I just picked up a new valve cover gasket, oil and filter from the stealership. The parts rep told me a workaround is to drill two very small holes in the oil filler cap at 90-degree angles to the tabs.
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I just picked up a new valve cover gasket, oil and filter from the stealership. The parts rep told me a workaround is to drill two very small holes in the oil filler cap at 90-degree angles to the tabs.
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i would pass on the radium can - you are correct about the lack of baffling.... the design is... well.... baffling? LOL.
anyway - 42draftdesigns makes great catch cans, and there is 1 or 2 mishimoto ones that look OK...
it shouldn't.
interesting. never heard of this before!
peter
2004 330i ZHP
2005 330iT ZHP
2010 328iT M Sport
I’m looking at the 42draftdesigns can right now; thinking about the NPT-threaded one for versatility’s sake. I agree that it seems the best option of the three (Radium and Mishimoto being the other two). I also read your thread about heating the can; thinking to source those parts as well, so I can cold weather-proof my car and prevent this disaster from repeating itself. Temperatures are supposed to be in the minus 20º-30º F range this week, which bodes ill for a car that has to sit on a surface lot at work all night.
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I had a Mishimoto can, Although the design of the one I had was good on the outside, the can was completely empty of baffling on the inside.
Peter, where did you mount the can on your e46?
Dinan CAI &Throttle body, ESS Tuning TS2, Bimmerbrakes gen3 headers, UUC SSK & DSSR. Achilles oil pump, VAC oil pan baffle
M3 Motor mounts, UUC Trans mounts, Modified clutch style LSD 3.15, TMS front subframe reinforcement, Koni Yellow sports,
H&R sport springs, UUC sway bars, BMW Perf. Rotors, UUC SS brake lines, Hawk HPS pads, CSL replica wheels,
Rotora strut bar, FXR HID conversion, M3 Mirror conversion, BSW stage 1 speakers
it isn't really the sitting, it's short trips - how long is your commute? it's got to be at least 20min with these temps - you need to burn off the condensate.
i actually had it sitting right up front, next to the PS fluid reservoir. it was up there initially for ease of access (for testing), and short hose runs - but it seemed to work OK.
excellent - i have one of their 'ultimate' cans here (the one with the dipstick) that is going in my 335.
as for location - the drug bin really is a great spot for ease of access, and ease of mounting - but the hose runs are fairly long. i will likely mount the one in the 335 directly over the headers - you want as much residual heat to keep that thing warm. also, the 0ºC thermoswitch and 5w silicone heating pad that i used before, i will re-use on the 42draftdesigns can - it just worked so well....
in hindsight here, for this thread - the G.A.S. CCV really is the ultimate solution, albeit expensive - i ran it on my Touring with the ZHP motor and man, it worked so well. but... i guess it won't work with the supercharger??
peter
2004 330i ZHP
2005 330iT ZHP
2010 328iT M Sport
The trip on which the gasket appears to have failed was about 75 minutes. The night before, my commute in from my mom’s place was 15-20 minutes, with most of it at highway speeds. I found plenty of frozen mayo in the valve cover and the PCV hose attachment; I’ll try to open the S/C to get at the PCV valve and clean it, too. Also, I found oil in a few of the spark plug wells, consistent with VC gasket failure.
Besides a repeat of this debacle, my biggest worry is oil damage to hoses and belts. I’ll replace the accessory belt, which got oiled. As for the coolant hoses, they’re fairly new, so I’m going to cross my fingers on wiping them down and keeping them.
From what I’ve read, it’s the cool surface areas in the catch can that cause the oil/fuel vapors to condense; therefore, a cooler mounting spot is preferred in order to facilitate air/oil separation. As for the longer hose runs, 1/2” NPT tubing will take up less space in a crowded engine bay, and could be easily insulated if necessary. I like the thermoswitch and heating pad idea; it’s simple and effective—quite clever, really.
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wow, that's nuts. 75 minutes should be plenty... i wonder if your PCV froze after the 15-20min drive.
thanks, but i can't take all the credit for it - my father lent his (professional) engineering brain on the thermoswitch idea after i brought up the heating pad idea. it is most definitely simple - and it worked for the two winters i ran it, in plenty of -20C weather.
as for the cooler mounting spot - the G.A.S. CCV sits right atop the oil filter, and it works phenomenally at evaporating the vapors. to my mind, the hotter, the better - those vapors need to evaporate.
when you buy tubing... maybe sure you get oil-friendly tubing that is very, very stiff - regular heater hose will most definitely collapse (BTDT on my first test rig)! check our mcmaster-carr for serious hose.
peter
2004 330i ZHP
2005 330iT ZHP
2010 328iT M Sport
That’s what I’m guessing, anyway.
Then thanks to you AND your father! It’s on my list to use this winter, which stands to be a cold one.
You may be right; I may be crazy. Still, I’m going to try the ‘drug box’ and see if it works. Report to follow!
Thank you! I’ll certainly check that site out; otherwise, 42 Draft Designs also sells hose.
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I haven't looked into the GAS CCV... does that drain back or do you disassemble to clean/drain? I may revisit the drub box location, I liked how it looked and fit in there. I'm interested to see what you come up with, Michele...
This is how I did mine...
Dinan CAI &Throttle body, ESS Tuning TS2, Bimmerbrakes gen3 headers, UUC SSK & DSSR. Achilles oil pump, VAC oil pan baffle
M3 Motor mounts, UUC Trans mounts, Modified clutch style LSD 3.15, TMS front subframe reinforcement, Koni Yellow sports,
H&R sport springs, UUC sway bars, BMW Perf. Rotors, UUC SS brake lines, Hawk HPS pads, CSL replica wheels,
Rotora strut bar, FXR HID conversion, M3 Mirror conversion, BSW stage 1 speakers