The odds are good that if you have a modern turbocharged car like the Dodge Neon SRT4 or the Dodge Dart Turbo, you are familiar with an oil catch can but for those just getting into the world of the SRT4 – an oil catch can is a good starting place for your modifications. While these items were more commonly used on turbocharged cars for some time, this is a mod that can benefit all sorts of modern vehicles that rely on a PCV system to release crankcase pressure.
When that crankcase pressure is released by the PCV valve into the series of tubes that lead back into the engine air intake system, it carries with it a small amount of hot, nearly vaporized oil that also travels into the intake system. This oil can cause slow throttle response and reduced power in all modern engines while also clogging up the intercooler system on turbocharged engines like the one found in the Neon SRT4 and the new Dodge Dart Turbo.
For a more expansive discussion on why an oil catch can is good for a Neon SRT4, a Dart Turbo or even a Hemi Ram – click here. This thread takes place within a group of SRT4 owners but the information shared applies to all modern engines.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
