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Catch Can Filling Up Too Fast When Tracking

AceHammer

Go Kart Champion
Location
NY USA
Car(s)
2015 A3
The VWR Spluen and IE all have the same plate design, both coarse oil sending and return blocked off as well as the PCV 'air mode' routing blocked off.

They also pretty much have the exact same baffling. The spluen however is the only one that has a check valve on the vacuum line running to the N80 valve. This does help with some of the funky evap behaviour people see with a plate setup.
 

Cliff

Drag Racing Champion
Location
San Francisco Bay Area
Car(s)
2015 Cayman GTS
Hi Cliff.
Are you draining can and adding oil every 20min w the VWR system? I am with CTS. Maybe worse than stock. Or did vwr improve situation at least?

Do you have a 2015?
a
Any thoughts on the new apr pcv plate design?
Back in November I bought a 2015 Porsche Cayman GTS, returned the R to stock, and sold the VW as quickly as I could.
 

rexneffect

Ready to race!
Back in November I bought a 2015 Porsche Cayman GTS, returned the R to stock, and sold the VW as quickly as I could.
Wow congrats!! I really want an N/A cayman also. Probably not swinging a GTS but, anyway :). When you were flogging it, did you have good luck w the vwr ?
 

Cliff

Drag Racing Champion
Location
San Francisco Bay Area
Car(s)
2015 Cayman GTS
Wow congrats!! I really want an N/A cayman also. Probably not swinging a GTS but, anyway :). When you were flogging it, did you have good luck w the vwr ?
No, and the problem wasn't with the particular PCV solution as I tried the updated OE PCV valve too. Under track conditions the car would push a quart past the rings in less than 10 minutes and go into limp mode. It was fine on the street. I had 3 choices. Option 1: replace the motor with a new used motor and run a real risk of experiencing the same problem again. Option 2: rebuild the motor with stronger internals and have the world's most expensive Golf. Option 3: give up and buy a <X>. I picked option 3.
 

rexneffect

Ready to race!
No, and the problem wasn't with the particular PCV solution as I tried the updated OE PCV valve too. Under track conditions the car would push a quart past the rings in less than 10 minutes and go into limp mode. It was fine on the street. I had 3 choices. Option 1: replace the motor with a new used motor and run a real risk of experiencing the same problem again. Option 2: rebuild the motor with stronger internals and have the world's most expensive Golf. Option 3: give up and buy a <X>. I picked option 3.
Sounds like you're convinced it was definitely blowby from pistons that was pressurizing crankcase?

Did it get worse over time?

Would that show up on compression test?

I'm also hoping for simpler solution! Will probably try apr catch can whenever available then maybe consider option 3.
Thanks for the responses!
 

AceHammer

Go Kart Champion
Location
NY USA
Car(s)
2015 A3
The piston rings on these cars, especially the GTI and A3 don't hold up well to high heat, so long 5th gear pulls and track days. If you're stock you're fine, but tunes and bigger turbos really start to crank out heat.
The rings lose tension which results in more blowby and gradual compression loss. Cylinder 1 seems to be the most prone to this due to it running slightly hotter. While it's better than bending rods it still requires a motor rebuild.

Best bet is to just compression check once or twice a season and keep temps in check.
 

The Goose

Ready to race!
Location
St. Charles, MO
Car(s)
2017 GTI SE DSG PP
So had my first track day on Saturday, and sounds like it might be my last. After the first session, I was told that at the end of the straight where I was hitting 123 and slamming on the brakes for turn 1, I was puffing a ton of smoke. Took it way easier for the rest of the day, but it sounds like I've finally experienced the blow by problem. Was looking for info on APR's catch can/pvc thingy, and to see if it actually helps. I guess I need to either find a solution or stop taking it to the track. 😢
 

victorofhavoc

Autocross Champion
Location
Kansas City
So had my first track day on Saturday, and sounds like it might be my last. After the first session, I was told that at the end of the straight where I was hitting 123 and slamming on the brakes for turn 1, I was puffing a ton of smoke. Took it way easier for the rest of the day, but it sounds like I've finally experienced the blow by problem. Was looking for info on APR's catch can/pvc thingy, and to see if it actually helps. I guess I need to either find a solution or stop taking it to the track. 😢
I had massive blow by for 10 weekends before I found out from a friend's video. The last 3 weekends I kept getting cylinder hidden due to excessive misfire. I got an inline catch can with the pcv (as recommended by an imsa crew chief) and it worked very well. No more blow by and it fills about 1/2 way in ~2-3 weekends depending. I have noticed that it seems worse with the aftermarket intake i tried which causes higher iat than stock.

If all else is fine, just run a basic inline can and keep tracking it and monitoring. Blackstone labs reports are always nice. If you can, swing for the baffled pan and run the catch can to it. That's a very acceptable route if you plan to run true track tires.
 

The Goose

Ready to race!
Location
St. Charles, MO
Car(s)
2017 GTI SE DSG PP
Yeah, no track tires, but I do have dedicated summer and winter wheels, was running the 280tw advan apex v601. This thing is my daily driver, so I'm not getting too crazy.

What catch can are you running? Sounds like results may vary.
 

scrllock

Autocross Champion
Location
MI
If all else is fine, just run a basic inline can and keep tracking it and monitoring. Blackstone labs reports are always nice. If you can, swing for the baffled pan and run the catch can to it. That's a very acceptable route if you plan to run true track tires.

The ideal solution is a true AOS with a drain routed to a tap in the pan. I'm not sure about dumping normal catch can condensate in there.
 

victorofhavoc

Autocross Champion
Location
Kansas City
The ideal solution is a true AOS with a drain routed to a tap in the pan. I'm not sure about dumping normal catch can condensate in there.
It's only for overflow of the catch can, not a "return everything to pan". You are correct a better designed aos is ideal. That's basically what a catch can does, though. The liquid stays at the bottom and is baffled while the "clean" gases still pass through, just doesn't keep the oil where it's supposed to be...

I run the bfi can... It is dry on the street and only collects on track. No idea how anyone would use the drain plug on it, very odd location. I unscrew it and remove it to dump. The dipstick is very useful.
 

bobivy1234

Go Kart Champion
Location
Greensboro, NC USA
Car(s)
2016 VW Golf GTI
My PCV experience with 8 track days in a '16 GTI this year is summed up as follows:
  • Replace OEM PCV as soon as possible
  • Don't buy the BL OEM plate, terrible blowby worse than OEM (I've got one to sell for cheap!)
  • Get Spulen V2 or new APR CC ideally if it ever ships (anything with a new plate), VWR is last in my list
  • With the new PCV plate and CC, no oil smoke/starve/minimal loss
  • iAbed baffled oil pan is great and helps with additional oil starve and blowby mitigation
  • Get an oil cooler while you're at it, necessary for track use
This week I had a track day with 1:40 of WOT track time and measured 8oz (~0.25L) of oil in my Spulen V2. Reaching out to Issam at iAbed to see if there is an ideal dipstick range so that I'm not overflowing the pan as well as my first session filled the Spulen about a third then it was minimal from there.

Plan is to swap out the Spulen V2 for the new APR full CC when it ships which should be even better based on tester reports.

In my opinion, everyone should get a PCV plate replacement and oil cooler for the track. iAbed pan is a nice-to-have that adds confidence in lateral G sweepers and also lessens the oil starve/blowby issues and for me is still worth the cost, it's a great product.
 
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