Vwr catch can ?/concern

I’ve been running the vwr catch can for awhile now, and I had a question for the rest of you who are also.

So the way the actual can is mounted is the top small bolt (closest to the hood) is reusing the hole the top half of the oem windshield washer tank used (which you have to get rid of and buy their upper tank replacement “shot glass size” tank and hose as the catch can mounts where the upper washer tank used to) so no issue there, using that hole for the top mount, but the bottom mount is using the front engine mount bolt.

I’m assuming to empty the tank the rest of you, like me, are unbolting (the 2 bolts) which mount the catch can and lifting it up to access the drain plug, otherwise I haven’t the slightest idea how you could empty it without removing it, at least to lift it up slightly, emptying it, then bolting it back down.

So we’re removing the small bolt that was used by the oem washer tank on the top of the engine mount but also the forward facing bolt of the engine mount. That is a stretch bolt/torque to yield bolt. Does this strike anyone else as stupid? I never really thought about it till this weekend, as I was emptying the can again, but it seems like a major oversight by vwr!!! I’m certainly not buying a new bolt every time I empty the catch can, it fills up quickly in winter obviously, but it probably would be the smartest/technically recommended thing to do, as it is a torque to yield bolt.

Anyway, guess I’m just curious if anyone else has noticed this, I searched but nothing, I can’t be the first one who’s noticed this. It’s really been bugging me since I have noticed it though, I’ve emptied the thing numerous times and I’m really thinking that’s a bad idea that, that particular bolt has been in and out so many times, as it is technically a one time use bolt. I’m annoyed as hell that this wasn’t thought of for the money the damn thing cost.

Anyway, curious what the rest of you think, or may be doing differently mounting wise, or if none of you have thought of it yet either, here’s the place to vent at how dumb this is!

I want to understand as I have a CTS catch can in comparison. Maybe upload a pic?

tsigeoff said:

I want to understand as I have a CTS catch can in comparison. Maybe upload a pic?

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Edit: removed pics added vid, explains it better easier. FF to 15.00 minutes if you don’t want to watch the whole thing to see what I’m talking about mounting wise, there’s no way to access the drain plug at the bottom without removing it to that point every time, so you’ll understand my concern

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jjJ_tS-OvGQ

Found this vid, he actually mentions the stretch bolt, knew I couldn’t be the first to have noticed this lol

Still seems just plain dumb!

Not my pics, but you’ll notice on the can the upper and lower mounting points, the lowest one mounts to the most forward facing engine mount bolt, as in removing it, line up the can and re-use that bolt to hold the bottom can mount in.

ah, now I see what you are talking about. Very odd they mount it under the bolt. That brand is definitely superior to my CTS can but my can gets mounted to the small threaded top of that bolt so the bolt never comes out. I loosen two small allen head bolts and can get my can out and clean in about 2 minutes. maybe rig something utilizing the top threaded part of the bolt?

tsigeoff said:

ah, now I see what you are talking about. Very odd they mount it under the bolt. That brand is definitely superior to my CTS can but my can gets mounted to the small threaded top of that bolt so the bolt never comes out. I loosen two small allen head bolts and can get my can out and clean in about 2 minutes. maybe rig something utilizing the top threaded part of the bolt?

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Ya, it may be superior for that hard cornering oil puff concern, but I’m really not impressed with other things about the kit after some miles. First the price, then having to lose the upper washer tank, then being forced to buy their tank relocation shot glass style upper tank, which takes forever to fill up because you’re literally filling the top tank a shot glass at a time, have to wait for it to burp then another shot wait for it to burp etc, then the gasket on the “cap” leaks, I don’t care if it’s the original design or the newer paper design, and then of course having to remove the engine mount stretch bolt every time you have to empty the can to access the cans drain plug, which of course is on the bottom, not the side bottom but actually underneath it. Oh and the dip stick is useless as there is always oil/water on the whole damn thing anyway.

I initially thought their stuff was high priced cause it was good but have come to a different conclusion since. Their air filter, in their vwr600 intake, literally disintegrates over time, no wonder it flows well and you hear turbo noises, all that was left on some of mine was the screening, patches of their foam filtering were just gone, I also hated that their filter oil is sticky. Anyway, back to the can, unless you’re having serious issues blowing smoke on hard cornering at the track, it does completely solve that, I’d pick a different brand for a “street” car.

