understood.
so its basically I have to decide if I want to take the chance of having gunked up valves over time and leaving the pass side pcv open or possibly leaking gaskets down the road and plugging it with the dual boost tap?
hmmm, i wonder what repair would cost more?

 

Autometer boost guage #4301 mounted left of tach.

 

Apparently BMW doesn't think 2 PCV tubes are required. The 2011 MCS has only one. It would be nice if someone could pull the cam cover off a 2011 and see if they've put some kind of baffling in there to try and trap the crankcase fumes. Ford is already doing that on their DFI engines. Volunteers?

 

By the way, the BSH catch can and dual boost tap were the first mods I put on the MINI, 50 miles, as soon as I got home from the dealer. I have a little over 7,000 miles on now without any problems whatsoever. Good luck.

 

I talked to the shop foreman at my local MINI dealer, last Monday, about using an oil catch can. They are very mod friendly there. He said that he has seen a few cars with oil catch cans come through the shop and that none have caused any problems.

We also discussed the 2011 MINIs. He said that the new ones have a different head with passages that run from the head cover to the intake ports, there is also a different cover, with four O rings to seal those ports to the cover.

This is why there is no hose from the cover to the intake manifold anymore. He said that there had been a problem with oil pooling at the throttle and the new head is MINI's fix.

Dave

 

It's not boost tap or nothing, ya know...

 

I am definitely worried about the increase in pressure myself. I think I will eventually replace the boost tap block off with a second OCC, after saving a few more pennies...

 

Fishbert, where did you get that elbo that plugs into the valve cover?

 

YIKES! Hope I'm not jumping to conclusions, but if that's right now there is no way to Seafoam a 2011 MCS! Oil is now being dumped directly on the intake valves and a OCC won't help. Hope I'm wrong, but I do think I'll be keeping my '08!

 

that is a very nice setup. is that a DD42 OCC? how did you run the lines to the intake and driver side intake ports?

 

http://store.42draftdesigns.com/PCV-...tic_p_322.html
... but I'm sure you can find similar elsewhere.
Also, I wouldn't recommend the hose they supply (and that's shown in the picture I posted). I had trouble with it starting to collapse under the vacuum; ended up replacing it with some fancy (and fairly expensive @ around $8/ft) metal reinforced vacuum hose. I've been really happy with the new stuff, so far.

I bought an extra crankcase ventilation hose from the dealership (so I could keep the original if I wanted to go back... and so I could work on something not coated in oil), and tore it apart for the end fittings. Worm-clamped hose to those fittings, and swapped them (one's right-angled, the other at about 45 degrees to ease with the new hose routing.
http://fishbert.imgur.com/catch_can_installed

Right now I don't have anything on the CAI-to-valve-cover line, but I plan on addressing that in the near future... well, maybe after I get the time/motivation to take off the intercooler and clean it out first.

While I haven't had a chance to look at the inner workings of a valve cover (old or new), I understand that part of its function is to act as a vapor separator to keep oil and such out of the intake ports. If that's actually correct, it hasn't exactly worked as intended to date... but maybe the new one will buck that trend. I suspect the only way we'll know for sure if carbon buildup is still and issue on the N18 engine is to wait a bit and find a 2011 MCS owner who wants to pull the intake and take a peek.

 

Ok I thought you had 2 catch cans one on the intake and one on the back. But you only have 1? are you not worried about the intake side?

 

My primary concern has been carbon buildup on the intake ports. The CAI side doesn't have anything to do with that... just that some people have found oil collecting in their intercoolers from the fumes that escape that way under boost conditions. It's a concern that I plan on addressing with a 2nd can in the future; but it's not a priority at the moment.

 

I custom blocked the TB side pcv and have a catch can, clean as a whistle! Most of the carbon issues relate to cars that are not rev'd through the ranges and the air/pcv gases do not travel at high velocities enough through the system. to be burned off completely. Horrible design but you can remedy it.

 

Revving it more doesn't do anything good regarding carbon buildup in the intake ports and on the back of intake valves in direct-injection engines.

 

BigPR, You blocked the turbo side and have a can on the back side like Fishbert? Are you concerned about the blockage causing any leaks. I just removed my boost port tap plug because I am concerned about causing leaks. So now I need a second catch can....

 

I've had my dual boost port installed, with the plug, for the last 3500 miles, and haven't had any leaks.

Where are you worried it will leak from?

Dave

 

It just seems to me that the extra pressure may cause a some gaskets somewhere to leak. I just called BSH Speed Shop and they assured me it was OK so after work I will be puting my plug back in, for now......?

 

No TB as in throttle body the intake manifold side works under vacuum which is 75% of your driving once blocked your good to go.

 

If you completely blocked off the pcv system* it would cause a blow in the valve cover gasket, you still have venting per the intake side(catch can location).


Also helps a ton with the sooty bum

 

First off, you should probably put the plug back on until you actually get a 2nd can. The (theoretical, mind you) risks of blocking that line are more of a long-term concern, which I would think is out-weighed by the carbon buildup issue.

I can't speak to what BigPR is doing, but I'd like to clarify and say that I don't have anything blocked off.

That said; blocking the driver side line from the CAI wouldn't be a problem... except the car is turbocharged. If that line were blocked off, blow-by gases don't have anywhere to go under boost and would momentarily pressurize the crankcase much more than having the boost tap blocking the other side would.

I think he's talking about leaking gaskets from a pressurized crankcase. It's a possibility that doesn't make me comfortable with using a boost tap to block the crankcase ventilation hose on my car... but as I've said before, I don't think I've ever heard of anyone actually experiencing a problem with it.

-------

EDIT:
while I was writing the above, it seems much of it was already answered.
You should call them back and ask them to post to NAM again. They used to be really active in some very interesting threads; even working with NAM folks to improve their catch can design in one. Then their accounts were marked as 'banned' (no clue why) and they stopped posting. The accounts don't appear to be banned any more (again, not sure why), and I sure think it'd be nice to see them around here again.

 

I blocked the vacuum side all together i cant think of any long term effects at all, what effects were you referring to?

 

Does anyone notice that the car takes longer to warm up with the Boost Port Tap Plugged?

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ml#post3135707

 

I see where your coming from but all that is being done is the vacuum is not present, boost pressure seen at the valve cover is the same either way. I see the running rich theory but the ecu will compensate to a great percentage to over come that. I havent seen the smoke problem yet(knock on wood) but that is in no way a negative effect, Nothing is being hurt by the blockage. When you block the pcv(passenger side) all your doing is getting rid of the vacuum source. the valve cover still has an opening which vents which is why you will not blow a VC gasket.


I see where your coming from but i have to disagree on negative effects.


And having a white car and being a detailing junky the first thing i took notice of was that the rear was definitively less sooty.