Does Your F150 Need a Catch Can? - Ford F150 Oil Separators Tested And Explained 

This should be a standard part of the truck.

“Passenger side is where the magic happens” That is very true my friend lol

I am a new Ford F150 owner (2018 Lariat 3.5EB) and just found this channel. I have learned so much about trucks in a week than I have in my entire lifetime. I just ordered this for my truck. It already has 41k miles so I hope this helps prolong the life. Thanks!

I didn't know Bradley cooper knew so much about trucks

I was one of those that thought I wouldn't need one. I replaced my intercooler yesterday on my 2015 3.5EB and probably drained 1-2 tablespoons of oil from it and maybe another 1/2 a tablespoon of oil from the pipes and couplers. I was expecting maybe a drop or two but there was just way more than I thought there would be. The truck has roughly 48,000 miles on it and runs perfectly fine with zero issues. I ordered this catch can this morning.

When tearing down my 4.3L Vortec for a rebuild in '04, I noticed quite a bit of gunky oil residue on the inside of the intake manifold and throttle body. After a bit of internet searching, I found out about catch cans and installed one on the new engine and what a difference. I have zero oily build-up in my intake manifold or throttle body after more than 50K miles and I saw about a mile or two MPG increase. Wouldn't drive a modern car w/o one, as they are cheap insurance for your engines longevity, by extracting all of the oil, fuel & water vapors that acidify (and ruin) your motor oil, hence the main reason for needing to change your oil. Less frequent oil changes means money in the bank. That's a win, win in my book.

I bought the JLT one and took about 5 minutes to install. I was surprised at how much oil collected in the can after 4000 miles. Good purchase!

Now, it would be good to clean your throttle body and the portion of the intake between the where the tube connects, and the intake manifold... and see if it stays clean over a given period of time

also if your considering walnut blasting it costed me 395 bucks per side and it restored the lost power robbed by carbon build up from not having the catch can installed, its not 100% gone but id say a good 93% is being caught thus making it well worth the investment!! but I couldn't believe the power it restored from cleaning the valves and installing new injectors its well worth it if you have 120,000 + miles.

I added one to my 2016 2.7, I would empty about half a coffee cup in 2-3 months. I changed my oil every 3,000klm with Signature Series Amsoil 5w30. Just bought a 2021 F150 3.5 Turbo, and within a couple days put the JLT Separator on, was easy pezy. When I checked it after 1 week there was nothing. I checked it a week later and nearly nothing. Still glad it’s on.

I installed a catch can on my 2020 F150 5.0 when the truck had barely a few hundred miles on it. I just drained it today at about 5,100 miles. These things definitely work. I wouldn't consider the amount of oil I drained out of it excessive, but I'm definitely glad it didn't make its way into the intake manifold. I'm using the one from Ford Performance with a fabricated bracket and tubing setup, but I'm sure most of the products on the market would do the job. Definitely a good investment as I plan on owning my truck for quite a while, and definitely want to keep it well maintained.

Don’t pay $150 or more for a Oil catch can simply by universal one like I did for $40 that comes with a mounting bracket and all the hardware go to your local parts store and pick up in my case 5 feet of hose at a dollar a foot and for under $50 you’re good to go Plus the oil CAT scan that I purchased came with a dipstick so you don’t have to unscrew the Can every time you want to check the oil level.

Great explanation, they should make the can clear like plastic or glass so you can see how much you got in there without having to take it off.

YES!... Just started RE-Building my 2008 FOrd F-150 5.4L 3v ...OMG! the VALVES & Intake Manilfold were just like your images. I think all Vehicles should have these installed ! Thx You for making this VID! :) George

It was one of the first mods I installed on my new 2019 F150 EB3.5L - works GREAT, highly recommended.

I just ordered one. My low mileage '19 doesn't seem to be using oil, but peace of mind none the less. Thanks for the great video.

For Turbo apps the 3 line can is better as there is no vacuum under boost to keep it flowing but the turbos will pull a vacuum in the air feed ducts when spooled to maintain a constant draw or flow in the catch can. I run an RX can in my 2014 F150 3.5 Ecoboost.

