Oil Catch Cans For Your HEMI Engine: How Do They Work, And Are They Really Necessary?

Knowing the ins and outs of your vehicle is essential for any DIY fix, and that goes tenfold for the engine and all its parts. When it comes to HEMI engines, one topic of debate is oil catch cans, but before we can deduce whether the part is necessary, we first have to understand what it does.

Primarily found in direct injection engines, oil catch cans essentially work as filters to clean up the fuel before it reaches an engine's intake manifold. As the name suggests, direct injection works by spraying fuel directly into an engine's combustion chamber, forgoing the traditional method of entering through the intake valves. Because of its direct entrance, the fuel delivery system needs something in place to divert any unwanted debris, and that's where an oil catch can come into play.

When attached, oil catch cans work between the PCV and an engine's intake system. While the vehicle is working, air is moving through the oil catch can, which traps any incoming oil particles and filters them out of the air going into the engine. Eventually, as the oil particles pool, they form droplets that then fall to the bottom of the catch can. Each comes with a valve to drain the built-up oil periodically.

Oil catch cans are a great tool to help combat your vehicle's emissions, lower your carbon footprint, and are necessary for many direct injection engines. While that's all well and good, HEMIs feature a multi-port fuel injection system, so do they need an oil catch can?

If we're talking strictly necessary, then no, an oil catch can isn't required. If you're driving a Dodge Charger, Challenger, or another HEMI-powered vehicle, you can get by without an oil catch can with little to no problems. They don't come preinstalled on these vehicles, so many people drive their car's entire life without one. However, you can still reap the benefits by getting one.

Oil catch cans are preventative more than anything. It keeps the intake valves clean by trapping oil particles before they reach the engine, preventing oil buildup inside your vehicle's powerhouse. Brian's Tech Tips showcased how much an oil catch can trapped on their 5.7L HEMI, filling up nearly to full between just one oil change.

At the end of the day, oil inside your engine is bad, and all an oil catch can does is work to reduce the amount of that oil. So, while it isn't necessary for a HEMI engine, it certainly doesn't hurt and helps maintain overall engine health, as long as there isn't already a preinstalled catch system.