35d: adding crankcase breather oil separator
 

NOTE: I figured I go ahead cross-post my project on this board as well to get more feedback. So here we go!!!

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PART 1

I've been at this for some time tinkering with the idea of reducing oil particles going through the intake via the crankcase breather. The issue is not really so much about oil consumption that is very well manageable at about 1 quart every 10K miles. The issue is actually about tar build up in the intake manifold resulting from the oil mist mixing with the soot from the HP EGR.

The crankcase breather is in the back of the valve cover (note: this picture from a slight different version of the M57 than what the 35d has, but the location is the same... More on the difference later)

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...ator/026-1.jpg

I researched the history of BMW approach to this in the M57:

Design #1

The original solution had an actual filter in it. Through some research I found that the same design was used by Land Rover. While Land Rover had the filter as a maintenance item necessitating replacement every 20k-30k miles, BMW never did. This result in the filter clogging up resulting in high crankcase pressure, which ultimately caused issues with the turbo lubrication. That filter was very effective at removing oil particulates from the crankcase gasses, but required maintenance. I think at this as what the quintessence of the German Engineer designed before sales and marketing got involved... Here's how that filter looked like:

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...Latertypes.jpg

Design #2
Sales & marketing gets involved, so as opposed to making the filter a maintenance item (it's not terribly hard to get to it and replace it, but BMW has an ongoing effort, right or wrong that is, to cut down on maintenance requirements) they replaced the filter with a cyclonic separator. Conceptually it works like the Dyson vacuum cleaner: it is free flowing so there's nothing to clogs or maintain. It's not as effective as the filter so some diesel owners in Europe go back to the old design to cut back on oil going through the intake and make it maintenance item. Here's how it looks:

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...arator/_58.jpg

Design #3
Lastly it appears BMW has redesigned the valve cover all together which now incorporates the separator which is of the maintenance-free cyclonic type. My dad has a 325d with the M57 and although the crankcase breather assembly looks as the one above, once removed there's neither a filter nor a cyclonic separator, hence my deduction that the oil separation function is built into the valve cover design (that is unless sales & marketing took over engineering and decided to get rid of such nonsense and let the oil flow). Our X5 has slightly different breather assembly since the line that goes from the valve to the intake is not built into the valve cover. Nonetheless, there is no separator of any kind between the breather valve and the valve cover. Here's how our valve looks like:

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...rator/3107.jpg

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So at the end of the day after a bit of homework I concluded that the initial design is very effective at removing oil particles, but not being maintenance-free prompted BMW to redesign the system. The result is a less effective yet maintenance-free solution. For me, as for others who have retrofitted the filter, the benefits of better oil separation outweighs the additional maintenance requirements, particularly since carbon (or better yet tar) build up has somewhat of a precedent in the US version of the M57 that allegedly has more aggressive EGR maps. This is particularly true on the 335d which, again speculations, not having a LP EGR (which is picked up after the DPF) recirculates only unfiltered gasses.

From what I observed soot is a very dry particles that makes me conclude that in and of itself soot doesn't build up excessively; it is soot mixed with oily vapors that builds up in a tar like obstructive crap

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Unfortunately since our breather valve assembly is different design, the filter is not a simple drop in, just like it would in, for example, my dad's 325d. It just wouldn't fit.


So for the past couple of weeks I've been looking at way to fit an external oil separator (like the Mann+Hummel ProVent) but have yet to find an elegant and easy way to do it. Not to mention the annoyance of having oil collecting somewhere that makes the car looks like it has some sort of incontinence. And, last but not least, it is technically for "off road use only" in California which could result in failing visual inspection: so whatever I come up would need to be easily reversible so I can but it back to stock once inspection time comes...

Then I came across something in the TDI world called the "Old Navy CCV" (CCV Mod - Page 2 - TDIClub Forums): it's basically a guy who has milled out of aluminum a CCV housing with a filter to remove the oil particulate. The TDI, even more so than our cars from what I've seen collect oil in the intake and inter-cooler. At the beginning I didn't give it too much thoughts as my head was elsewhere looking for a standalone separator.

But then I realized that the very same concept can work for us: what about adding some filtering media in our assembly?

There is a fair amount of room where some filtering media would fit very well, just like in the Old Navy CCV

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...parator/14.jpg http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...parator/16.jpg

Oil would get trapped in the medium and drain back. Every 20k or so mile would would remove 3 bolts, wash it with some gasoline and you're good to go.

PART 2

I guess I'll go on and use this thread to document this project: here's the execution.

I think a good approach is to stage the filtration: I figured I'll have a first layer of low density media, a second layer of higher density, and maybe a third layer. At the top I'll have a stainless steel baffle to hold the media in place, provide further oil separation and actually create sort of an air gap between filtering media and the exit.