I have a 2013 F-150 w/ 3.5 Ecoboost engine. I installed a UPR oil catch can (large one) that picks up both the driver and passenger side PCV and after several hundred miles I can drain nasty gunk, about 12 oz (into a 16 oz water bottle) that would otherwise be rerouted back to the manifold. I read about these both in F-150 forums and here on U-Tube otherwise I wouldn’t have known about this situation. I installed it around 70K miles and I have almost 120K now. This one isn’t cheap but it’s sturdy, looks good and the hoses are top notch.

I have one on my 2016 F150 (5.0) and my 2018 Mustang GT (5.0). "They work"!! BZ AM/AT. Customer for life! Merica...🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

There are 'many' different catch-can's on the market, and I was hoping that a few would have been tested, and which would have been the most efficient, at catching the most 'gunk'! Nonetheless, this is a mod I will need to do to my 3.5L Ecoboost, yet now that the truck is at 125K miles, my intercooler tubes I'm sure have a fair bit of oil in them after seeing this video! This looks to be the most simple design I've seen, as some are much more robust systems, with a larger catch-can, as well as some even with vacuum to help suck the oil, so none get's by at all. Thanks for the video, as it gets those of us that haven't had this done, to get our butts busy, and think about which to purchase!

Definitely helped me on my 3.5, in fact I recommend it. Will help with that 2-3 gear hick up. Also use the Lucas oil treatment, definitely helps every 500 miles

Ford introduced the gen 2 3.5 Ecoboost in 2017 with direct injection and port injection. The 10 speed transmission was also an option for that year. It was not in 2015.

dual injection should help to keep the valves cleaner, but at high rpm the catch can should help to keep all the gunk from causing stuttering and loss of power. also the cooler you can keep the catch can the better, to help capture more oil vapor in the can. ive noticed changing the oil around 6 to 7k is the best in my 2016 2.7, full syn only

I’ve run the JLT for maybe 2 years on my 2017 F150 STX and it is collecting some, 5,000 miles oil changes and I empty it. The truck runs great at 45k I really couldn’t be happier, not a mechanic or even slightly mechanical minded, but I thought it would be much more.

Just plug the intake port and route the rubber hose to the back of the motor, pointing down. add one of those small filters if you want. You're just trying to equalize the pressure between the bottom of the crankcase and atmosphere. You might get a few drops of oil per year. Pulling a vacuum on the bottom end of your motor, you're going to pull a lot more oil up, and into the intake. This is really the beginnings of pollution control control devices. From the 1950's to the mid 1960's a 'down draft' tube was the only thing used. thats all you need now. If you take your car to the dealer for any kind of service, put the tube back to the intake, or they will void your warranty for tampering with the pollution control devices. OBD2 can't tell what you've done, so no problem there.

I have one of these on my 2011 Raptor. Has over 200k miles, i regularly drive from TX to Cali ... I cant believe i didnt get this sooner.

I run the same JLT 3.0 on my 3.5 Ecoboost Transit 250 service vehicles. A lot of stop and start plus cold climate. We empty our catch can with every tank of fuel. I get around that much fluid every 3-400 miles (more in winter than summer). It is certainly not full and I am sure we could run through several tanks of fuel with out overfilling. Also .. you can install small ball valve off the bottom of the catch can if you drill and tap it. Then you don't have to un screw a hot can at the gas station. Great Episode!

I have the 2011 3.5 Ecoboost on my F150, in the summer I only have to empty the catch can once every month to month and half (about 2 inches in the can), but in the winter it must be emptied every 2 to 3 weeks and it is a mix of water and oil mix and the catch can is almost full. This was definitely one of the best purchases that I had made and wished that I had back when I first bought the truck.

Put one on my 2017 5.0 two months ago. I have emptied it 3 times been about 1/2 full each time. works well

2018 f150 3.5 here, I pulled about a half can out at my last oil change. JLT 3.0.

Installed passenger side separator on my 2.7 L 2015 Ecoboost summer 2019. Works fine.

My truck is a 2013 Ecoboost .... my separator catches more water vapor with the oil, a lot more.

Awesome vid, just bought a 2016 with only 23000 miles... my good friend said get an oil separator... now i know why... Great channel

Put that on mine the other day. Kind of looking forward to seeing what comes out.

I just bought my my very own 2018 F-150 2.7L Ecoboost this week, and this will definitely be my first modification on it. I just happened to stumble upon your guys' channel a couple weeks ago and have been watching your videos constantly in anticipation of upgrading and preserving my new truck. Thank you for doing what you do!

