An oil catch can is one of the simplest upgrades you can make to protect a modern engine — and one of the most misunderstood. This guide covers what a catch can actually does, whether your engine needs one, what it costs, how it's installed, and how to tell a genuinely effective system from a jar with fittings on it.
Start here
- What Is an Oil Catch Can and How Does It Work? — where the idea came from and the mechanics of how it protects your engine.
- Do You Need an Oil Catch Can? — GDI, LSPI, and carbon buildup explained, and how to tell if your engine is at risk.
- Oil Catch Can vs. Air/Oil Separator — clearing up the terminology and what actually matters in the design.
- Is an Oil Catch Can Legal? — emissions rules explained, state by state.
- How Much Does an Oil Catch Can Cost? — transparent pricing and what installation involves.
- Best Oil Catch Can: What to Look For — a buying checklist that goes beyond brand names.
Why it matters
Blow-by — combustion gases and oil vapor escaping past the piston rings into the crankcase — happens in every gasoline engine. On direct-injection (GDI) engines especially, that vapor has nowhere to go but back onto the intake valves, building carbon deposits that rob power and cause misfires over time. A properly designed catch can intercepts that oil vapor before it gets there. See the full explanation in What Is an Oil Catch Can and How Does It Work?
The Tracy Lewis Catch Can System
Tracy Lewis Performance holds a patent on our catch can design — a full PCV crankcase evacuation system built around full-time vacuum and dual-valve separation, not a simple catch jar. Most configurations include a Clean Side Separator addressing oil vapor ingestion upstream of the throttle body as well. Read the full technical breakdown on A Closer Look at the Tracy Lewis Performance Catch Can System, or see what to look for in any catch can — not just ours — in Best Oil Catch Can: What to Look For Before You Buy.
Installation, by vehicle
Every Tracy Lewis Catch Can is built specifically for your vehicle. Find your platform's step-by-step instructions on the Catch Can Installation Instructions hub, covering GM/Chevy/Cadillac (LLT, LFX, LGX, LTG 2.0), Ford, Corvette, Audi, Dodge, Hyundai, Infiniti, Kia, Mini Cooper, Toyota, and Volkswagen applications. For pricing and what's included at each option level, see How Much Does an Oil Catch Can Cost?
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does an oil catch can actually do?
It intercepts oil vapor and blow-by gases in the PCV system before they reach the intake, reducing carbon buildup on intake valves, oil dilution, and related engine wear.
Do I need a catch can if I don't have a turbo or GDI engine?
GDI and boosted engines benefit the most, but any gasoline engine produces blow-by and can benefit from cleaner crankcase ventilation. See Do You Need an Oil Catch Can? for the full breakdown.
Are oil catch cans legal?
It depends on your state and the specific system's design (closed-loop vs. vented to atmosphere). See Is an Oil Catch Can Legal? and always confirm current rules in your state.
How much does a catch can cost?
The Tracy Lewis Catch Can starts at $499. See How Much Does an Oil Catch Can Cost? for the full pricing and options breakdown.