Please keep us updated, I just picked up a 2011 mcs last Friday and ordered a BSH OCC and I want to do everything I can to keep my engine clean.

Sean

 

Subscribing, just ordered a 2012 MCS, and would like to know as well.

 

I received the catch can for my 2011 cooper s today but cannot for the life of me get the hose off the valve cover side, any thoughts?


Sean

 

The stock O-ring is a really tight fit. I had to wiggle and pull on it much harder than I expected. If the clips on the outside have cleared, just keep working on it. It will come off eventually.

 

Ok, I'll keep trying. The other issue I have is a hard plastic tube that runs past the airbox directly over the MAF sensor is in the way, I can move it but its right where the hose connects to the catch can. I am also running into a clearance issue with the ecu (i believe its the ecu its a medium sized rectangle box with a wire loom coming out of it.) The can fits but its pretty tight.

Sean

 

I ended up bending the L-bracket open just a little bit, to about a 95 degree angle. It helped out a lot with the clearance during my install.

 

I will have to look at that, I am looking into making a new mount once I get my intake.

Sean

 

Who sells the new occ for the 2011's?
Looked but only found for the 07-10s.

 

I got mine from DoS:
http://defendersofspeed.com/store/pr...?id_product=36

Way has them now too:
http://www.waymotorworks.com/bsh-n18...-r57-2011.html

 

Mine is the bsh can that was purchased through DoS, one important thing with the bsh can is make sure that you get the pushlock fittings tight on the adapters. The connector on the valve cover came loose within a day because it was not totally tight, it was my fault but its worth saying.

Sean

 

Just wanted to give an update, My can has nothing substantial in it right now. It has a gross oil film over the inside but there is no liquid yet. I am out in Houston so the low temperature has been in the high 70s. How are you guys doing with the catch cans on your 2011s?

Sean

 

i had always thought that the occ would be my first mod. however, after a couple of inspections of the tube that runs from the crankcase to the intake, i'm starting to think that the car doesn't really need one. i live in socal where the temps generally range from the 50s to 80s year round. i've put over 8k on my car since april. 3 weeks ago, i had danny from minicorsa install my alta fmic. when he took the stock ic off, i inspected it and could find no evidence of any oil residue anywhere on the ic, which was consistent with my not finding any residue on the pipe from the crankcase to the intake. so unless you 2011 MCS owners start catching a lot of gunk in your occ's, i'm gonna forgo getting one.

 

My experience thus far has been similar to Smokey's. A film has formed in the can w/ actual drops forming on the dipstick -- nasty smelling stuff. But nothing close to anything that would need to be emptied. I suppose things might be a little different this winter when the can becomes more efficient.

I also installed some gauges recently that include ability to display boost pressure. I was a bit surprised at how much time the manifold stays under a vacuum, even during light acceleration and highway cruising. Since the N18 OCC is only functional during periods of positive boost pressure, I guess I'm not surprised at the lack of goo since I haven't done very much spirited driving since the install.

 

My understanding was that the only time that the catch can did anything was under vacuum because that is the only time that oil vapor can escape the crankcase. Either way I have collected very little but its getting something. Jomama, how long have you had your cooper for? Has it just been in the summer or winter too?

Thanks

Sean

 

 

How does the oil vapor escape the crankcase then? on the n18 its connected to the non boosted side of the intake, this side is never under boost because its before the turbo. This means that the only way that the crank case vapors can escape is by A) transition of heat from an area of higher concentration to one of lower by thermodynamic transfer, B) the increase in crankcase pressure from the oil expanding and the small degree of cylinder blow-by past the rings which results in an increase in pressure thus expanding and going through the tube, or C) the compressor side of the turbo pulling air through a filter resulting in an area of lower than atmospheric pressure which results in the higher pressure crankcase gasses rushing into the catch can to attempt to equalize the area of lower pressure.

This means that the catch can only "functions" when there is negative pressure on the side not connected to the crankcase.

Sean

 

This occurs as the catch can is hooked up to the inlet side of the turbocharger and ALWAYS pulling vacuum, even at idle.

