The repairs continue. I will be able to fix anything on a Mini soon I hope! I took my son's car (2008, R56, N12 NA Engine, 155K miles) for a quick 12 minute run to town and back. We just completed replacing the red PCV membrane/seal/ gasket thing, and the second t-stat replacement (they last 6 years it seems).

I begin to smell oil in the cabin when almost home and the engine, I'm assuming, is at operating temp. I was a little hard on her trying to see if the original clutch had any slip, which it does not.

I parked, opened the hood, saw some seepage from the PCV gasket area:



I then opened the oil fill cap and was welcomed by lots of white oily smelling smoke. The engine also began to shoddily stumble.
Is my newly replaced PCV membrane not functioning correctly? Is there something else going on?

FWIW: This engine has been meticulously maintained since birth by my father (mechanical engineer) and myself, his vacuous protégé.

 

it is normal that the engine stumble when open the oil cap. the PCV valve open a a lot of unmeasured air goes towards the intake.
I have only experience with R56 , and the PCV valve is integrate on the convert . my car use the have a lot white smoke at idle and when I opened the oil cap.. I replace the valve seal and solve the problem. see this thread.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...placement.html