Now comes the fan part... I was at Lowe's and I think I've found what I thing is a great media: 3M stripping & finishing pads (basically the same material that the Old Navy PCV used, so it's tested to work in these conditions).

For Stage 1 I bought 3M Heavy Duty Stripping pads, while For Stage 2 I bought 3M Final Finishing pads.

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...1141927695.jpg http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...1141926674.jpg

The Stage 3 I'm still not sure if I'll have it, but here's what happened. Before I started going down the current route, I was looking at adding an external oil separator so I went ahead and bought a Mann Provent 200. It looks like this:

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...Provent200.jpg

As you can see inside there is a filter. I haven't received it yet, but the idea is to look at possibly unraveling the media from the filter and use it as Stage 3... Since I haven't got a chance to dissect it yet, I don't know if it's big enough; maybe it can even be the only stage I'll use, but then I'll have to figure out a way to hold it in place. Anyhow, I guess that would be considered for the next sprint...

Last part is the baffle.

At a closer look to our CCV assembly I noticed on the inside a sort of groove (highlighted in the second picture) that would work perfect to hold the baffle at a certain distance from the outlet. This would create an air gap between the filter and the outlet allowing for possibly better flow.

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...parator/17.jpg http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...9e05bb5cf1.jpg

For the baffle, I'll go to Bed Bath and Beyond today in search of a perforated pan to cut out: they come in different shapes and sizes so I hope to find something that serves the purpose: https://www.google.com/search?q=perf...h=600#imgdii=_

PART 3

Allright fellas: here's the story of first prototype, currently installed in my car for testing.

First the hardest part of the job: tampering the anti-tamper bolts. The clue that there was something going on first came by looking at the diagrams on RealOEM that didn't show the crankcase breather valve (from now on CCV) as a separate item for US cars; the ROW cars like the 30sd that is the base for our 35d had it as a separate item, but not ours.

Here's the two diagrams side by side: left is the US 35d, while right is a ROW 30sd:

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/diagrams/t/w/258.png http://www.realoem.com/bmw/diagrams/c/v/248.png

It turns out that the bolts that are labeled 10 in the ROW (and are missing in the US) are actually some Allen bolts with a pethagon socket in the head. Despite my fairly furnished tool box I didn't have such a socket but I wasn't going to stop: an old Allen wrench, the almighty Dremel, and a hammer and you can jam a socket in there and take them off. Other than those bolts the rest of the CCV system is precisely the same as the ROW which I confirmed comparing the p/n stamped on the parts. When putting it back together I used some Allen bolts I had there, but if you want to go ahead and used BMW bolts (which are kind of cool since they have a mechanism to trap the bolt in the sleeve so the don't fall out) the p/n is 11-12-7-803-813.

Passed this hurdle, it's pretty much as planed with next step being cutting the various stages appropriately.

First you'll need a template. To create one simply rub some of that nasty used diesel oil saturated with soot around the perimeter of the CCV and use it to stamp a template on piece of paper:

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...529_205024.jpg

Once you got the template you're ready to cut.

I didn't go with a fully on baffle, but still added a nice stainless steel mash inside the CCV: the purpose again is to hold the filter in place and create an air gap between the filter and the outlet.

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...529_212439.jpg

You then want to go ahead and do the same with filters. As I described in the previous post I used a staged approach, and actually went ahead with also Stage 3, which is using the media from the Mann Provent 200. Using a box cutter you can easily remove it from the assembly. You actually don't have to buy, like I did, the whole Provent, you can source the filter by itself. Here's a possible source: [LC-5001-X]Mann-Filter European CCV Element(SI - Industrial Heavy truck and Bus/Off-Highway ).

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...529_210308.jpg

After cutting the two stripping pads you may want to wash them with some hot water to remove any loose particles. Here's how the stacked assembly looks like:

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...529_212356.jpg

You then go ahead and pack the wire mash and the Provent media in the CCV...

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...529_212439.jpg http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...529_212525.jpg

...and the other two stages in the cavity in the valve cover

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...529_212545.jpg http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...529_212609.jpg http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...529_212634.jpg

Now that you got everything installed, you can put it back together.

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After putting it back together the car fired up just fine an has been running just fine: no differences whatsoever, odd noises, even checked several parameters and everything is within norm. The flow of gasses doesn't appear to be restricted in any way; if you compare the surface of the filter to the section of the passages is probably an order of magnitude different. Bottom line I don't expect this affect the performance in any way... But I guess time will be the judge.

If I have time tonight or tomorrow morning I'll remove it and check for obvious signs of problems. Otherwise I'm gone for the weekend to the race track so the X5 will do some towing and I suspect by next weekend I'll probably have a good 1,000 miles on the setup. At that point I'll go ahead and remove it and check for integrity.

