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rockabilly Rising Star

rockabilly

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hi mate, my 33gtr has a cusco tank on it and it fills twice a year about a pint. done this for the last few years. never loose,s water no oil contamination. if you do short bursts and it damp weather the engine will absorb moisture from the atmosphere as it cools. normalyy [without a catch tank] it is sucted into the turbo and burned, but this lowers the air density in the chamber hence less power, catch tank takes the moisture away from the turbo.just empty it and carry on as usual. hope this helps..............bernie/uk.

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  • 2 weeks later...
sparktat Apprentice

sparktat

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"EMPTY THE CATCH CAN"! I didn't know you had to empty it as i did an oil change the other week and i didn't even give it a thought. Mine is a GREDDY can, (side mounted) is it just a matter of disconnecting hoses and tipping upside down, or do you have to take it apart?

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