Hey I'm looking to install a oil catch can. I have several questions.
I have a 2010 R57 Jcw with OEM strut tower brace. I'd like to know the value of doing so, best catch can for the price, and ease of install.
Any help or info would be great!
R57 Gator

 

Oil Catch Cans (OCC) are nothing but a filter for the recirculated air to dump oil residue onto the metal mesh inside the can, instead of carrying it through the inter-cooler to the air intake, where it can be deposited onto the intake valves.

The effectiveness of OCC's is questionable. All do something, but some do better than others, and none provide 100% effectiveness. If you search around the internet, you will see anecdotal reports of OCC's filtering out between 10-90% of the oil mist in the intake air. Lets just say that OCC's reduce the speed of carbon build-up on the valves.

Having said all that, I had replaced one N14 engine at 56K miles due to blown exhaust valves on cyl 4, and am taking all possible precautions with the replacement, thus installed BSH catch can with boost tap adopter:
http://www.detroittuned.com/bsh-oil-catch-can/

HTH,
a

 

Yes in the name of Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis you should do all and everything to stop this it is not just the intakes that are affected but the whole engine I run 2 catch cans and a fine mesh filter. the first can will catch oil and water the second a bit less oil and and very little water the final mesh is getting there no actual oil but still I can feel a bit on the surface. My next set up will get it though. Mann Pro-vent with its own regulator or Saikou Michi are good. The whole stock setup is argh the vacuum control needs to be tuned to the engine during freezing conditions you need to monitor the set up and a safety valve would be nice

 

Thanks so much for the help! Any thoughts on using Seafoam in the oil to reduce the deposits that already have deposited on the valve due to the DI! My Mini only has 27, 500 on it, but believe I might have already caused some damage. I've heard mixed results.
Thanks again,
G

 

I use Seafoam but it has its problems, you carefully run spray-infuse it through the intake at oil changes when the engine is cool let it sit for a bit then run it through. What good it does may come at a price if the particles get caught between piston and cylinder or hit the turbo at velocity they could cause undue wear. However as build up gets bad its going to do this anyway. At your mileage I think you should be ok if you want to be sure scope the bores and go ahead and have the intakes walnut blasted. The problem has a snowball point as the engine normally wears, a bit more blow by happens, this is quite ok and normal but now you add to the growing accumulation at an ever increasing rate. There are people who report getting well over 100k on these engines I think they are the ones doing what they can to keep their engines clean. Others seem to need rebuilds after 70k with super wear. I really do see some good using two catch cans my final stage is something I made. I would use a basic first catch can then the Mann pro-vent or go for a double Saikou Michi. the pro-vent has a regulator to help keep the vacuum at the proper level its not as good as I would like but the one in the valve cover should not be considered fail safe the cost of failure is a dead engine. After saying all that the n14/n18 engines have a lot to offer and I like them its the parts suppliers who bamboozled the auto manufacturer, but the auto manufacturers should not have become so reliant on outside engineers and a non competitive number of suppliers, the design is basically set and production has to move but the suppliers dont really have to fix things until you get something like the airbag failures. I check the set up after long drives, filling up or weekly you will get a feel for whats required you will get lots of water that means the set up is working a push button to drain would be great oh check your intake tubes and such and clean as needed yes its a pain. On port injection all this was just being cleaned by fuel

 

Can't hurt, but wont permanently solve your problems either.
The only way to know how much it helps is to inspect valves before and after, but by that point you might as well be walnut blasting them (getting intake off is a bit of a PITA).

a

 

There is important warning in there - especially in the winter, the majority of the deposits caught in the OCC will be water (with some oily residue). If you do not religiously empty the OCC and park outdoors in freezing temps, OCC will freeze and may block the air flow, leading to all sorts of idling and running problems.

a

 

Search for my thread that includes the photo of what I pulled out of my OCC after 4 months. I cannot repost on this thread...

 

You should be checking often the two can approach helps to gauge what gets passed and just checking your intake tubes at the joints is a good practice now and then run your finger around the inside edges with my current set up I get only a little film and none farther into the pipe so I think one more try and fingers crossed. Oil mist control is done industrially all the time they just get to use big tanks and the designer is on the hook as a contractor who is responsible for the system to work.