I just reuse the engine mount bolt, haven't had any issues so far... My main issue with the catch can set up is that it leaks oil up at top. I later took off the top plate and realized that some of the small bolts on the bottom side got loose - tightened them up - and it still slowly leaked oil. They sent me a replacement gasket so I may try that next, but it's a bit annoying that they didn't just make the PCV replacement one piece to avoid any leaking/oil seeping

teemmy said:

I just reuse the engine mount bolt, haven't had any issues so far... My main issue with the catch can set up is that it leaks oil up at top. I later took off the top plate and realized that some of the small bolts on the bottom side got loose - tightened them up - and it still slowly leaked oil. They sent me a replacement gasket so I may try that next, but it's a bit annoying that they didn't just make the PCV replacement one piece to avoid any leaking/oil seeping

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I didn't have any issues either with re-using the mount bolt; but you do bring up a good point kasper.

For the leak around the cap; I did the ghetto solution, and it worked.
Had no leaks for several thousand miles.
Black gasket maker around the cap.
It may not look good, but it's better than having a leak.

I remove / drain my can during every oil change and replace the bolt for good measure.

For those that have had oil leaks, did any of you use any type of thread locker on the small bolts when you first installed them? I did and I haven't had any leaks yet (knock on wood that it doesn't start either.)

mk7_305 said:

I remove / drain my can during every oil change and replace the bolt for good measure.

For those that have had oil leaks, did any of you use any type of thread locker on the small bolts when you first installed them? I did and I haven't had any leaks yet (knock on wood that it doesn't start either.)

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I used red loctite on the cap screws. Just a small drop. They did not back off; they stayed put. Still had the leak with the new paper gasket. I alternated across when tightening the screws; kind of like the star pattern when securing wheel lugbolts.
It was a VWR rep in the UK who suggested trying the gasket maker/sealer around the cap.

teemmy said:

I just reuse the engine mount bolt, haven't had any issues so far... My main issue with the catch can set up is that it leaks oil up at top. I later took off the top plate and realized that some of the small bolts on the bottom side got loose - tightened them up - and it still slowly leaked oil. They sent me a replacement gasket so I may try that next, but it's a bit annoying that they didn't just make the PCV replacement one piece to avoid any leaking/oil seeping

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Ya, I always did too without issue, but I recently went big turbo and left the engine and trans mounts stock, I did replace the entire dogbone mount with ecs’s. Anyway, I noticed that the 1-2-2-3 shift seemed harder recently after emptying the can, kinda like a worn/broken motor/trans mounts on previous cars I owned, and yes 2 of the 3 mounts are oem but I figured only being a year old with 14,000 miles I could put off the engine and trans mount a little while, and I just don’t remember the first month of this new setup shifting quite that hard.

So that’s what got me thinking about the catch can mounting, the fact I’m pushing way more power and have removed and reinstalled that bolt numerous times made me think that while maybe not an issue noticeable before maybe it is now, then I just started focusing on what a dumb idea it is regardless!

Anyway, I just ordered some engine/trans mounts, but my thought is I’ll probably just not use the engine mount bolt to secure the bottom of the can, I’ll just set it on top, through the stud on top of that particular engine mount bolt, basically just to locate the can and use a spacer and use the top bolt to secure it, personally I think that’d be plenty to hold it in place. That is of course assuming that the bfi engine mount is similar to the factory mount, regarding the top small bolt, otherwise just going to have to fabricate some sort of mounting bracket, cause I’m not removing that stretch bolt anymore after the new mounts just to empty the can, it’s just a dumb design, it really is, the more I think about the more irritated I get about it, then add the other complaints and I’m just plain angry about the multiple design flaws, especially for the “premium” price. Really the only thing it does well, is the high g turn/braking oil puff, it does completely solve that issue though, to its credit.

any opportunity for a mini extractor through the dip stick opening? As per OP, I'm not too keen on that one time bolt every time

After installing the VWR catch can system and another thing my big turbo spools 500 rrm later and 30HP are missing at the peak. Is it possible that the underpressure and the valve which exist in the OEM system are needed? Both are missing in the VWR system...Still looking for the reason why 30HP are missing.

I use this, fuck that bolt

Tex Willer said:

I use this, fuck that bolt

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LOL - is this even able to get all the oil goop out? How many times do you have to use this to empty the can?

teemmy said:

LOL - is this even able to get all the oil goop out? How many times do you have to use this to empty the can?

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Its a 20oz syringe. Even if full, it would takes like 30 sec to empty 90% of the tank. But I never let it fill up much, so my tank is always 90% empty.