What is a CCV, and why do the CCV mod?

CCV stands for Crank Case Ventilation. When oil heats up it turns to gas, just like heating up a pot of water on the stove. But just like that pot, if you keep a lid on it, it will boil over. So what the CCV does is it allows the gasses to vent. The gasses contain small oil droplets that get carried away with it. On International trucks the CCV simply is a tube that goes to the back of the motor and is open to the atmosphere, but due to stricter EPA regulations on pickups, Ford had to find a way to make it a closed system, so they introduced it to the intake system.


The reason for the CCV modification is to reroute this gas like the way that International has it. The theory is that the small amounts of oil can accumulate in the intercooler. Also, the oil can seep through factory IC boots and cause boost leaks. There are many CCV kits on the market. Some are as simple as a reroute tube that will dump just like the IH design, some have a catch can, and some even attempt to separate the oil and then route back to the intake.


As for me, I do not have the CCV mod, and am running a stock CCV setup with aftermarket Riffraff IC boots. With this setup I am smog compliant, have no boost leaks, and no oil leaks from the boots.