5 Best Oil Catch Can For F150 Ecoboost & Buyers Guide (2020)

by · Automotive Expert
Published
Updated

So, an oil catch can. They are designed, what a surprise, to catch and collect the oily vapor produced during combustion before being rerouted back into your intake track, which can cause a number of issues.

Maybe 15 years ago I wouldn't mind just changing the oil more often, coz there were no other options at that time. But now, I do recommend every driver of heavy trucks and I’d even say insist on the presence of an oil catch can. Before I had my personal experience with them, I was also really sceptical myself. I had doubts if they are worth buying and installing. Then we ran an experiment.

The first test was carried out with the engine with no alterations and after a ride we found out that the side of the valves that were closest to the PVC system got a significant difference in weight.

The second test was done with such a system as oil catch cans. The outcome was unbelievably impressing: oil catch cans are able to dramatically reduce the amount of carbon deposits. Since then, I have never had any doubts!

Why you can trust me?I accept nothing from product manufacturers. Never. Here — only unbiased reviews and my opinion. I only earn commission from Amazon

I recommend:

our pick

JLT V3.0 Passenger Oil Separator

Your boy

So, I would name this product My Pick, because of its excellent price, perfect quality and guaranteed performance.

runner up

Oil Catch Can Mishimoto 2.7 EcoBoost

Your brother from another mother

Definitely your bro. I recommend this product not just because I used it, but because the customers are just thrilled by the excellence,quality and performance of this item.

premium

Oil Catch Can Mishimoto 3.5 EcoBoost

Expensive, but comprehensive

So, I would definitely recommend this item, because it's collecting everything that you don't want to get back in.

budget

Ruien Universal Oil Catch Can

This China bro has got your back

This oil catch can traps oil and vapor, will keep your engine clean, increasing horsepower and maintain engine life.

If you are thinking of purchasing a good catch can for your PCV and can’t make your mind, you’ll definitely find my outline of catch cans useful and helpful. Nowadays there are lots of catch can options on the market, so even an expertised driver can find it confusing to select a proper one. This post is an extension of my general article about Best universal oil catch cans. Here I'm only considering models that fit Ford 150 best

So why do you need a catch can at all? What is it used for? The answer is simple: they catch the blow-by of your truck and atmospheric moisture so that it didn’t get into your truck’s intercooler and didn’t get guzzled by your engine when you punch the throttle. This can block up your valves and overly damage your engine as a result.

So have a look at the list of best catch cans on the market and choose a decent one for you!

How to install an oil catch can?

To start with, you beware of buying a garbage catch can. Today there are a lot of them which have no engineering in them at all, while the others provide aerators, baffles, swirl pots and so on.

Believe me, it makes difference. So once you’ve got a good one, a line should be run from each valve cover over to the catch can.

If you have an atmospheric catch can, you need to install the filter and that’s all you need to set it up.

If you’ve got a vacuum catch can, you would now route a line over to a port in front of the throttle body if the car is natural aspirated, or before the turbo or supercharger if you have forced induction

Table of best oil catch can for F150 Ecoboost

NameOur ratingtypecapacityyear periodenginequantitypriceShops
JLT V3.0 Passenger Oil Separator
oil separator3 oz11-19all Ford1$$
Oil Catch Can Mishimoto 2.7 EcoBoost
catch can3/3 oz15-172.7 EcoBoost2$$$
Oil Catch Can Mishimoto 3.5 EcoBoost
catch can12/7.5 oz15-173.5 EcoBoost2$$$
Ruien Universal Oil Catch Can
catch can11 oz11-19all Ford1$
Prosport Dual Baffle Aluminum
catch can24 oz11-19all Ford1$$

swipe left to see more

How I decided

box-icon
10
models considered
clock-icon
32
hours spend
interview-icon
4
experts interviewed

Best Oil Catch Can For F150 Ecoboost

JLT V3.0 Passenger Oil Separator

our-pick
Our rating:
5.0

You should be checking out the JLT Oil separator, available for your '11 to '17 2.7-liter EcoBoost 5.0 or 6.2, in addition to your 2011 and newer 3.5-liter EcoBoost if you're looking for help eliminate the oily vapors produced by crankcase pressure and blowby from being reintroduced back into your intake track, the manifold, gumming things up, and preventing any valve coking on those direct-injected EcoBoost engines.

Your truck has a PCV system or positive crankcase ventilation. Now the purpose of this is to regulate and remove fumes from the engine crankcase and to alleviate crankcase pressure which could otherwise cause oil leaks or seal damage but why not just dump it into the atmosphere? Well because the folks over at the EPA deemed this wouldn't be good for the business and mandated stricter emissions laws meaning the PCV system had to be sealed using vacuum from the intake manifold to help draw these vapors out and plumbing them in back into the intake track.

