J&L Oil Separator Co. Oil Catch Can Install & Review For 2nd Gen Toyota Tundra – A Must Have Maintenance Mod To Improve Long-Term Engine Efficiency
If you’re anything like me, you love driving your Tundra. Unfortunately, though, it’s all too common knowledge that your truck faces routine wear and tear every time you do just that. Most noticeably, this happens with things that can easily be replaced, like tires, brakes, and air filters. In other cases, such as with the engine, it seems as though nothing can be done to prevent such wear and tear. What if you could slow down that wear and tear and help avoid the performance loss that all engines face with due time?
That’s precisely what the J&L Oil Separator Co. oil catch can do – at a reasonable price point. A quick FYI, this will also work on the 2008-2022 Sequoia. And yes, if you stumbled on this post and you have a 3rd Gen Tundra, J&L OSC also has a kit for you.
Find It Online
- J&L Oil Separator Co. 3.0 Oil Catch Can For 2nd Gen Tundra: Check Price
What Is An Oil Separator/Catch Can?
We all know that engines use oil to maintain their operating temperature and lubricate all the moving components. What’s far less common knowledge, and what I have recently learned, is that every time a piston inside the engine forces combustion, excess oil mixes with both fuel and air, creating a contaminated vapor.
In all of our trucks, but even more so in supercharged Tundras, that oil-contaminated mixture is then run from the crankcase, where it was created, back through your engine’s intake through the PCV valve. During that process, oil is deposited and accumulates throughout the engine, causing carbon buildup, worsened performance, and simultaneously diluting your gas which lowers the octane level and decreases efficiency.
The J&L oil separator (oil catch can) acts as a middleman of sorts, rerouting the contaminated vapor through its filter. In doing so, the air and oil are separated, and while the air continues on to your Tundras intake, the heavier vapor particles are deposited in the catch can.
Required Tools & Materials
- Ratchet
- 10mm Socket
- Phillips & Flat Head Screwdrivers
- Needle Nose Pliers
- Small Amount of Oil
This installation can be completed quickly, taking 15-30 minutes. Let’s run through the steps.
Step 1. Remove Engine Cover
If you lift up on the front of the engine cover, it will pop loose from its clips.
Step 2. Locate PCV Hose
The PCV hose is located behind the radiator, and on the very front of the engine, the bottom portion of the hose is hidden behind some insulating foam.
Step 3. Remove Top Portion Of Hose
The top portion of the hose is held on with a spring clamp. Tighten the clamp between two fingers and simultaneously remove the top portion hose.
As for the bottom portion, you have two options.
Step 4. Removing Bottom Portion Of Hose
The foam surrounding the hose is likely malleable if your truck is newer. If so, you can still remove it to make your job easier, but it is possible to install the replacement line with the foam in place.
If your truck is older and the foam is worn, or if you’d like to proceed without it, simply reach down as far as you can and tear the foam up. This foam runs all the way to the left side of the engine bay, so it is not possible to remove it entirely.
In any case, you should now be able to remove the bottom portion of the hose by loosening the clamp (or perhaps with a quick tug).
Take note of the clamp used on the portion of the hose that is at the bottom (on the green connector). This clamp will be reused.
Step 4. Prepare New Hoses
All of the included J&L hoses are reinforced, making them a bit harder to work with than the factory ones. To help with the installation, grease the inside of the hoses so as to help them slide on. Anything slippery will do, such as motor oil or axle grease. In a pinch, you could even use dish soap.
Now is a good time to attach the factory bottom clamp – the one we’re reusing – to the thinner end of the multi-piece hose.
Step 5. Install Bottom Of New Hose
Next, push the thinner end of the multi-piece hose onto the green PCV valve housing. This may prove difficult, so use a pair of needle nose pliers to assist. This line does not get connected to the white fitting above.
Step 6. Attach Top Hose
With the hose greased, attach the included hose clamp.
This hose will be attached to the (white) intake fitting. Once slid over the fitting, you can then tighten the hose clamp with a flathead screwdriver.
Step 7. Install Catch Can Bracket
Remove the top rightmost (if you are facing towards the truck) radiator bolt with a 10mm socket.
Note: on Tundras pre-2021, you do not need to use the included spacer. On 2021 Tundras, you will need to do so.
With or without the spacer, attach the J&L bracket, so it is level, as shown above. Do not over-tighten as you are screwing into plastic.
Step 8. Mount Oil Separator
Using the two included Phillips head screws, attach the oil separator to the bracket.
Step 9. Attach Lines To Catch Can & Replace Engine Cover
With the separator attached and both lines greased, push the included caps onto the lines.
The bottom line – from the green PCV fitting – goes to the side of the separator that has the “O” in the “OSC” logo.
The top line – from the white intake fitting –goes to the “C” side of the “OSC” logo.
Finally, there is a bar located on the top rear of the intake manifold; line that bar up with the two hinges on the bottom of the engine cover. Push it into the grommets. That’s it!
When Do I Need To Empty My Catch Can?
J&L says on Tundras with the 5.7L V8 that you can expect 1oz of oil per 1,000 miles. The catch-can can hold up to 3oz, so plan on emptying it every 2,000-3,000 miles. Each truck will be different in terms of how much contaminated oil is produced.
It may need to be emptied more often during the winter as condensation builds in the cooler weather.
Initial Impressions
The build quality is the first thing you’ll notice when you get your hands on the J&L kit. Not only are the hoses reinforced, but the separator itself is made from billet aluminum, making it durable and lightweight.
From my experience, which chiefly consists of currently road-tripping my truck from South Carolina to Utah, I’ve noticed no side effects or decreased performance of any kind, which was my only concern.
On the other hand, after only 1,500 or so miles, I have noticed a surprising amount of oil in the catch-can. It’s hard to believe that without the J&L oil separator, this would’ve gone straight back into my engine.
Final Thoughts
On engines as bulletproof as those in the ’07-’21 Tundras, there’s not much that can hold them back – except a few things, such as dirty air and carbon buildup. This simple J&L kit seems like a no-brainer in extending the life of an already extremely well-built engine.