I ordered this from AmericanTrucks and I have to say it works !!! I empty it once month of all the gunk it collects !!

With dual injectors or port injectors these may or may not be needed but gear heads know what they want and like. My 2018 5.0 has a separator made and sold by Ford Performance for a Mustang. (Off road application only) I have a You Tube showing its installation ( listed under James Tone). There is oil in it every time I check. 18k miles and was put on the first week. My 2015 Honda Civic has a Moroso installed. They are illegal since you are altering an emissions controlled device. I remove mine to have a he dealer servicing, takes about 5 minutes tops. I believe every engine but especially Supercharged need one of these devices

Not just trucks, I have a 2015 Honda CRV with direct injection and immediately put a moroso catch can on and it definitely works. Empty the gunk every oil change.

Got my catch can for my 2018 2.7 in the first 2k miles, currently at 20k and I can tell you ive emptied that jlt 3.0 at least twice(if it was full i usually dont wait that long)

I have one on my 2011 F150 3.5L ecoboost. I change my oil every 5k miles using ams full synthetic oil. I dump it every time and it’s full with a white Milky substance and oil blow by. Crazy how much stuff it collects great product definitely recommend it for your ecoboost cars or trucks.

While I didn't personally learn anything from your video, I'd still like to congratulate AT on this video. Anyone without any knowledge of these systems will definitely learn from it... FWIW, I am also running a JLT 3.0 on my VMP boosted Coyote 🍻

May be a dumb question, but why don't these manufacturers have this under the hood with all the other components already.

Put this exact setup on my '18 within a week of leaving the dealership..works great!

As a 3rd generation mechanic and engine builder I don't have a catch can on my 2015 F150 Ecoboost or my wife's 2021 v6 DI engine. Use a good synthetic Oil change every 5k miles, tier 1 gasoline and change the pcv valve and coolant at 50k miles. I see lots of turbo failures but zero intake valve failures!

I have a 2020 F150 with the 2.7L . They claim that with the added port injection that you "should" be fine . But I was finally able to get one , "back ordered" and installed it when I had around 4,000 miles on the truck . To me it seemed like money well spent to keep my intake system clean as possible and was a super easy install and it looks good !

After one tank of fuel I will completely overflow that graduated cylinder. I have a 13 ecoboost and it fills it up with a frothy milkshake of fluids and fuel.

Interesting that Ford Performance sells their own catch cans :-) That is a very big hint that these are a good idea! Plus the changes made in some of the EcoBoosts and the 3rd gen Coyote with hybrid injection (both port injectors and GDI).

I drove 895 miles to Texas from Mobile, Alabama, and I only filled up maybe 1/3 of the can or less this catch can has 100% helped my 2011 ecoboost which is some what built to 424 hp and 400+ ftp torque and has 226,829 miles as of today, and is still running like a new motor no cam phaser issues as of yet don't know why either these are bad about it.

Mine should be in this coming week. Thanks for the video and tip. I have a 2016 2.7 eco boost

I was amazed at how much it caught after 2 weeks of driving. This product is definitely worth it. I put it in my 2014 f150 5.0 xlt. I just wish the mounting bracket was just a little shorter. But it still clears the hood with no problems.

I put one on my 2019 Silverado and it's working great!

One thing to check! Make sure you can blow through the system before you install it. Sometimes those media filters can be garbage an block off the system a bunch, causing a lot of frustrating leaks!

I have been watching you videos for over a years now! Honestly one of the main factors on getting a ford was because of this RU-vid channel. I finally purchased my 16 3.5 ecoboost, and this was the first install I did. Very happy with this exact product, it’s amazing and disturbing how much hunk that thing catches 👍🏼 great video!

JLT 3.0 sells out fast, American Trucks had to contact JLT to ship the product to me. Installed it on my high mileage Silverado, it sure made that 5.3 quite. Easy install

Great explanation. I think these are super useful in most applications.

Now pull your turbo inlet manifolds and see how much of oil condensation has collected inside. When you use this type of catch can setup, you're only collecting the blowby when the turbos aren't building pressure. As soon as they start pressurizing, a bunch of blowby gets introduced into the system. The quickest way to check is to pull the inlet to the throttle body and see if it's full of blowby. If you do have blowby, there are ways to modify the cheaper catch cans to perform like the 400 dollar ones.

