Hope you figure it out.....

Stock is simply running the line on the drivers side to the intake hose and the one on the passenger side to the grey hose under the IC.

 

Thanks for your help Scottibend. Stock might be in my future.

There are 2 things I don't get...

1. How does switching the vacuum side on the OCC from the intake on the TB ( as it was when my OCC was installed) to the grey hose decrease the dreaded mucus mustard oil?

2. How can it be "ok" to cap off either the gray hose, (as it was when my OCC was installed) or the intake on the TB as you show?

 

1: The intake connection is a low vacuum hose. Not enough vacuum to activate or purge the PCV valve.

2: The old instructions from Alta showed the high vacuum grey line capped off, but they have changed that due to problems like yours and mine. Because the intake is a much lower vacuum and not even working at idle, it doesn't hurt anything to cap it off. The grey line offers a higher vacuum and it is "working" all the time.

 

The saga continues: As it turns out I re-did everything, connected to the gray high vacuum hose, as Scottibend suggested. I capped off the TB intake and the car still sounds like a flying saucer; no leaks, no kinks, and good P.S.I on the boost gauge . I'm not sure what the @#%& is up. ....So, in my frustrated state, I said "screw it"and cut hoses got rid of the OCC and re-routed back to stock. Flying saucer sound GONE.

I still don't get why with the instructions from ALTA would cause the mucus mustard oil, (perhaps w/ the short trips in the cold climate). And I don't understand how then changing it to the higher vacuum gray hose would reportively correct the problem. I have to admit my IC was squeeky clean when I took it off with the OCC. Prior to the OCC there was a considerable amount of moisture within it. I'll trade the moisture in the IC over the mucus mustard oil anytime. Time will tell.

 

The reason for the "mustard" is that the moisture in the valve cover is not getting sucked out. When you hooked up the grey line you were venting the valve cover better, thus the moisture was being taken out before being mixed with the oil.

One other suggestion about the whistling sound, it may have been coming from the plug you had on the intake hose connection.

 

The sucking power must have been adequate with the vacuum being set up to the TB as initially installed. My OCC would fill up PLENTY!!! ....all the time as a matter of fact....and perhaps if I had emptied it weekly/ daily...I wouldn't have had the mustard oil phenomenon......So I think lack of sucking power was not the issue w/ the prior set up. In fact, if the vacuum was that much stronger w/ the gray line, perhaps I would have had more moisture in the oil.

Good thought on the flying saucer sound. What's done is done...I'm back to stock.

Now I'm off to "burn off that moisture"

 

The solution I found to this problem was really simple : you remove the OCC and, bang, the mustard is gone !! Bl..dy OCC, useless and it could be bad for the engine.

 

and a little rubber.....................

 

Not bad if installed correctly.

 

I'm late to this discussion, but I have heard of this type of oil problem before.

This sounds like the same oil gelling issue that caused Toyota and Chrysler so many problems. Only I don't think their gel burnt off after getting the engine hot. And didn't Chrysler build the engines in the early Mini?

Both automakers claimed it was due to improper maintenance, infrequent driving, start and stop driving, and cold climates.

They threw in the improper maintenance line to deflect criticisms that they had designed the engines incorrectly. It didn't work - they had a mass recall.

Does the current generation of the Mini (Renault engine) have the same gelling problem?

 

Have you read this whole thread?

You would have read that the problem has to do with improper venting of the PCV valve when using an OCC. The oil is not "gelling", it is just getting mixed with the water/oil vapor in the valve cover.

 

In fact, I tried 2 ways :

1. the one from Alta : lot of mustard in the engine ... but it collects a part of it
2. my way : no mustard at all but the OCC doesn't collect anything (sorry the picture comments are in French)


That's why my conclusion is : OCC useless ... except maybe on track only.

 

Congrats......you are one of the lucky ones with very little blow-by (or the OCC is not doing it's job).

That is the same way I have my can installed plus I have one hooked up to the intake line. I get a fair amount of vapor (oil and water) in the can attached to the high vacuum line to the SC. I rarely get anything from the other. I have some inert material in both to act as a collector so I may be getting more because of that.

 

Yes, I have read the whole thread. Did you read my entire post?

I was merely making a comment regarding a similar problem with other automakers, and I asked a question about the new generation engines.

If you don't like the word "gelling" how about sludge? That's a word I've seen used when talking about the need for an OCC. Although I guess the mustard simile seems more benign.

 

This has been discussed many times in this and other threads. It is not a problem with cars left stock, only with an improperly installed OCC.