Prepare for Adventure - Catch Can R&D, Part 3: Test Results
One of the hardest parts of any adventure comes before you even leave your house: the waiting that leads up to your inevitable start. Sitting there, watching the minutes tick down until it's time, is a test of patience. That last minute can feel like it lasts longer than the hours leading up to it. Here at Mishimoto, it feels like we've been in the final minute of our 2018+ Jeep Wrangler JL 3.6L catch can project forever. But with this post, we're counting down those last seconds and moving on.
We installed our prototype catch can kit on our volunteer JL and sent it out into the world to see what it would catch. About 800 miles later, we paid a visit to our volunteer JL to check how much blow-by the can collected. We've seen in the past that the Pentastar engine can generate a lot of blow-by, so there was a lot of anticipation before we cracked open the can. Even in relation to our previous Pentastar projects, the results of this test were surprising.
The blow-by occupied a large portion of the can, but to get an accurate measurement and determine the exact composition, we transferred it to a graduated glass container. The black, opaque fluid reached the 50 ml mark of our container, a level that clearly indicates our catch can worked.
With a container full of oily blow-by in hand, we returned to the shop to finalize our design. After seeing just how much blow-by the can collected in under 1,000 miles, we decided to add another feature to the kit that would make life a lot easier for our customers.
We often choose to use larger catch can bottoms when our 1,000-mile test collects more than 40 ml of blow-by, but the cramped engine bay of the JL wouldn't allow it. Instead of making the drain interval longer with a larger can, we made draining the can easier with the addition of a drain kit. We removed the bottom plug on the catch can and replaced it with a hose barb. Then we guided a long hose from the can down behind the plastic fender liner and out of a conveniently placed port in the liner. At the end of that line, we installed our ball valve and capped it off with, well, a cap. The drain kit will make it easy to empty the catch can without having to remove the can from the mount. The cap over the valve will make sure that nothing clogs the valve.
Satisfied with the function and convenience of our Wrangler JL 3.6L catch can kit, our engineer gave the design the final OK. Our catch can is ready for production, and in just a short week, it will be ready for pre-sale too. The pre-sale will be your chance to grab one for your 3.6L JL at a deep discount, so if you prefer to be prepared before you hit the road, then keep an eye out for the next announcement.