I would be having a panic attack driving around with that CAI setup. You can see mud is getting past the shielding around the air filter.

Yes I agree this system should be in place of all new vehicles and the pcv system reengineered listen up manufacture do you want to increase your warranty or have issues with the engine that will fall under the warranty and you are responsible to repair it. I think it’s a no brainer good suggestion from a viewer that obviously has the same idea.

Curious about putting the catch can on my 2016 eco boost with 71,000 miles, is it too late? Can I get my injection valves cleaned before install?

I got 2 on my 04 5.4 3v. Had to modify the one for the passenger side some. But both work phenomenally. The driver side catches most. The passenger catches some but I'll take some over none any day. 264k and all original timing

Did they improve the design on the engine. I just bought a 2020 f150 ecoboost. Should I install one of these.

Ford ranger ecoboost actually has a oil separator from the factory on left side of motor. I was told as long as you change your oil as recommended you don't need these.

Thanks for the great info as always! Just curious but does the mounting location make much difference... I’ve heard you need to have the can as low and the hoses as short as possible 🤷🏻‍♂️ Thanks!

Here is how a catch can works. Long hoses that run from the PCV to the can cool the hot vapors, the vapors flow around inside the can and condense. If you were to stick the can directly inline with the PCV, it would be empty. If racing, good to have, for a daily driver, not needed on an Ecoboost.

Excellent video!

Great video! I installed duel catch cans (one for each side) on my 2016 F150 3.5 Ecoboost 15k ago and collect an average 1 ounce per 1,000 miles.

What happens if the can gets full before you empty it. Can it do any damage to the engine if you run it full. Thanks

2017 is when the 2nd generation 3.5L entered the F-150, which is when port fuel injection was added to the existing direct fuel injection system, not 2015.

My can was bone dry for 3,000 miles. It’s starting to fill up now.

Make sure you empty it often. I was driving in -20 degree weather and it filled up much quicker. Blew out my crank case pressure sensor. Luckily I caught it before anything else blew.

Very good review of catch can 👌

I wish Ford Performance would make one to fit my 2020 F-150 5.0L. After 2017 year model the hoses and connections aren’t long enough...... The filter on the Ford Performance version is twice the size of any other oil/air separator on the market.

I have one of those on my 6.2 Chevy Trail Boss, I love it. Wish they would come out with one for the passenger side!

Great video!! I have a 2019 3.5L F150. My question concerns freezing issues at very low temps, many owners have reported engine failure. Is this a valid concern and how low do the temps have to be to cause the problem. I'm in NJ.

Hi Sir have a PT Cruiser 2 litre engine & have 2 breather hoses to the big air box & this was quite awhile ago I decided to check the air filter & so I took the top off the air box off & pulled out the air filter & I was quite shocked to know that the air filter was covered in oil & I ended up taking the whole air box out & I had to clean it all up as there was traces of oil everywhere in the air box & so after cleaning up the air box I went out to buy a new air filter & put that in place in the air box & still having the air box out I then cut the 2 breather hoses & put on 2 new breather filters on & had them resting on the top of the rocker cover & I never thought about a oil catch can & after driving the PT Cruiser around for awhile I noticed oil coming out of the to new breathers & had to wipe the oil up the rocker cover & clean the 2 breather filters & the & later on I couldn't drive the PT Cruiser as the front were way down òn tread depth & weren't warrantable & had the car sitting for about a Year & when I got 2 new tyres for the PT Cruiser & then it went for a Warrant of fitness the PT Cruiser had other issues as well as the ignition switch was faulty & Tony the mechanic couldn't locate a new ignition switch here in New Zealand & so Tony was able to fix the switch & then I asked Tony if he was able to fit a oil catch can with a filter & they had a Repco store here in New Zealand & it was Extremely Expensive the price was $326.00 but Tony was not able to buy it as it was way too big to fit it & fitted 2 new breather hoses to the big air box & just have to put some toilet paper or paper towels inside the big filter box where the 2 breather hoses come into the big air box & I will have to keep an eye on the engine oil dip stick level & it's a real shame that I have a lot of blow by in this engine as it is running quite good to & I will give it another oil & filter change shortly & I am going to get a smaller oil catch can from 1 of the AliExpress Stores that sell good Quality Oil Catch cans with filter & hopefully that will solve my oil problem & would be best to put the 2 breather hose to each side of the Oil Catch Can or wouldn't work & if not work properly I may have to buy a T fitting & have 1 hose going to the in let of the Oil Catch Can with filter & where would be the best part of the engine to put the outlet hose from the Oil Catch Can & I don't have the money to do the engine up & has a lot of blow by problem & that is the only way I can solve the by using a small oil catch can Kind Regards Peter PS I can get this Oil Catch Can with filter for a price of NZ $43.56 which is a really good price to pay for one of these OIL CATCH CANS WITH FILTER & I've seen prices here in New Zealand go from $65.00 right up to $800.00 plus for OIL CATCH CANS & that's CRAZY PRICES

Does this void the warranty?