On trucks with a traditional-style port injector, this is gonna be more of a nuisance than anything. But on those direct-injected EcoBoost trucks, it can lead to a very real problem known as "valve coking."

Now, for those who don't know what it is, just go check our Buyer`s Guide down below.

And that's where the Oil Separator from JLT here comes into play.

Now, the kit will include that billet aluminum 3-ounce canister, along with the factory-style lines and connections. There are a few benefits of running an oil separator on your stock or modified truck. But the biggest, without a doubt, is gonna be to capture those oily vapors or blowby that typically get rerouted back into your intake manifold.

Will Dergofrom YourMechanic, CA, wrote to me:

I like JLT's option in particular because it's very well built. Got a really nice aluminum catch can. The tubing itself looks pretty OEM and you've got a black anodized finish on there, so you don't gotta worry about this thing rusting out on you any time soon and I like it because it's pretty understated.

At the top of the oil separator here, you're gonna find a combination of a stainless steel mesh and an aluminum material to basically capture all that oily vapor and isolate it down in the canister, while still allowing for proper operation of your truck's PCV system.

JLT will claim that if you empty this thing every 5,000 to 7,000 miles, you should be good to go, but I would recommend to check it a little bit more frequently, especially on those turbocharged applications where blowby can be a little bit more prevalent.

As far as your construction is concerned. Well, the JLT is a very simple part overall, consisting of your black billet aluminum canister, which is gonna give off more of a stealthy or OE appearance under the hood, blend in a little bit more.

They also toss in the hoses, factory-style hoses needed to make your connections, in addition to the factory-style connections themselves, and it's all pre-assembled right out of the box.

The capacity of the canister is 3 ounces of fluid, which again is very simple to empty - unscrew the bottom portion, dump it out in a safe location, and you are good to go.

Key features:

  • 3 oz capacity
  • billet aluminium
  • passengers side

Product score:

  • performance (9/10)
  • quality (9/10)
  • price (8/10)

MY RATAING: 8.6

Pros
  • prevents valve coking
  • keeps oil separate
  • easy install
Cons
  • fitment is kind a squeeze

Oil Catch Can by Mishimoto for F-150 2.7 EcoBoost

runner-up
Our rating:
5.0

Take a look at Mishimoto Baffled Oil Catch Can Kit fitting your '15 through '17 F-150s with the 2.7-liter EcoBoost Engine. This kit is designed to trap blowby from re-entering your engine through your intake.

Now, if you're not sure what blow by is, it's a fuel oil and sometimes carbon mixture that doesn't get burned up in a compression stroke that gets rerouted back into your intake.

This can definitely gunk up your valves and shorten the life of your motor over time.

So, it is definitely a wise investment to put a catch can setup on to trap that and not reintroduce it into your engine.

This kit is made up of two catch cans that feature 3-millimeter thick steel construction namely a passenger or PCV side and a driver or CCV side which completes the cycle, as well as a direct fit bracket and quick disconnect fittings. These small things reuse your factory pressure sensor to allow you to operate without a check engine light.

mrbarylak24from f150ecoboost.net, says:

I am in love with design, position under a hood and service of the Mishimoto

Read more comments on f150ecoboost.net.

Now a lot of kits out there in the category just include the passenger side, which is typically gonna do the most work, collect the most of that vapor because not a lot makes its way over to the driver side if it's collecting on the passenger. But just to be safe, having a driver side option can really again complete that cycle and make sure anything that would slip by gets caught up in the smaller can.

So the passenger side from Mishimoto is a 12-ounce catch can, much larger than some of the other options in the category, and your driver side being the secondary can has the 7.5-ounce catch can, still a lot larger than some of the other options in the category.

It also prevents pressurization utilizing an inline check valve on the other side. This is a great option to protect your investment and keep that EcoBoost running like new.

What about the install, it's the 10 minutes with basic hand tools. You will need a heat gun, a 3/8 extension, 0.4-inch socket, 0.6-inch socket, 3/8 drive ratchet, a flathead screwdriver, a 0.6-inch wrench, 0.7-inch wrench, and a 0.07-inch Allen key.

