I learned a long time ago not to let RealOEM rule your life....some parts are not on there. If you want a part go to a dealership and talk to a person its always better

 

I've found RealOEM to be a rather reliable resource, actually. Even the dealership parts guy said they have pretty much the same info he has to work with. The advantage the parts guy has is personal experience with various parts, and knowledge of certain phone numbers to bump a tricky question higher up the chain of command.

Anyway, I ended up buying a few caps off czar. Even working through the dealership parts guy and after pointing out they came standard on the N18 engines, we could never find a MINI part number for the caps. Best he could figure was that they came as shipping caps on intake manifolds, but they don't see many of those come through and didn't have any in stock to check against.

 

As an FYI, I ordered mine from ECS Tuning, got them today and will install sometime this week>

 

Completed the second drain on the BSH oil catch can:



Car info: 2009 R55 JCW
Current Date: 4/1/2012
Current Mileage: 10557 miles
Miles since Last Emptied: 1450 miles

Notes:
- winter driving produced much more water condensation due to increased humidity and lower dew point
- the semi-clear fluid is discolored water, the opaque tan fluid is the result of a chemical reaction involving the oil vapor with water condensation (very frothy)
- engine oil in crankcase was up to level (no overfilled) at all times; no oil consumption to report

Observation: was a semi wet and cooler Colorado winter. Car is driven on 20+ min trips with no short trips occurring to make sure engine is up to running temp for a good portion of being out.

Thoughts: increased humidity and lower dew point was the cause of the water condensation when the engine cooled after running.

- Erik

 

That's about what mine does. Even though there is not much oil removed that other crud can't be good for the engine so it's got to be doing something positive.
I love my BSH.

 

With this install site. Will a Strut bar pass>? Particularly the NM Strut Bar? Worried about clearance

 

I've got a MiniMania alloy strut bar and mine fits without interference.
Look at the thread, 'MCS oil catch can install' and you'll see some pictures.

 

I have the nm bar installed as well, here is a link to my OCC install.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ml#post3501052.
Currently the only problem I'm having is with the JCW CIA tapping/rubbing, ever so slightly against the nm bar.
Hope that helps.

 

I'd been getting about half that in the last 3 drains, this time however after driving over 2K miles nada, nil, zilch. Now, it is important to add that most if not all of 1300 of those were on the interstate, averaging over 50MPH, and the rest were added on while running the Dragon and the various roads nearby, most of which was in 2nd and 3rd gear in the 3K-6K range.
So, maybe the best way to be rid of those "vapors" is to burn them off!

 

I do agree somewhat. I wonder if most of the crud caught by the OCC occurs during colder temps. That's when I get most of my accumulation.
Maybe when it's hotter out and the engine is hotter more burns off so not as much dumps to the can? I think also short trips tend to lead to more accumulation as well. Engine not getting up to temp? Just some thoughts. I still think they are a good add.

 

That's because of the lowered due point and the environmental factors.
Winters can be humid, and when the dew point is lower than the catch can temperature (like after shut-down), condensation occurs.

Correct; with short trips the engine never reaches full running temperature and is not able to burn off any lingering vapor.
Also, engine RPM speed affects collection; the slower the intake runner air speed, the more vapor can collect on valves.

As it states in many of the direct-injection BMW owners manual, it does say to run the RPMs high after the engine is up to running temp.
...And believe it, these engines can handle the higher RPMs.

- Erik

 

I installed the BHS catch can in my 2012 Mini Cooper S. I had to "make" a custom bracket to fit the catch can to the car. I just happened to find a piece of metal in the street in front of our house that had an "L" shape with 2 slots and a hole in it. I put a bend in it and painted it black. The bracket allowed me to install the catch can and it fit perfectly in the space. The bracket that came with the BSH kit was never going to work. It is hard to believe that a piece of trash made the install work. : )

And you don't need the tap on the 12....

 

I have a question. ????? ? ?

The fitting that connects to the intake side is an O ring press fit but does not give me a very secure feeling. I added this collection of messy tie wraps. My question is, has this connection ever come apart when driving?



One more question, What is the part number of the factory hose part?
found it---->
11157607779 "Vent pipe"
11127589618 "Locking bow"

 

Strange on at least two counts:
1. Your inlet pipe itself looks different, at the connection point for the breather hose, than others I've seen.
**EDIT: Obviously I have not seen many N18 engines, and/or 2012 R56s, checked out RealOEM and there it was.
2. The connection on my MINI, while not rigid, feels solid and does not give any indication it may seperate on it's own, in fact it requires a bit of oomph to seperate.

Which hose part are you referring to?

Give us year, model etc. so we know what info to provide.
** EDIT: Which you already had!

BTW, nice rig, MacGyver would be proud.

 

+1

 

No problems with mine. Been on a year now.

 

Question for BSH, please. I haven't seen any PCV valves described in any of the reading that I have done on the N14. I understand the redesign of the PCV system with the DBP plugged and the catch, and will be adding both during the reassembly of my head after changing burned exhaust valve.

I am concerned about the large amount of water/oil being caught by some folks' cans and of the chance that failing to empty soon enough could cause a sudden slurp of this crap through the turbo inlet and intercooler.

Have you considered also adding a PCV valve so the system is controlled during hard accelleration? I would think adding one inline on the hose that leaves the catch can, (with correct orientation) could keep the crankcase in a mild state of vacuum, but avoid extreme scavaging that seems to be occurring in cold/startup situations.

 

There is no need for a second PCV valve, as there is already one that is integral to the head cover. It closes the line to the throttle body when the engine is under boost, at the same time it opens the line to the turbocharger, so that a negative pressure is maintained on the crankcase.

