2nd Gen "How To" This is a How-To on Removing the Carbon Build-up, the right way.

Thanks!

Excellent write up.....

Looks like a nice Saturday project that anyone could do if they took their time....

 

:cornut: I just received and read issue #40 of MC2 magazine. The staff has designed and had manufactored a new OCC that they'll be selling in the MC2 store. Next issue(#41) there's supposed to be a write up about OCC's and hopefully, the carbon problem. I'm anxiously waiting to see what they have to say.

Jason

 

How good can on OCC made out of unsold magazines be???

 

^^^Ouch...

Who knows..... Remember these??? Lots were sold to people....

 

Is that one of those oil filter dealies from JC Whitney that used a toilet paper roll as the elephant ?

 

Back in the 60's, I remember places selling used oil, so you could save a buck or two.

Jim

 

dang no matter how i look at the pic above i dont see an elephant. LOL. Wait maybe an actual elephant in there would work. ostcount

 

Interesting thread. This is one of those debates that'll surely rage forever. I decided against an OCC after a years debate. I just don't see any OCC/PVC delete catching ALL blowby. According to the folks at Helix they see little to no difference between the cars coming in with OCC's and those without when it comes to carbon build up. Of course they do offer walnut shell blasting so take that into account. I certainly don't think a can can hurt but to me it's a matter of cost/benefit. There's a lot of things I want to spend my money on and a manual cleaning or a DIY blasting rig don't seem to be to difficult.

 

Totally agree....
OCC won't catch all the oil laden fumes, it can only slow the buildup down by the exact amount caught by the OCC... If it's in the can, it's not in the intake....

Walnut blast for me....

 

If I understand this, the N-18 engine does not have the tube that the plugs get rid of on the N-14. So, is the build up less severe on the N-18?

Jim

 

Hard to say Jim....
MINI also changed the valve cover for the N-18 engine (they may have improved the baffles and traps in the cover).....
Since the PCV channels and routes the volatiles through a series of traps in the cover, it really boils down to how efficient the system works. The fact that it only has one tube means 100% of the fumes are going through one hose....

Another way to look at the change.... 100% of the fumes are also going through the IC which by design is cooling the air charge. This will cause the fumes to condense inside the IC and will consequently act like a huge OCC, slowing down what eventually gets to the intake valves.... With the N-14, only some of the fumes were going through the IC..... So pick your poison....

 

Intercooler as a catch can, interesting. I wonder how this effects the efficiency of the intercooler.

 

All the PCV vapors aren't routed through the turbocharger on the N18 engine.

They have a different head on the N18 engines, with ports drilled from the cam space to the intake ports. The oil vapor is routed through the PCV valve in the improved cam cover through these ports. They replace the single hose from the valve cover to the throttle body, as was on the N14 engine.

That, the dual VANOS system and altered cam timing are supposed to help reduce carbon build up on the N18 engines. I haven't read any complaints yet about carbon clogged intake ports on the N18 engines, so maybe it is working, time will tell.

Dave

 

True: you must filter any post from a vendor (even a straight-shootin', honest, no BS vendor such as myself:biggrin5. Our core motivation is to sell stuff. That having been said, if the OCC or Sea Foam worked, I'd enthusiastically sell them. They don't.

Somewhere deep within the dungeon of my Machiavellian need to financially fleece the public resides the vaguest desire to help people fix their cars. In this one case, what I say is true.

 

Interesting.... I stand corrected then...
So what is the hose carrying that runs from the valve cover to just before the turbo? Curious minds want to know.

Hose #19...

 

Number 19 is a PVC line also.

Much of the time, the turbocharger is not pressurizing the intake and the PCV valve routes crankcase gasses into the intake, when it has a vacuum in it. When the turbocharger is pressurizing the intake, the MINI's PCV valve routes the crankcase gasses into the turbocharger inlet, which is under negative pressure. It is just MINI's way of preventing the crankcase from becoming pressurized.

Dave

 

For those interested in getting the cap to block off the firewall side PCV port on the valve cover that leads to the intake manifold. It can be purchased from the AUDI parts counter P/N 036131510 Vent Cap.... This is one of the parts (two are needed for the N-14 engine) used by those that want to make use of a OCC to help reduce some of the carbon buildup in the R56 intake valves....

 

I thought if you blocked the venting out of the valve cover it would pop. Am I missing something?

 

The N14 engine has two PCV tracts.... During non boost, there is a direct path under vacuum, directly to the throttle body attached to the intake plenum leading to the intake valves. This is the tract that gets blocked with the caps. The second tract, the PCV oil laden fumes are introduced into the filtered air being drawn into the cold side of the turbo. This is where a OCC can be added to catch the oil laden fumes.... The PCV system still operates... The valve cover is not blocked and no undue pressure is caused (as long as no restrictions are introduced such as undersized OCC hoses and such). So venting is not blocked....

 

Ok so only blocking 1 of 2 and catching the rest.

Thanks