Key features:

  • lifetime warranty
  • 2 catch cans
  • pressure sensor

Product score:

  • performance (9/10)
  • quality (9/10)
  • price (6/10)

MY RATAING: 8

Pros
  • easy to install
  • tech support
  • all fittings and accessories already in kit
Cons
  • price

Oil Catch Can by Mishimoto for F-150 3.5 EcoBoost

premium
Our rating:
5.0

If you are looking for the best oil catch can for your '11 to '14 3.5-Liter EcoBoost F-150, then you will appreciate this item by Mishimoto. Now when it comes to these two kits, both of them are made from aluminum and steel construction, very durable stuff which is a lot more durable than some of the other options out there as well. And it also has a black anodized finish which looks so good under the hood.

Some of their options out there do mount uncomfortably, stick out like a sore thumb, mount to the engine block, which doesn't really have a ton of space down there. This guy is actually gonna come with two brackets, one for each can, mounting right to the top of the cans and bolting it to the firewall. That means it's up and out of the way, easy to access and it's stylistically gonna look pretty good under the hood as well.

Now when it comes to using these guys, over time, it'll collect all of that oil vapor, put it into the can and when it comes for routine maintenance like changing your oil, it's a good idea to drain these guys out.

Stevefrom Mishimoto, said:

Content in the Mishimoto catch can could vary, depends on a season. The thing is that in colder climates we see more blow-by, so the team of Mishimoto measured the content in different seasons to compare.

Now you have two methods. One, on the bottom, there's a drain plug, just like your oil pan or you can unscrew it and dump it out that way. Now when it comes to doing that, you can pop this guy loose.

Sometimes, if it makes some pressure, it can be a little harder, and in this case, use a 23mm socket to pop this guy from the bottom. Just unscrew it and the can comes apart.

The main reason you should take a look at this product is the mesh screen at the top of the can to collect any bigger particles, but you also have a smaller mesh screen to collect really small micron particles that return to the engine and it will drop it straight to this can.

Now the bracketing system, also made of an aluminum billet. The hoses have good and thick quality, they will not crack, tear or break. In fact, the passenger side, which again does most of this work, has a check valve to reduce or eliminate the idea of ​​pressure from this guy, and that’s not what you want.

Now, because this kit is higher quality than some other options, and it includes the passenger and driver sides, it is a bit more expensive, but it is worth it, 100%. Anyone can handle this one in his own garage in about an hour, or maybe an hour and a half from start to finish. You will assemble a pair of fittings on the table, and then everything else will be done under the hood using very simple hand tools. Both sides are very easy to use, very easy to drain and easy to accumulate all that oil.

Here is a link to a video where you can see how it can be done step by step:

Key features:

  • prevents accumulation
  • lifetime warranty
  • reduces blow-by

Product score:

  • performance (9/10)
  • quality (9/10)
  • price (6/10)

MY RATAING: 8

Pros
  • easy to install
  • tech support
  • all fittings and accessories already in kit
Cons
  • price

Ruien Universal Oil Catch Can

budget
Our rating:
4.0

Here we have a universal decision for your Ford EcoBoost any year of release. This item is the best catch can and the cheapest choice on the Amazon, but still has a #1 Best Seller mark and the love of the motorists.

This product does not have instructions. If you need instructions, you should not attempt to purchase this item. You need basic skills in working on engines to use this item. Figure out how and where you want to use it, make a drawing, then obtain the knowledge and skills you need, then decide if this is what you want or if you want something different.

So, what this little guy has on his back? First of all, it`s made of 100% of 0046 aluminum. This provides you with strength and durability of the catch can. It does have a baffle on it and came with all the connectors,hoses and mounting hardware.

Dan Worshopfrom CA, F150 2014, wrote to me:

After a year of driving my 2014 F150, my friend John advised me to install an oil catch can. I chose recommended by Amazon Ruien oil catch can. And now, after 5 years of operation on this truck, I dealt with now problems on my engine.

One quick thing about the hoses.They aren’t the highest quality hoses and we would recommend you to replace that first thing from this kit. This means you should look for different connectors also. But the other accessories are pretty good.

The capacity of the can is 11 oz. It means you can forget about emptying it for some time. 5,000 miles to be more precise.

The overall design of the catch can is pretty much good. It does have an O-ring on the bottom between two pieces, which should keep it nice and sealed.

It also has a dipstick, which allows to check the fluid in the can easier, than having to take it off all the time and then unscrew the bottom of the can. And again, inside we have a baffle part the main task of which is to drip down and not get sucked back up into the other side and into your turbocharger.

There is a mounting bracket, in case you have a place to put this catch can on your car using a simple bolt and nut.

One more thing in the kit is a breather. It allows pressure to vent out of the top of the can, which eliminates the possibility of blow-by being recirculated into the intake.

But enough about the look, what about a performance? The can prevents dirt and oil from entering the engine from the intake system. All of this manipulation keep your engine clean, increasing horsepower and maintain engine life.

