s52 Catch Can

[NC325iC]

Hello all,

I am ugrading my pcv system and have run into an issue. I am running the same basic setup as the m54 in this thread. using a vw pcv valve and a catch can.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=601440

So i installed this setup on Tuesday of this week (today is Thursday for those who care). I drove the car idk maybe 5-10 miles on wednesday. I went to install new hose clamps today and found that the PCV valve was full of oil. So i went upstream to the catch can and found that it too was full of oil. What gives? Why am I sucking up all of the engine oil?

[NC325iC]

bah just saw that he had problems with the pcv valve and replaced it...

[Adrian_Visser]

I was looking into this recently too and from what I read the crankcase needs to be under a slight vacuum for the rings to seal properly or you are likely to have high blow by. Running the crankcase vent hose to atmosphere through a catch can gives no vacuum. You need to run it into the intake manifold or the throttle boot or both like OEM. You can still run a catch can if you really want.

[NC325iC]

yeah I have it hooked up to manifold. So one side from crankcase the other side to manifold. I have also discovered that my vacuum hose collapses under vacuum, which is not ideal... nightmare...

[NC325iC]

gonna reconfigure to be more like this one... http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...7#post11024657

[Adrian_Visser]

That is a clean looking setup. Siliconeintakes.com sells relatively cheap silicone vac hose by the foot if you are looking for that. I need to re-do my crank vent and intake boot setup before I get my car back on the road.

[dude8383]

An E39 M5 oil separator would work quite well too ;)

The P54 race motors utilized it:

https://racecarsdirect.com/Advert/Details/87001/bmw-e46-wtcc

http://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/e35/12519525_564515970391864_200357137_n.jpg?ig_cache_key=MTIyNjU2NzI0MjQyMzU4MDE3MQ%3D%3D.2

http://www.motorsport24.de/wp-content/rennsport-teile-bilder/2015/01/E46-WTCC_7485.jpg

[pazi88]

What's wrong with using stock s52 separator? Why would you need catch can?

That e39 m5 separator is basically same. Just more compact.

[dude8383]

What's wrong with using stock s52 separator? Why would you need catch can?

That e39 m5 separator is basically same. Just more compact.

I wanted to ask the same thing but figured the o/p had their mind made up.

[haaken675]

So it's pretty clear that we want some kind of crank case vacuum. Would a pre-turbo vacuum line cause too much crank case vacuum?

[pazi88]

So it's pretty clear that we want some kind of crank case vacuum. Would a pre-turbo vacuum line cause too much crank case vacuum?

It will create very litle vacuum or not at all if your air filter is adequate.

[haaken675]

I suppose ill have to get a vacuum gauge, or even use my boost gauge to test it out eventually. When searching, I came across lots of threads regarding 1/2j's and rb's creating too much vacuum this way. Perhaps I misunderstood what I was readying.

[Adrian_Visser]

What's wrong with using stock s52 separator? Why would you need catch can?

That e39 m5 separator is basically same. Just more compact.

IIRC the S52 cyclone separator drains into the dipstick tube. You need to run an e34 dipstick with the e34 oil pan so you would have to cut and weld the Y connection for the oil drain line. It's doable but a bit of a PITA.

[pazi88]

IIRC the S52 cyclone separator drains into the dipstick tube. You need to run an e34 dipstick with the e34 oil pan so you would have to cut and weld the Y connection for the oil drain line. It's doable but a bit of a PITA.

So couple of minutes welding is worse than doing completely new breather setup?