We've had some wicked cold temps in SE Wisconsin the last couple weeks, and I think some of the contents in my OCC (Rx Monster can) have frozen. I have gone almost 900 miles since my last drain. I tried draining it last week, but not a single drop came out.
This is suspicious to me, since in cool (above freezing) weather my can has been collecting a considerable amount of moisture, so I suspect my drain has frozen. I also noticed a slightly rougher idle this AM, so I'm wondering if the can isn't running as efficiently due to the colder weather and sucking more moisture than usual.
For those of you who run catch cans in frigid temps, have you experienced freeze ups, and if so, do you do anything preventive to protect from freezing? Mine is installed in front of the left fender, so it's not that easy to get to. Our high temps today are supposed to get up to ~30*F, so I'm thinking when I get home tonight, I'll leave a light bulb on under there to try and warm things up and get it drained tomorrow morning.
I'm planning on some dyno runs on Friday, and I'd have more peace of mind if I could drain the OCC prior to my pulls.
I don't have an aftermarket OCC but my car has had rough idle this winter. I've only owned it for 6 months so i don't know if this is just how it runs in extreme cold or if there is something wrong like a fouled plug or otherwise.
Quote from: MiWiAu on December 20, 2016, 11:57:25 AM
We've had some wicked cold temps in SE Wisconsin the last couple weeks, and I think some of the contents in my OCC (Rx Monster can) have frozen. I have gone almost 900 miles since my last drain. I tried draining it last week, but not a single drop came out.
This is suspicious to me, since in cool (above freezing) weather my can has been collecting a considerable amount of moisture, so I suspect my drain has frozen. I also noticed a slightly rougher idle this AM, so I'm wondering if the can isn't running as efficiently due to the colder weather and sucking more moisture than usual.
For those of you who run catch cans in frigid temps, have you experienced freeze ups, and if so, do you do anything preventive to protect from freezing? Mine is installed in front of the left fender, so it's not that easy to get to. Our high temps today are supposed to get up to ~30*F, so I'm thinking when I get home tonight, I'll leave a light bulb on under there to try and warm things up and get it drained tomorrow morning.
I'm planning on some dyno runs on Friday, and I'd have more peace of mind if I could drain the OCC prior to my pulls.
Idk if you have tried yet, but maybe get a piece of wire and try to poke into the drain nozzle, that will confirm if it is frozen up or not. I think the lightbulb idea will work well, or possibly even a portable heater if you have one.
Good luck!
Quote from: derfdog15 on December 20, 2016, 12:04:00 PM
Idk if you have tried yet, but maybe get a piece of wire and try to poke into the drain nozzle, that will confirm if it is frozen up or not. I think the lightbulb idea will work well, or possibly even a portable heater if you have one.
Good luck!
I haven't tired a wire yet, but that's a good idea. We'll get closer to the freeze point tonight, so I'm hopeful that I can get this thing drained by the morning. Before I moved to a house with a garage, I used to use the 100W light bulb trick and a shop blanket on my F150 to keep my battery warm on -15 degree nights when I was parked out in the street (no block heater). I was always paranoid a neighbor kid would trip on the extension cord, though. LOL.
I don't have a portable heater, and I don't really want to lay under the truck with a hair dryer, so I guess I'll try the bulb route for now.
If a considerable amount of liquid comes out, I may look into a way to add a heating element or heating mat to the can and/or hose that I can plug in for cold weather, but do it in such a way that it doesn't insulate/heat soak it any worse in the summer (and thus reduce efficiency).
Thanks! :)
I'd go with one of these https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000I8XDBM/ref=pd_aw_sim_263_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=JCNZB2MK83SH5ZYSQQGE
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Quote from: Gjkrisa on December 20, 2016, 02:40:21 PM
I'd go with one of these https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000I8XDBM/ref=pd_aw_sim_263_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=JCNZB2MK83SH5ZYSQQGE
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Sweet! Yeah, that's kind of what I had in mind. Thanks. :)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Well, got home and opened the drain and out came just over 12 oz. Temps must have gotten just high enough today to start the melting. I knew there'd be something in there. :P
I left the drain open and put my shop light under there to hopefully melt any remaining ice cubes over night. :)
EDIT: FWIW, I found an older post from Tracy on a F150 forum that indicated the RX Monster can max capacity is 32 oz and will run peak efficiency up to ~20 oz.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I hope your shoplight is incandescent LOL
And we definitely don't want any of that crud sucked back into the intake ...
