To expand a little on my earlier post #9. After installing the OCC and dual boost tap I had only 50 miles on my MINI. I changed oil at 500 miles, and had practically nothing in the catch can. I also changed oil at approximately 1300 miles before my trip out east, very little in the OCC, and at that time I also installed a boost guage, I was also going to install oil pressure and water temp guages but did not have the adapters yet. Anyway, after I returned, I changed the oil at 5200 miles. When I change oil I only put in four quarts, it brings the oil to the center of the two bumps on the dipstick (some put in four and a half but I think thats overfilling). The oil was a dark honey colour and I got four quarts back out, so I guess I had no oil consumption.
Trying to get a handle on how the emissions work, looking at RealOEM schematics, to me it looks like the cylinder head cover is of course one piece, with openings on the passenger and driver side for vent hoses. The passenger side going to the intake manifold and the driver side venting into the intercooler and then into the intake. Depending on engine conditions, does most of the emissions go thru the passenger side ? With a dual boost tap blocking off that route and forcing all of the gasses thru the drivers side and OCC, I ended up with a little over 3 oz's of gunk in the OCC after 4000 or so miles of motoring. Thats 3 oz's of gunk that did not end up on the intake valves and the ensuing carbon buildup, so I think it was $ well spent.
Anyway thats my story and I'm sticking to it, it works and I'm happy with that. Any ? I can help with, let me know, I probably won't have any better answers, but I'll help if I can. Good luck.

 

sounds good but does anybody know how the valve works when boost is introduced? Is there even a valve?

 

I didn't see any pcv valve per se in the schematics. At idle I see 20" of vacuum, motoring about 10-12" of vacuum, and under boost have seen 16 lbs of pressure.
On a side note, oil pressure is about 50 lbs. motoring, and 27 or so at idle, and 75 lbs. start up with cold engine. Water temp reads about 230 degrees after warm up (ouch) but I guess thats normal?

 

I believe the PCV valve is incorporated into the valve cover. See TSB SI-M-11-01-09.
Unrelated, but from the same site... this consumer complaint reads rather (unfortunately) funny.
"Do-dee-do-dee-do... goin' to get my wallet on an otherwise uneventful day... do-dee-do... OMG, WTF?!?!"

 

Fishbert,

your explanation make lots of sense, may be adding a separator to the passenger side hose would do the job.
Would you know where I could find one?
Thanks

 

People seem to use "oil catch can" interchangeably with "vapor separator". I'm pretty far from an expert on the subject, but I believe the difference between them has to do with what's inside the can -- a vapor separator having stuff designed to actually separate out the vapors, and an oil catch can being mostly just an empty can designed to catch stuff that's already falling out due to gravity.

I've heard good things about the cans from these guys and these other guys. The stealth option from the first one has a really nice separator design, while the dip stick from the second one gives a convenient top-side drain option if you have one of these.

 

installed the BSH OCC and the boost tap today. Excellent quality.

 

We still don't know how the vent system works. Two lines connecting to places with very different pressure/vacuum readings. Now it seems the system was modified. That may explain why what I see on my 09 is not what other cars have.

 

What do you see on your '09?

 

I thought I explained it back on page 1.

 

Look up post (R56 S PCV system ?) It might answer alot of ?

 

it's been explained time and time again...I'm not understanding what he doesn't understand....

 

I don't understand because I know a little bit about cars. The explanations do not pass muster. Emission systems are getting more and more complicated, but they still follow the basic laws of physics. Companies don't put on extra lines for nothing.

We have teo lines comming out of the valve cover. No idea if they vent the same place. No idea if there anr any valves inside the valve cover.
One line goes to the hose just short of the turbo. So, this line will always have a low vacuum on it. Very low as it is only showing the drop across the CAI and air cleaner. A second line runs from the other side down under to the intake manifold. I would guess at idle, this may also see some vacuum, but will soon see full boost. Vary hard to believe this is an EXIT going into full boost. Again, no idea if there are some valves in these lines. No help from the on-line parts diagrams. What I would like to see if the factory manual that describes the evaporative control system.

 

The only thing I completely understand is that the bleedin thing works. I have a rudementary grasp on how it does, and that it keeps a good deal of crankcase vapors off of my valves = less carbon build up, and frankly, that is all I care about.
Miniamos, indicated he had a billow of smoke at idle, and that it went away on acceleration, and no one has figured that out. I'm just guessin something wasn't hooked up properly.
So, do I understand how it works not completely, do I care not entirely, am I still yup. Again, good luck to all.

 

Let me try to address this by reposting the explanation I gave you in this other thread over here:
You never responded to that with further questions, so I thought it made sense to you. Please let me know what the issue is.

 

I see what you are saying, but it does not make much sense why it would be designed that way. If it is, then two separators would be required. Plumbing them together would be a bad idea. Under boost, which is when you would have the most blow-buy, you are saying boost is blowing through the crankcase and out into the inlet of the turbo. I have a hard time believing that, but then again, it is a French engine and they are famous for doing things differently from everybody else. I guess I need to stick some probes in the hoses to find out what is really happening.

 

I have seen a few complaints here about oil in intercoolers.

 

I detailed my car today and got it ready for winter. After finishing detailing under the hood I said...let me take a peek at my intake boot so I loosened the clamp on the turbo flange. I pulled the intake boot off and it was 'almost' dry. There felt to be a slight slipperiness to it. When I looked into the compressor housing/flange, there was a light film of oil but enough to get my paper towel wet with oil. Now...I was under the impression that this area was to be DRY. Is this a funcion of the BSH one can system? I have only had it on for about 300 miles.

 

unless it takes you a really long time to put 300 miles on your MINI, I think it's probably from before you put the can on (under boost, that PCV line pushes out crankcase crap -- just like the passenger side line to the intake manifold does when not under boost).

 

fishbert,
Thanks for the reply. I was sorta thinking that but got nervous. Thanks for making me feel at ease.

 

Absolutely UNBELIEVABLE what I pulled out of the can today. 500 miles after installation and I pulled a half to 3/4 of a cup of pure liquid combustion byproduct (mixing syringe). Some if it was milky and thick, most of it was the typical yellowish/brownish stinky byproduct. It blows my mind that this stuff, or a portion of it, is being blown back up through the intake manifold. Even on a port injected car it would be ugly nevermind the DI configuration. Incredible....

 

Posted this elsewhere...

This is some nasty stuff...

 

onefish,
I saw your post when researching the BSH unit. I really can't believe that the MINI did not come from the factory with some sort of catch can/separator!

 

Me either. That sludge is nasty. Don't get it on your skin either. It burns a bit.

 

You try selling a car to someone if you tell them they have to periodically take oily sludge out of a can under the hood.