When the PCV line to the throttle body is blocked off with the BSH dual boost tap, the negative pressure of the air in the turbo inlet draws the crankcase vapors through the turbocharger inlet all the time, that is why it is important to also install an oil catch can in that line, if you are blocking the other PCV line.

The oil catch can doesn't fill up too quickly, if you check it weekly when you check your oil and drain it as necessary, it won't fill up and slug your turbocharger with oily water.
Just keep an eye on it.

Dave

 

Thanks for the response, Dave. But I just literally went out to my garage, picked up my valve cover and had a short makeout session with it, and I humbly disagree. The turbo inlet PCV port is never controlled and can pull without any metering under high revs (from higher vacuum just pre turbo). Because you are pressurizing the crankcase the greatest under hard higher rev with more blow-by, it may seem helpful to evacuate at a greater rate, and I think Peugeot/BMW thought this too. But these cars also suffer from unpredictable oil usage. Once during my 90k, I was caught completely offguard with very low oil, as have many others who got used to predictable low oil consumption of typical modern cars. I believe that the PCV into the turbo inlet is literally sucking our oil as oil vapor out of our cars and burning it. If the secondary PCV which we're now turning into a primary PCV is metered by an effective PCV valve (which limits the speed of draw when vacuum is higher) I belive the catch can won't be nearly so needy. Draining a catch can every couple of weeks with no warning light on the dash to tell you it's a problem is needy, IMO. Also filling much faster in cold temps is needy. I would prefer one that needs checking/emptying at oil service, instead at gas fillup. If it fills too fast, it could be read as a sign that your PCV/catch can is TOO effective.

 

The PCV line to the turbocharger doesn't need to be metered, or controlled. The oil vapors go through a labyrinth the removes much of the oil vapor before the crankcase gasses exit the head cover. The Oil Catch Can is added to catch any excess oil that isn't removed by the head cover, due to the increased demand caused by deleting the other PCV line.

PCV valves are just check valves, they don't meter anything. Installing one in the hose to the turbocharger would accomplish nothing.

It is not my experience that oil consumption on turbocharged MINIs is unpredictable, if you check your oil at regular intervals, weekly, you will not be surprised by a low oil level.

The minimal extra maintenance required by an oil catch can is just part of having one on your car, should you choose to install one, to reduce carbon build up on the exhaust valves, it is what it is.

Dave

 

The PCV valve that I installed on my '72 BMW 2002 is not just a check valve. It works in two modes, both flowing. With a high vacuum draw (at idle if plumbed directly to an intake manifold), it is restricted but flowing. With a low vacuum draw, it becomes less restrictive. It is also more restrictive because you don't want to actively scavenge too much from your crankcase. The goal is a mild vacuum in the crankcase, and ultimately to protect against a pressurized engine which will leak oil and crankcase vapors to the atmosphere. I loved my MINI when it was new, But I have 90k and 4 years of usage, plus a year of downtime because the Prince design has two major flaws, or three if you include excessive oil consumption. I'm not a lazy car owner, but if a car needs a dipstick assessment once a week and an oil topoff every other, the engines's not right anymore. That's why I'm trying to find a better solution than having to operate my daily driver like an airplane with preflight checklist.

My PCV valve on the 2002 was needed because after I rebuilt it with dual Webers and no PCV circuit, its engine was pressurizing, and leaking. The PCV, plus a catch can stopped that, but in 25k miles , that catch can isn't filling up, because it's not drawing an excessive amount from the crankcase.

 

All cars need the oil checked at least weekly, to prevent surprises. Also, oil consumption of 1000 mile/quart is an industry standard for maximum acceptable oil consumption, it has been for many years.

Really, how hard is it to check your oil and oil catch can weekly?

Dave

 

Dave, now you're just drinking the coolaid. 1000 miles per quart translates to 90 quarts of top off oil for the fist four years of my MINI's life. You say standard because others have been told that by MINI, and I say BS. It hasn't been 'for many years' and this is completely made up. I'm 42, and clearly remember a time when everyone checked their oil when they for gas. I do that on my Lotus, because my MINI proved to me that even a top tier manufacturer like BMW/MINI/Peugeot can get it terribly wrong, but that car has yet to show any oil consumption in 24k with its Toyota motor even under heavy stress of hard driving. In 10 years, I can count the number of times I've seen another driver check their oil at a gas station on one hand, and I'll leave off my thumb. So please don't try to convince me or anyone else that I should now teach my wife how to remove an oil catch can from under the hood and drain it into a spare jug in the trunk at the Chevron station every 4th fillup if she want's to keep driving a car built in 2007.

 

Actually, Dave speaks truth. And really, age has nothing to do with this; nor does 'previous owner history.
Chevrolet, MINI, VW, Audi, and several others have the standard "1qt per 1K mile".
Try calling Cummings (Dodge), they'll say 1qt per 400 miles...

Then the MINI is probably not right for you.
But in all seriousness, I empty my catch about every ~1000 miles with a turkey baster.
Really, it occurs and there's physical proof of collection; accept or not it does fill up moderately at a good pace.

- Erik

 

Karl,

I was a line mechanic at a Lincoln-Mercury dealer way back in the '70s, the factory said one quart/ 1000 miles even back then. This is not just a MINI thing, it's everywhere.

If you put an oil catch can on your wife's car, it's your responsibility to check it for her!

Though I check my oil weekly, I don't have to add oil between my five thousand mile oil changes. I still check it weekly though, as well as the oil in my wife's Volvo. It's just something a conscientious car owner does.

Dave