So my 2003 MCS with 113,000 miles was in the dealership the other day having a cylinder head replaced. When I get the report he gave me a list of stuff they want to charge me money for. He said the car didn't have as much pep as they would expect, which was probably due to a faulty BPV, so he quoted me $313 to replace it.

I found the Detroit Tunes BPV online so I just bought it to replace myself. The install went fine getting everything taken apart (although it pained me to take off the ALTA's intake hose considering how much of a pain it was to get on there the first time), until I got to the Supercharger Pipe.

The instructions ( http://helix13.com/inst/dtbpvins/DTBPVINS.htm ) detail how to push down on the pipe to get the hose off the BPV itself, telling you to be careful not to break that pipe.

I was worried about breaking the pipe at first, so I was being gentle with it. Then not so gentle. Eventually I was just pushing down with both hands on the end. The sucker will not move! I did indeed take off the clamp but that connection just will not budge at all.

Has anyone else had this problem of not being able to remove the BPV from the supercharger pipe? It seems like its just a rubber on metal connection that's been there for over 100,000 miles and doesn't want to move.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Somewhere here there is a how to do on this.
The first time can be tough though. I remove the throttle body intake hose and the plastic air box intake pipe then the throttle body to make room. Then the air horn on that side with the BPV attached. When I replaced my BPV the first time while I had the inter cooler horn on that side off I replaced the studs with bolts to make it easier the next time.
Did you soak it with PB blaster to help break the seal? That and prying on the top of the hose working from side to side did it for me. You can clean up the mess later with throttle body cleaner. Be careful not to break the small tab off the throttle body intake tube.
I'm now running a "tuned by Norm" 03 BPV with higher rate spring and adjusted butterfly. This cost me about $1.50 and netted a much nicer throttle response and a little over a pound additional boost.

 

I thought this interesting, Dellorto "Dell'Orto" the famous Italian Carburetor manufacturer supplies the BPV to MINI.

 

Norm
Would you care to share what spring you used and where it can be purchased when you did the tuned by Norm Bp valve?
Thanks, Steve

 

I bought the spring from a local ACE hardware store. I don't have the spring number on hand but will get by there some time this week end and post it up here.
Also I had to cut and reconfigure it for this application. It's not a one for one deal if ya know what I mean.

 

Norm
Thanks for the information. I was just thinking if you had a drop in replacement that might be a little stiffer I would pick one up just in case for the future. My BPV is working fine and I did a R&R years ago to check the alignment of the butterfly plate. Occasionally someone has a problem with the spring breaking and your information would be good to know so they did not have to buy the complete BPV.
Thanks, Steve

 

If you have an ACE Hardware near you they have a spring collection, it would be a #58. Or the size I bought was half inch ID x seven eights OD x three and a half inches long, 14 coils, wire diameter .080. Used a bit less than a third of the spring, stretched out some and modified to fit the base guides in BPV.
Didn't record any measurements just compared to my broken OEM spring for length. I seem to have gotten it right because it feels and works better than it ever did with a stock BPV or VGS.

 

Norm
Thanks for the info. That is really good information.
Steve

 

Bet you will never see this in a stickie up here on the NAM
Yeah, I'm the maniac!