Key features:

  • strength and durability
  • increase horsepower
  • hard to oil leakage

Product score:

  • performance (7/10)
  • quality (5/10)
  • price (10/10)

MY RATAING: 7.3

Pros
  • easy to install
  • price/quality
  • best seller
Cons
  • hoses

Prosport Dual Baffle Aluminum Oil Catch Can

Our rating:
4.0

Prosport's Dual Baffle Aluminum Foil Catch Can is a great option if you're looking for an affordable mod that's going to keep your intake clean of oil vapor.

This is gonna store all the excess oil vapors that can get by in your direct injection engines into 24-ounce canister. It means you can empty your catch can every 7,500 miles or every six months. But unfortunately, that is a huge undertaking with so many variables that we think it would be nearly impossible to get a 100% accurate when you should empty this catch can.

There are so many variables that play into this - from fuel quality to driving conditions and driving style, overall mileage and on and on. So if you get this product, I recommend to check the catch can every 3,000 - 4,000 miles.

That oil vapor can cause carbon buildup which could lead to drivability issues down the line as well as a repair. On top of this oil catch can reviews is a reusable stainless steel filter. You're gonna remove this and empty your catch can.. You can then clean and reuse your stainless steel filter.

The entire catch can is made out of a high strength aluminum that's gonna withstand the high temperatures in your engine bay. The whole catch can is then powder coated black for additional corrosion protection, but also for a stealthy look once installed.

Getting this in your truck is gonna be easy and expect it to take about an hour.

You just need to get your stock PCV hose from the engine and throttle body, remove the two fittings and then transfer them over to our included hose.

Since this kit is universal, you may need to get a different size hose for your PCV fittings.Here is one little comment to the construction of the item. This product could be our Runner Up, but from all the items in the list, this one can be mounted only if you drilled a bracket somewhere under your hood.

This is currently one of the most affordable oil catch can available for your truck. I think it's a great value for a mod that's gonna keep your intake clean and it's gonna keep your engine running like new.

Key features:

  • Dual In-Built Baffles
  • Aluminum Construction
  • Reusable Filter

Product score:

  • performance (7/10)
  • quality (7/10)
  • price (7/10)

MY RATAING: 7

Pros
  • correct hoses
  • price/quality
  • universal
Cons
  • installation a bit messy with a dril
  • need a different size of hose

Best Oil Catch Can For F150 Ecoboost Buying Guide

The purpose of Catch Can/Oil Separator

Upon further inspection and research it turns out that the EcoBoost engine has a problem with excess oil intake through the PCV system. I also learned that most vehicles that use a PCV system also have varying degrees of this same issue. And it turns out that there is a fix for this. An oil catch can/oil separator. This simple, but ingenious piece of tech is installed between the PCV valve and the vacuum port in the upper intake. Then, while the engine runs any oil that may enter the PCV system is caught in oil catch can/oil separator before it has a chance to enter your upper intake manifold. Very simple, but it works.

Now you can ask yourself what is a catch can and do I need it? And the simple answer is yes. An oil trap can do a lot of good stuff for your engine,such as extending its life and removing some oil vapor that could flood your engine, depriving it of some power.

Also, I always read reports of increased fuel mileage.

Now catch cans are also known as oil separators because they do just that. These cans significantly reduce emissions, which means your engine will avoid coating and bogging some of that sludge. Instead of re-circulating back into your engine, turning into sludge, it's going to collect into a catch can or an oil separator.

What is a “valve coking”?

Valve coking is what occurs without a traditional port injector present to essentially clean off the backside of those valves, and again happens on direct-injected applications. What happens here, guys, is that the oily vapor and all that junk gets rerouted back into the combustion chamber and ends up gumming up the backside of your valves, which can cause things like loss of power, loss of fuel economy and, in some extreme cases, premature wear of your valve guides.

Conclusion

We’ve overlooked the best catch cans that are available today. All of them have their pros and cons and that makes the choice so hard to make. However, all the catch cans listed above are worth buying. So before you make your final decision, keep in mind that the main key features you need to pay attention are hoses, the strength and durability of items, life-time warranty and the price for sure.

Most catch cans are really easy to install and you can handle it yourself just in an hour or two, however, some of them go without instructions, which makes things complicated. Thus, watch that out. Anyway, whichever, you choose in the end, will do a good job for you! Remember my word!

Resources:

  1. Design Optimization of an Oil-Air Catch Can Separation System, ResearchGate
  2. Universal Air-Oil Separator for Use in Modern Turbocharged Direct Injection Engines, Engineering Expo