I just cleaner the throttlebody on my 13 f150 with the 5.0 v8, ive had a catch can (oil separator ) since 2015 (made by ford racing) It was basically clean, very little build up. Cleaned the throttle body on my 17 accord, it was easily 3x dirtier that my 13 f150

i have 45k miles on my 3.5 2015 ecovoost should i still go ahead n throw one of these on there ? lol i run 93 octane

I seriously learned a lot in the first 30 seconds! I have not had a ford since 2017.

Any issues with truck under warranty? Makes great sense to me. Thanks for the video

I have read on other sites that this may not be recommended for cold weather. Is that the case?

I have a brand new 2019 f150 XLT 3.5 ecoboost. I’ve put less than 1k miles on it so far. When should I look at installing one??

To make it truly scientific, you should have a chemical analysis done to see exactly how much of that fluid collection is oil. A large percentage of it may just be condensed water vapor.

Does this affect your warranty and is it legal to add for pollution control in states that require smog checks?

I had this installed in my 2011 3.5 ecoboost f 150 after I had the walnut media blast done to all my valves and installed a new throttle body and intake manifold and let me tell you when we took it all apart it was crazy all the build up n stuff was in there now I check it every year and it still has build up but not anything close to what was in there!

I have a 2018 F150 XLT, 3.5... Have this kit, although it's mounted near the firewall. It catches a lot... with 52K+ miles, I've not noticed any performance issues. Minimal investment for a big maintenance / service savings! I don't expect to have to do any sort of GDI Cleaning, before 100K miles... maybe not even then... we'll see

You facts are slightly twisted. Traditional pretty injection and direct injection didn't come about until 2017 with the second generation ecoboost. 15&16 are still just direct injection

Great product. Mine catches a lot of oil. I have to empty 3 times every 5000 miles on my 5.0. Runs perfect but definitely not as tight as I would like. It is a high mileage truck.

I have a 2018 and was told that the problem was rectified in these later years. Is this true, or do I still need one?

So what is the chemical composition of "all that junk?" Like what, specifically, is being removed?

I have collected way way more than that in 2000 miles..yikes

I put a stainless steel pot scrubber in my Mitsimoto catch can on my 2018 5L coyote F150.

What about those of us that are late to the party and install one of these at the 70,000 mile mark? What's the best way to clean out the intake, etc...?

Hey Justin, great explanation. I knew how they worked but sometimes hard to put into words, Good job. Any chance you may know if there is a setup for a 2017 Nissan Titan 5.6l? So far all I can find is universal fit. If not is there a brand you would recommend? Scott

obviously works, not doubting at all, but wonder how much this pulls out compared to the versions that have suction from the turbo's pulling the gases out of the engine. I realize this has suction, but how much is the flow of gases being hindered by the catch can and media? For instance, imagine sucking through a straw, then sucking through a straw with a piece of cotton in it. for all that matters, how much oil is being sent through the turbos in the catch cans that use the turbo's for suction? hmmmmm....

if so good, why dont manufacturers install?

Iv got a huge c&l catch can on my 15 Silverado. Hard to say how well it’s worked since this is a mod to maintain performance over a long time rather than boost it at the moment

My 13 SHO with a UPR CC, catches roughly 1 oz of crap per 1000 miles. I change my oil religiously at 3k miles as well. How a $60K+ truck doesn't come with one from the factory is beyond me.

If its got turbo or super charger it does, unfortunately the earlier model coyotes could probally benefit from having one too because sometimes oil gets sucked into the intake and even into air filter.

I had one on my 2017 Mustang GT, took it off when I traded the Mustang in for a 2018 F150 and modded it to fit on my 5.0L in the Truck. Love the catch can from JLT