Quote from: SHOdded on December 20, 2016, 06:46:46 PM
I hope your shoplight is incandescent LOL
And we definitely don't want any of that crud sucked back into the intake ...
LED, but I made sure to point it directly towards the can.
J/K. ;) I'm just using a 60W incandescent, since I'm not sure the rating of the fixture. It does have a metal shade/reflector, so that should help direct a gentle heat. I don't want to set anything ablaze in the middle of the night, LOL.
Agreed on the sucking! Especially with the dyno pulls coming up. Next week I have a 1000mi Christmas road trip as well, and I'm sure that would have topped that baby off! Yay for a high capacity can!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
You might need to knit a blanket for that monster CC. How is your needlecraft LOL?
Quote from: SHOdded on December 20, 2016, 07:07:50 PM
You might need to knit a blanket for that monster CC. How is your needlecraft LOL?
HAHAHAHA! Funny you should ask! My wife just started crocheting, and literally finished her first hat on Saturday. An OCC blanket wouldn't be too big of a stretch! LMFAO
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Oy that's a coinkydink alright LOL. Post a pic of the hat and future projects if she's ok with it :)
No issues with my JLT 3.0 and our temps have been in the single digits for the past several days. The engine compartment is usually warm enough to keep the JLT above freezing.
Quote from: metroplex on December 22, 2016, 04:35:24 AM
No issues with my JLT 3.0 and our temps have been in the single digits for the past several days. The engine compartment is usually warm enough to keep the JLT above freezing.
Cool! Err... Warm! Being in Michigan, has your JLT collected much this winter? I'm not sure I could live with a 3oz capacity in the winter based on this last drain. It didn't collect all that much during the warmer months.
The Rx instructions had an install location in the engine compartment (in front of the oil fill cap), but I elected to install mine in front of the left fender like JimiJak and glock-coma, so it would stay cooler and condense more vapors. Guess it stayed cooler, haha!
I had my car washed earlier this week and usually my tailpipe tips would be pitch black by now, but they still look rather clean. Maybe the JLT is helping reduce the amount of oil vapors being ingested.
Quote from: metroplex on December 23, 2016, 09:32:04 AM
I had my car washed earlier this week and usually my tailpipe tips would be pitch black by now, but they still look rather clean. Maybe the JLT is helping reduce the amount of oil vapors being ingested.
I noticed my tips were super black before tuning, and tuning seemed to help a little. I actually think the winter weather has helped keep my tips cleaner. LOL It seems like all the extra moisture in the exhaust soaked into the soot during warm-up and eventually helped lift it off the polished surface. I was usually wiping out my exhaust tips every 1-2 weeks, but I haven't had to do it as much since the really cold temps hit.
I'll pay closer attention when temps warm up and see if the soot returns. I changed too many other variables shortly after installing my can to conclusively say whether or not it had any effect on soot.
Never had the OCC freeze up but then again -30 is damn cold.
Good idea with the light bulb. I just did a drain a few days ago @ 600 miles, got out about 8oz.
I don't think he said -30F, it's a tilde (~)
Whoops....lol. We did have some 10° days in NE Ohio last week. And no occ freezing that I know of.
Quote from: metroplex on December 24, 2016, 02:11:14 PM
I don't think he said -30F, it's a tilde (~)
Haha, yeah, sorry, ~about~ 30*F (above zero), lol.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Here's what the JLT 3.0 collected after 221 miles of driving in temps between 0F and 40F. I didn't see any oil droplets. It reeks of fuel though, so it is most likely the fuel vapor separated by the factory oil vapor separator. I'm not sure if this is a good sign or not. Am I supposed to see oil in the JLT driving in the winter? This was about 1 oz of fluid, quite a bit. However, this fluid would have combusted just fine after passing through the intake manifold, and may even help with cleaning the intake valves?
The JLT on my 4.6 3V Mustang GT collects oil like crazy, but that is only driven during the summer.
Does the JLT only hook up to the IM port, or does it also attach to the intake somewhere?
If you still have your can contents, pour it into a clear plastic bottle and seal it up. Let it settle undisturbed for a few days and see how it separates.
My last drain was mostly water and a very mild fuel smell. Doesn't take much to give it a smell, but the separation could be very telling.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
The JLT installs in-between the intake manifold and factory oil vapor separator on the rear valve cover.
I've never seen water or fuel vapor in the JLT on my Mustang GT, it was always 100% engine oil.