If you own a Polaris RZR — especially a turbocharged model — you've probably heard about catch cans. But do you actually need one? The short answer: yes, and here's exactly why.
What Is a Catch Can?
A catch can (also called an oil catch can or crankcase catch can) is a device installed in-line with your engine's Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) system. Its job is to intercept oil vapors, fuel mist, and moisture before they get recirculated back into your intake system.
From the factory, your RZR's PCV system routes these blow-by gases back into the intake manifold. This was designed to reduce emissions — but it creates a real problem for performance and off-road applications.
Why Is This a Problem for Your RZR?
Under normal street driving conditions, the factory PCV system works fine. But your Polaris RZR isn't a street car. It's a high-performance machine that gets pushed hard — high RPMs, aggressive tunes, E85 fuel, and brutal off-road conditions.
Here's what happens without a catch can:
- Oil vapors coat your intake valves — reducing airflow and causing carbon buildup over time
- Fuel and moisture contaminate your oil — diluting it and reducing its ability to protect your engine
- Octane levels drop — contaminated air-fuel mixture increases the risk of pre-detonation (knock), especially on aggressive tunes
- Sensors get damaged — oil mist coating your MAP sensor and intake components causes misfires and performance issues
This gets significantly worse if you're running an E85 tune, have a high-mileage engine, or are running higher boost levels. The more you push your RZR, the more blow-by you generate.
What Does a Catch Can Actually Do?
A catch can intercepts those blow-by gases before they reach your intake. It separates the oil, fuel vapor, and moisture — collecting them in a sealed reservoir — and vents clean air back into the system (or to atmosphere, depending on the design).
The result:
- Cleaner intake system and valves
- Cleaner, uncontaminated oil
- More consistent combustion
- Reduced knock risk on tuned engines
- Longer engine life overall
Why Most Generic Catch Cans Fail on UTVs
Here's the problem with most catch cans on the market: they're designed for street cars, not off-road machines.
When you're hitting whoops at speed, climbing rocks, or running hard through the desert, a poorly designed catch can will let oil blow right through it — making a mess of your engine bay and defeating the whole purpose.
We've seen it firsthand. That's exactly why we spent years developing our own solution.
The Diamond Performance Multi-Chambered Catch Can
Our catch cans are designed specifically for UTV off-road use. The multi-chambered, fully baffled design keeps oil contained even under the most aggressive conditions — high boost, hard hits, sustained high RPM.
We also made a deliberate choice not to recirculate oil back into the engine. Why? Because we had oil analyzed from recirculating systems and found significant fuel and water contamination. That's not something you want going back into your engine.
Every Diamond Performance catch can is:
- 🇺🇸 Designed and manufactured in-house in the USA
- TIG-welded aluminum construction
- 100% bolt-on — no cutting or fabrication required
- Installs in under 30 minutes
- Available for Polaris RZR Pro XP, Turbo R, Pro S, Turbo/S, and Can-Am Maverick X3
So — Do You Need a Catch Can?
If you're running a stock RZR on light trails, you might get away without one for a while. But if you're running any kind of tune, pushing higher boost, running E85, or simply want to protect your engine investment for the long haul — a catch can is one of the best bang-for-buck upgrades you can make.
Think of it this way: your RZR engine is a significant investment. A catch can is cheap insurance.
Ready to protect your engine? Shop our USA-made catch cans for your specific model:
