Your car most likely has turbo lag. intake exhaust backpressure. If you have not had your Mini walnut blasted then you have backpressure. You will find once your cars intake, valves, and throttle body have been walnut blasted and throttle body cleaned. The performance of your GDI car will greatly improve. Include turbo blow off upgrade I use go fast bits. My JCW holds boost throughout the range.

 

I swapped in a new motor and turbo after the old engine self destructed... No difference in turbo spool. I've walnut blasted my other turbo car twice... No difference in turbo spool.

 

Max

There are better choices in oils in terms of Noack ratings … even within the LM brand.

At 9.5% your LM choice is comparatively high vs other top end oils for our cars.

Regardless of your perceptions/results with your catch can system … a low evap rating on the oil is HUGE for our motors… so long as the oil is high quality across all other parameters… there are some great lubricants out there in oil choices … and should be looked at as a ‘package’ of properties.. lots of people like to run diesel oils because of the price …. But the detergent/zinc/phosphorus/evap properties don’t bode well for our engines.

Happy you are having good results with your system and you seem ‘sold’ on its benefits. Because, in the end, our own personal satisfaction is what matters!

A catch can handles what is Evaporating from the oil plain and simple. Wether that is moisture, fuel, or the oil itself (or a ‘mix’)… the less evap of the oil itself… the less IVD’s … can that be improved somewhat by a Catch can… that’s what is being discussed here.

If the oil is evaporating and either being ‘caught’ … OR reintroduced to be burned through the intake tract…. Then the oil itself is loosing its ability to act as a good
oil … as the oil gets thick like a pasta sauce you cooked too long 😬

When evaporation of the oil happens… you are NOT simply loosing oil ‘volume’ you are ‘cooking off’ COMPONENTS of your oils chemistry … and fundamentally changing your oil as a lubricant. An important reason for oil changes, if you are ‘using’ or ‘burning’ oil … and that consumption is from evaporative loss … then you oil is loosing its ability to function… if you ‘use’ oil… and it’s not from external leaking or going directly past the rings… then your oil is loosing its ability to do its job…

Adding a quart of oil dose not ‘revert’ the now reduced oil remaining back to its original state.
IMO, and from experience… if you’ve had to add two qts/lt of oil to your engine over time… time to change it… unless you can establish an ongoing oil analysis with every oil change and YOUR particular oil is still showing good ‘numbers’

No catch can system, even yours, can ‘reintroduce’ the portions of the oil that were lost to evap.

it will be interesting to see your black stone reports on your next few oil changes compared to your previous results prior to installation of your chosen system

motor on !!

 

I am very happy with my cars performance. I encourage you to give Tracy Lewis a call at RX performance in Palmetto FL. Have this discussion with him. He is far more knowledgeable than I am.

 

Sorry I am using Liqui Moly Top Tec 4200 5W-30. It is recommended for BMW. I have a 2012 Mini cooper r58 jcw n14 engine. The N14 engine is a Prince engine made in collaboration BMW, Peugeot, and Citroën. You should read and understand all the data not just pick out one (Noack) notice the flash/boiling point. 230 C. or 446 F the N14 engine runs at 98 C or 210 F. So your pasta sauce analogy falls flat. Unless the engine is on fire Liqui Moly is not going to burn. Mini cars are GDI engines If oil is entering the combustion chamber you have bigger problems than oil quality. One of my best friends is the head mechanic for the Mini Cooper racing team. They run nothing but Liqui Moly in their race cars. That is why I use Liqui Moly. I trust his experience and knowledge.

 

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Top Tech still has relatively high NOACK … at 9.5%

 

Respectfully, Max

Evap loss to most racers mean nothing … oil is changed so often… and they usually have much different emissions systems if any at all.

I doubt the LM model of oil they use is what you would, or should, use in your street car.

LM is a good product with good reputation without doubt …(I use there products in certain apps)
AND…
Within LM’s line of oils, there are many choices… some having less evap loss than others within that lineup.

Choosing and discussing a brand of oil is like talking politics or preference for blondes or brunettes. Personally, I have no brand loyalty and run different products in boats, cars, tractors, street bikes, dirt bikes and even the propane backup generator.


Flash point IS indeed a different parameter than evaporative loss and weather or not your oil combusts is not germane to a discussion of relative levels of evaporative loss of that oil at NORMAL operating temps.

By definition, a catch system (as opposed to a scavenging system on many race cars) deals with EVAPORATED components of the oil… components of the oil…. Not the entire blend… ie, your system is NOT catching ‘OIL’, it is catching the evaporated components of your oil.

All other things equal … and not discounting ratings like TBN, TEOST, detergent leaves etc…. A lower NOACK number always is better in these engines (and GDI especially) as long as the oil meets ALL needs of the design.

 

With all respect I trust my friend and his decades of experience. I change my oil every 3,000 miles any way or three months. I have changed my oil at 3 months with 1,000 miles since the last oil change. I am a very proactive person. My car a 2012 R58 JCW has 60,000 miles on it. I have changed upgraded the timing caset and the hpfp. Installed a Glicken titanium and carbon fiber clutch. Vacuum pump, upgraded the blowout valve upgraded all hoses to silicone. I replace spark plugs, coil packs upgraded, and new valve cover, gasket, and bolts every two years. I have Prince N14 engine and have never had a trouble light come on except tpms only due to a fault with the battery one tire I had all of them replaced. I have walnut blasting done every 30,000 miles. With the Tracy Lewis RX performance catch can system I have been told that I will not have to have it done for another 50,000.

We both have love for our Mini's. I just want to make people aware of the options that are available that will lengthen the life of the car. You have your favorite oil and I respect that.

I wish you tens of thousands of miles of trouble free motoring. All my best.

 

Also, evap loss … as indicated by NOACK numbers become exponentially more important as you lengthen the service interval of your oil/filter changes…

the more you change your oil… the closer it stays to the original chemistry… which is why I change my oil on my MINI’s at 4000 miles… and do it myself with oils I trust and have done comprehensive research on.

As I’ve said in my above post … my friends N14 MINI with 80k + on his stock new engine, running low evap oil has no IVD or other oil related issues. …is there SOME IVD residue, yes, residue but not ‘cokeing’..but not enough to warrant blasting nor chemical cleaning..

He is religious about his oil changes. Plus, the engine was broken in correctly using correct break in oil for GDI engines…. something I recommend on ANY new MINI/other … or one with a new motor🤙

The better the rings seal up, the less blow by and oil-contamination you have. 😉

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So which brand are you using?

I live I n Savannah GA. My local mechanic is from Germany. He worked for BMW in Germany. The number one motor oil in Europe is Liqui Moly. Produced and developed in Germany. I prefer to stick with Liqui Moly. My mechanic owns and operates his own successful business. He only works on BMW, Mercedes, and Mini Coopers. It is great to have a mechanic with decades of experience on my specific vehicle.

Are you implying that Liqui Moly is damaging my engine. The engine runs smooth as the day I bought it. I get just shy of 40mpg on the highway 80mph.

 

I run Ravenol, Valvoline, Penzoil, Amsoil, Motul, Redline, LiquMoly, Mobil1, Driven, Royal purple in various vehicles and equipment... each with the properties that my experience and research has led me to consider important.

In my MINI's... both Port injected (R53's) and GDI (R56-N14/18's).... I'm using 5W-30 Redline, Ravenol-VMP or Amsoil-ASL; all with NOACK numbers in the 6's.
They have stock PCV systems.

Oil consumption on these cars is minimal and the IVD's (as an indicator) are also minimal (more residue than actual 'deposit caking' )

I am convinced that lower evap oils will have longer service intervals between necessary walnut shell operations... and need less oil to be added to maintain proper oil levels between oil changes.

The LM oils, as I've said above are high quality oils.... for me, IMO, they just don't have low enough evaporative loss ratings on any of their oils for me to consider for my car and the conditions I run... to be considered the optimal oil for the factors that are important to me compared to other offerings globally.

In the '69 Duetto... I run LM M0S2 10w40.

For contrast... In my boats... I'm not really concerned with the evaporative numbers... the oil gets changed frequently....never long enough to notice any loss on the dipstick... and they are all either carbureted or port injected (cleans the valves)... Other factors are more heavily weighted.

For anything with long change intervals.... I AM concerned with EVAP...and seek out low evap oils.

Low viscosity oils ...even of the same brand/type/model have higher, sometimes greatly, evap numbers than higher viscosity.... Running a 0W-20 in your MINI will probably not cause issues with bearings/cams etc for a street car...and might have better cold start 'character' and less rotational friction than the factory recommended 5w-30.... but the evaporative loss is poor in comparison with the same oil in 5w-30. Also, ring seal is affected by the oil retention in the hone pattern (Rvk #'s) and is specific to the original machining of the cylinders by BMW... that 'ring seal' is truly affected by viscosity.

Have a look and at their tech data and see which ones have low evaporative numbers along with other key oil properties in order to stick to your preferred quality numbers.

The MINI dealers sell and use "MINI" branded oils that have NOACK numbers in the 11's... yikes.. no wonder IVD's are big issues on the N14's.
They are more interested in getting it past the warranty window than anything else though.

Whatever brand you choose... and there are MANY great choices out there.... for GDI motors especially... I think that paying attention to the evaporative properties is a key to longevity along with other considerations in these direct injected mills.

Some peoples problems happen during break-in... some happen from poor maint...some from poor chemicals.... But in ideal situations.... with good practices and good break-in... many of the issues can be avoided.

How the car is driven, maintained... and to what degree the engine is pushed beyond the factory spec has a lot to do with many of the factors we are discussing above.

An E85 fueled 2011 N14 equipped MINI with 'tuning' (more boost, more fuel, advanced timing and changed vanos operation)... will have more dilution and oil related issues than say the same stock car running E10 91 pump premium.

Shell is the most popular in Italy.... I believe Castrol in England.... Valvoline in the USA. Castrol is the "Factory" MINI brand oil in these cars...

The company with the most factory affiliations and biggest advert budgets are the most popular. Race teams are sponsored and use their sponsors oil, often tailored to their specific needs and can be not "off the shelf" varieties... and even sometimes use other brands that they "hide" in their sponsors oil containers... go figure.


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Again...Talking oil is probably even worse than talking politics.... I have ZERO brand loyalty.... and have had minimal oil related issues in the last 10 years of my more than 40 years of turning wrenches on many continents.

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In terms of "damaging your engine"... not really... especially since you have a accelerated service program and do your walnut blasting like clockwork.

Could you stretch out your blasting schedule with lower NOACK oil's.... likely yes.

If you wanted to go with a high end German made oil that meets BMW rating.... German made Ravenol-VMP 5w-30 (NOACK 6.7%) .... It is less 'popular' than LM and a very high quality oil that has quite similar properties to the LM you use.... but with 30%+ lower evap numbers... and common in the German service industry here in the US.

My local German Specialist (BMW, MINI, Merc, Audi) carries both Ravenol, and LM for service.... and Amsoil as an option. And they stand behind their offerings.



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Surprisingly, when you ask many mechanics...even long-time ones....just what are the oil properties they are looking for?
What does their 'oil of choice' have to offer in the different considerations of oil chemistery .... many won't know.

Most mechanics or parts counter people can't tell you what TBN, TOEST, SAPS, NOACK, Pour-Point mean. (to be fair a small minority do).

Most machinists that I know, even the ones with the high end Rottler machines, don't know much about the oils they prefer other than they 'prefer them based on x-years of experience".

