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You just never know what you find when you open-- up an engine. I pulled the heads off to do a head swap and I found two 9/16” staples inside. One in two pieces under the passenger side valve cover and one setting on the same side lifter tray. I did have the covers off years ago to change the valves springs for a cam swap. So, the one that got chewed up by the springs could off gone in then----but not the one on the tray.
The inside was clean, 73000 miles of 10-30 Moble1 changed whenever it starts to get dark. But the inside the intake was a dirty caked on oil mess. I tried a rattling type PCV, it came with a plain orifice type, but with both it still uses oil on the highway. So, looks like a LS6 # 12577927 valley cover is in order. The 5.3 has the PCV in the driver’s side valve cover now.
If I can figure out how to keep an “oil Catch can” from freezing up in North Dakota winters, that will go on also.
Wrap a catch can with tubing, hook it to the heater hoses, voila!
Thanks, that is a step in the right direction. But it would have to be drained every time before a cool-down---freeze up-- if the normal winter condensation white foamy stuff is collected that could plug-freeze up the can. I could see the filter material freezing up in the can.
Also, a check valve in the system that would release pressure if the can side would freeze up should be added.
Maybe I should move down South where it stays warm all winter----naww.
Buy a small inverter, hardwire it in somewhere hidden, then wrap the can in some of that heated tape meant for pipes under houses and sinks in the winter and plug it in. You can even run it off a switch hidden somewhere so you only use it when you need it.
All engines use/burn off oil. The amount it burns off is what needs to be a concern. A catch can wont do much for that though since a majority of the oil burn off, if excessive, happens in the cylinders.
Ford has a pcv setup where they run a small coolant hose around the pcv valve. You could run your throttle body coolant hoses around your tank to simulate what they do.
Can you simply wrap the the pcv, catch can, & lines with thin foam tubing, to keep available heat inside of them? Regarding foreign items n the oil...while doing an oil change, I’ve found bits and chunks of an aluminum baffle, normally attached to the inside of a valve cover, loose, and. destroyed by the action of the valve train. It destroyed all crank bearings and the crank surfaces.
Can you simply wrap the the pcv, catch can, & lines with thin foam tubing, to keep available heat inside of them? Regarding foreign items n the oil...while doing an oil change, I’ve found bits and chunks of an aluminum baffle, normally attached to the inside of a valve cover, loose, and. destroyed by the action of the valve train. It destroyed all crank bearings and the crank surfaces.
Ouch on the bits and chunks!!!
I am going to see if the oil consumption goes down with new valve guides, valve stems seals and a brand new in the box LS6 valley cover.
Going to tee in the driver's side valve cover with the clean intake side, we will see.....
Thanks to everyone that has replied!!
Something to keep in mind is that catch cans tend to work best when they are further from the engine. The oil needs to cool some so it can condense on the filter media for the best results.
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Heated Oil Catch Can? 
