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Not having a clear answer on what these T-Rev Systems do, I took a deep dive in an attempt to learn. It was extremely difficult as there is no single site or thread I could find that really breaks down the part itself (what it does, advantages and disadvantages, etc.), so I have decided to compile what I know here in the hopes that others may have an easier time than me to learn more, and even perhaps shed more light into this seemingly mysterious performance part.
Disclosure: I am not claiming that all of this information is concrete or factual, but merely what I was able to determine based on the few sources I was able to utilize during my research, and is subject to revision. That said, if anyone has any knowledge or resources on this system, please share to this thread. It will only shed more light on the topic.
According to the J's Racing Website, the T-Rev is a one-way valve system that is meant to eliminate positive oil pressure in the crankcase caused by gas blow-by, creating negative crankcase pressure which is claimed to reduce drag on the pistons. It does so without the need to remove or replace the PCV Valve. Advantages: Improved throttle response and faster acceleration, reduces engine braking, reduced Co2, aesthetic coolness/uniqueness factor, ease of installation. I will include a diagram of the installed system, as well as a picture of it installed:
On the surface, sounds like a great and simple way to improve the performance of your engine right? Well, everything comes with their disadvantages as well. This is where the bulk of my search came from, as there are little-to-no reviews I could find at all, mostly only sites that essentially say "it just works," and provide ZERO information on the potential drawbacks. That is until I found this Japanese YouTuber
who explained some of the system's advantages and disadvantages. Keep in mind, there are no English captions for the video, so I had to use a FireFox extension which creates captions (albeit terribly translated) YouTube videos. between this and translating the comment section, I was able to get some more insight into the disadvantages:
1. Reduced Engine-Braking: This depends on what type of build you are going for. For Daily Driver Builds, this is a disadvantage as your ability to drive economically through slowing your vehicle down by engine braking will be diminished. For Track or Performance Builds, it can be argued as an advantage as lessening the effects of engine braking can increase downshift speed, and improve cornering stability.
2. Added Maintenance: This is not a 'set it, and forget it' kind of upgrade. The system requires regular maintenance and cleaning. The filter must be cleaned or replaced, and the system itself must be completely dismantled and cleaned at least every month. 3. Limited Manufacturers (High-Priced!): This was one of the break-its for me as the GE T-Rev System from J's Racing is priced over $620! Furthermore, they seem to be one of the only manufactures who designed one for GEs. According to what I have seen on J's Racing's website, each T-Rev is made to perform for their respective vehicle engine's positive crankcase pressure. Therefore, a T-Rev made for one engine is not necessarily interchangeable with one another as each valve system is designed to decrease crankcase pressure by a respective amount (it is a matter of first determining the amount of positive pressure in the crankcase, then determining the amount a specific T-rev depressurizes). From what I have heard on different threads, there does exist Chinese-made T-Revs on places like Ebay, but the quality of those are understandably questionable, and I have not looked into this myself.
4. Lower Engine Oil Temperature (Reduced Engine Oil Life): Not 100% sure on the science behind all of this, but this is perhaps one of the most significant drawbacks behind using the T-Rev. Since the system also introduces outside air into the crankcase, it can have a cooling effect on the oil temperature, impeding the ability to maintain regular, desired running temperatures depending on outside temperature (this is effect will be greatly exacerbated in colder climates). Furthermore, depressurizing the crankcase also introduces the issue of oil emulsification, which is when water moisture enters into crankcase and condensates when cold, and evaporates when the engine heats up to running temperature, creating a white and foamy deposit. This will greatly reduce the oil's ability to keep the everything lubricated, decrease performance and the life of the engine oil.
Overall, the performance boost you will see from installing one of these on your car is questionable at best. Although it has seen moderate popularity for application in motorcycles, it seems like the advantages you gain from using one in anything larger than a 4-cylinder engine is diminished, almost to the point where it is unnoticeable, while all of the drawbacks are heightened. After looking into what limited research I could find on this, I would say this is definitely not an upgrade I can see myself getting. If anyone has more information or experience using one, or if I simply got something wrong, please share! Hope this helps.
I have never heard of or seen such a thing. But as far as making extra HP goes I highly doubt these do anything.
It isn't really "making" HP but rather freeing up lost HP. The concept is the same as vented valve covers ported to oil catch cans, except this one is a one way check valve. It allows the pistons and crank to rotate "more" freely so it doesn't have to compress the air on the down stroke of the cycle.
Seems like the advantage is racing type applications where the engine is living at the top of the rev-range. There is a member on here that built one using similar components, but if I recall correctly he doesn't have much data to provide pros/cons and he did it for mpg purposes only.
What Does The T-Rev System Do?