It may be a good idea to ask your favorite shops lead mechanic about these properties (learn yourself first though ) if they are the ones influencing your choice.


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Hi good mornig,
I have the same settings exactly like the images, it vibrates the engine a little bit is that okay? And I'm scared to drive my mini. Do you have any issue after you put in the two blind plug?

Thank you so much.

 

Will be great when we're motoring about in fully electrified Mini's so the only fluids we need to be concerned with are the brake hydraulics and battery coolant (assuming the pack is liquid cooled). The only filter we'll need to be concerned with is the cabin air.

 

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I’ve been studying his videos for a while. So detailed. I wish he was closer to Atlanta. It’s definitely worth a trip. I’m wanting to keep my car for a good while. Thanks for the reinforcement! 👍🏻

Fruit Loops! 🤷🏻‍♂️

 

I have to yet to install my driver's side CC. I did the passenger side months ago. Thanks for the reminder...

 

I finally got the more important CC (driver's side) installed (along with new O2 sensors- from ECS Tuning) and some Lucas fuel injector cleaner.

The I bought on Amazon were a little small for the 3/4 inch PCV tubing...so I needed to wrap them in black electrical tape to make them fit tighter in the 3/4 inch tubing. I guess 3/4 aint 3/4 in Ghina.





I did manage to overtighten the silver access port on top...which I assume is for those using a breather. Its a huge allen bolt with almost no threads on the aluminum body. Kinda bad design there...I used some thick Teflon tape but I will likely need to buy another CC. I dont think re-taping the threads will help.

 

Just my guess. The everyday catch cans don’t have a check valve. Your target blow by gets caught but is sucked right back into the turbo? True?

Cleaned up routing.

 

The PCV system is the check valve. Yup. The blow by gets sucked back in but with less oil in it. Some guys have external mini filters but I think those are for high boost scenarios only and would require another valve. Maybe?

I got maybe a 1/4 inch of blackened motor oil in my non-critical (passenger side) CC after a few hundred miles of local driving. Cant wait to see what I collect in the other CC.

 

I’ve had my 02’s replaced, new plugs and coils and I’m getting an assortment of misfire codes, limp modes and rough starts. Is it a coincidence that I cleaned up the messy catch can setup recently? The past week was very odd performance. Rough starts, smoothing out and driving ok, weak boost. However, I’ve had days where the car runs like an axe murder with plenty of boost etc. My shop wants to run a modern version of carbon cleaning that is supposed to be better than walnut blasting. Any ideas? Thanks Group! 💪🏻💪🏻

 

I replaced my O2 sensors with BOSCH (reboxed) NTKs from Amazon and I got check engine lights. Posted about it here. BOSCH said AMAZON is not an approved distributor. I had to return them. This time I ordered 1 NTK and 1 FAE from ECS Tuning. Hopefully I will not have any CELs.

Are you sure you don't have a vacuum leak somewhere in that CC setup? That will **** everything up. Move the CC and tubing around and see if your idle changes.

Bad coil maybe or connection?

All those rough starts and no CELs?

 

💡 Good idea to check the catch can etc. Gave it a try. No change in idle or anything. Could the hoses be on too tight? Too skinny? The shop put in the plugs and coil packs.The old ones were completely toasted. Oh, definitely have an array of CEL’s and dash codes. Like Christmas! I’ve heard a sh*tty oil filter will really throw some codes. ⚠️⚠️⚠️

 

#1. What CELs exactly did it show?

Assuming you don't have a vacuum leak via CC and plumbing, see: and considering it happened after changing the coils and plugs, they might have used the wrong plugs, wrong gap? Is the MAF failing and giving bad signal? That's as bad as a vacuum leak.

Thats the risk with these PCV CC systems...more places for leaks to happen at all those fittings etc.

Oil filter.....nah...never heard of that. Bad oil filter just wont filter much. FRAM sucks...dont ever never ever...