- Erik

 

It is actually a combination of the three but yes that it the main driving force. Back to the real question though, does anyone else have any personal experience with stuff in the catch can yet or just a film like Gil and I?

Sean

 

If you look in the original BSH OCC thread, you'll see many pulling junk out from different model years:
* https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...t-install.html

Ranges vary, but the critical element is seeing what yours specifically does.
Obviously the less, the better and preferred; I was surprised (and greatful) how little is collected compared to other owners.
Keep in mind, the water condensation varies from regional environmental changes in humidty and dew-point.

- Erik

 

Yeah, I am by no means complaining about how little I get out, I am just wondering if the difference in design between the 2 motors and cans had had an effect. I will do my best to keep posting my results.

Sean

 

Two cases: Normal and Boost...

Normal
The intake manifold is under vacuum (relative to ambient) by the motion of the cylinder heads drawing air into the chamber. The PCV system routes crankcase fumes to the intake ports, thereby ensuring the blow-by does not pressurize (relative to ambient) the crankcase. Blow-by contains a lot of hydrocarbons left over from incomplete combustion, and recycling them back to the intake ports for re-burning also leads to a more environmentally-friendly car. To increase the efficiency of the PCV system, a second path is introduced to bring fresh air in to the crankcase and help evacuate more of the crankcase fume hydrocarbons to the intake ports. It's like when you burn something in the oven and you want to clear the smoke from the house, you open the front door *and* the back door so the smoke can leave one way and fresh air can come in the other.

Boost
When under boost, the turbo is pressurizing (relative to ambient) the air flowing through the intake ports to the combustion chamber. Your PCV valve stops this pressure from coming back through the PCV system to the crankcase by closing off that path. This allows blow-by to pressurize (relative to ambient) the crankcase ... *BUT* that fresh air path is still there *and* the turbo is now sucking like crazy. This second path then acts similar to how the first path did in the Normal case, ensuring the crankcase stays under vacuum (relative to ambient). But these fumes are not being burnt off any longer... now they're coating your turbo and intercooler with crankcase fume hydrocarbons.

Fortunately, the vast majority of the time, your engine will be acting as in the Normal case; Boost only applies a fraction of the time.

Not true.

When not under boost, the intake ports are a much stronger pull on the volume of air in the crankcase than the cold air intake boot is. The direction of airflow will be from the CAI boot to the crankcase the vast majority of the time, not the other way around.

 

The largest "difference in design" is that many people would alter the PCV system of the N14 such that what used to be the "fresh air" path is the only one left, forcing all evacuated crankcase fumes out that hose so that a single can could address them all. This PCV system alteration is not possible (at least not easily) with the N18, so measuring relative collection volumes is an apples/oranges comparison.

 

+1 to everything fish said.

One plus point in our favor is that there are a lot more blow-by gases produced by volume when the engine is under load (including when the intake manifold is under pressure), and I imagine this is especially true as the piston rings and cylinder walls wear over time. So at least the N18 cans are seeing the crankcase vapors under these conditions, even if it is only for a fraction of the total time. That should help keep gunk out of the turbo and intercooler.

Hopefully the new intake design is doing a better job of catching more of the crankcase vapor hydrocarbons under vacuum conditions. Only time will tell.

Ergo, one answer to the main question posed as the title of this thread might be: "It's not as useful as it is on the N14 with a boost tap plug...but it certainly can't hurt anything."

 

sorry for the delayed response. i just recently moved and haven't been online much since my apt hasn't been hooked up with internet, yet.
i've had my mcs since mid april. i've managed to put 8200 miles on the car so far. i live in socal, so there's no real winter here. i do get on the car from time to time for giggles and to manage my way around the way cali people drive. there really was nothing in my i/c or the tube that runs from the pcv to the intake that suggests any amount of goo getting to my intake. the inside of the tube that runs from the pcv smells like exhaust, but when i rub my fingers inside it, there is absolutely no residue. for the time being, i'm gonna go without an occ. if the '11 owners start collecting a bunch of fluids, then i'll reconsider.

 

Same here, i just checked my pvc valve, and its clean, my car has 14000 miles