Long term I think two indicators would tell me if this works or not:
1) I've noticed oiliness in the rubber hose going form the CCV duct to the intake, inside the intake itself and a little puddle of oil right in front of EGR throttle: we'll see what happens to either
2) I've gone though roughly 1 qt of oil every 7K miles: based on 1 I suspect that most if not all of it comes from the CCV so we'll see how things go over the next oil change

There is one thing I want to bring up to everyone that I'll have no way to test: I don't know if the filter could cause issue below freezing. In particular moisture from the crankcase vapors could get trapped in the filter and freeze. This could clog it resulting in high pressure and a bunch of problems. I live in San Diego, car is always parked in the garage so for me that's not a problem. I wanted to bring this up so that you consider it.

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I guess the last thing is that I'll update this thread based on my results.

Ciao!!!!

Great initiative with this ZetaTre. You're like me; always trying to improve on existing methods. Any updates on this? I definitely want to do this but live in Wisconsin and the freezing temps may create issues as you mention.
Thanks for your effort here!

The original design was not effective enough so, as some may have read on the other board, I actually went ahead and installed a Mann+Hummel ProVent 200 separator.

I now have about 15,000 miles on the setup and I'm extremely pleased with the results. The oil in the intake has completely disappeared and the oil level in the sump has not declined.

I went through a few iteration and testing to ensure that the crankcase would not pressurize under any driving conditions. I have also modified the dipstick tube to make it the return line for the filtered oil and make the system completely closed loop.

I'm now refining the design of the takeoff plate: someone I know was able to scan the profile of the original CCV and machine the plate on CNC machine for a perfect design. I also found an aluminum elbow and I'll have it TIG weld to the plate for a clean and professional design. The plate currently mounted on the car is the proof of concept I made from a 1/4" aluminum plate cut to shape using a jig saw and soldering a copper elbow: it works but it's not pretty and the solder is fragile and I already broke it once while replacing the hose.

Also the hoses I originally used for the long term testing was a duct made of thermoplastic rubber: it turned out that it is either too porous or not resistant to the oil because the one running from the valve cover to the filter (which carries unfiltered fumes) have developed a film of oil on the outside. I went back to the Gates rubber hoses I had originally but have identified some corrugated nylon conduits that I may try if the rubber hoses don't work.

Some of the key takeaways of the project:

REROUTING THE BRAKE BOOSTER LINE

This was necessary to make enough room for the Provent

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...628_130435.jpg http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...628_130515.jpg http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...628_130443.jpg

MAKING THE BRACKET TO SUPPORT THE PROVENT

Now that the brake booster line is out of the way I removed the bracket that was holding it...

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...628_131233.jpg

and used it as a template to make a bracket that would go in the same location to hold the ProVent 200

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...628_141313.jpg

See if it fits...

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...628_141649.jpg

And install the ProVent 200...

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...628_142828.jpg http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...628_145107.jpg

MAKING THE "PROOF OF CONCEPT" TAKEOFF PLATE

This is currently being reworked with a plate made on a CNC and an aluminum elbow TIG welded to it.

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...230_094606.jpg

Here's the original plate I made and which is currently mounted on the car.

Because the ProVent 200 has a built in valve regulating the amount of vacuum, there is no need for the original one. Once removed, I used it a template to draw an outline on a 1/4" aluminum plate...

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...628_152647.jpg

After some jigsaw and Dremmel, let's see how it fits...

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...628_160557.jpg

I then went ahead and soldered a 1" copper elbow to it:

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...704_111526.jpg http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...704_111521.jpg

MEASURING CRANKCASE PRESSURE AND ADAPTING THE PROVENT

To measure crankcase pressure I used a homemade gauge I used in the past to sync the TBs of the Ducati

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...030_203009.jpg

It is a simple vynil tube shaped in a U over a yard stick. You put some water in, one side goes into the dipstick tube and the other is open to the atmosphere.

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...703_193459.jpg http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...703_193657.jpg

After driving around for a bit it turned out that under high load and high RPM the turbos would create to high of a depression in the intake. This would cause the valve on the ProVent to close and the crankcase to build up pressure.

The solution was to disassemble the valve on the ProVent and add a few holes. I started with 5 which turned out to be too many so I patched 2. 3 holes result in normal reading under any driving conditions.

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...712_135824.jpg

MEASURING EFFECTIVENESS

For a period of time, I actually drove around with a valve on the oil drain that I would regularly drain to collect the filtered oil [there's nothing coming out of that valve, it's just some odd light effect...]. I had it tucked it away behind one of the plastic covers.

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...628_190946.jpg http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...628_192433.jpg

I knew the system was working remarkably well when after 1,864 miles I collected this much oil.

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...803_122930.jpg http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...803_122937.jpg

MODIFY THE DIPSTICK TUBE TO ADD A RETURN LINE

This made the system maintenance free and allowed the oil to drain back to the sump.

I was able to find be the perfect tee to make a saddle on the oil dipstick guide to drain the oil: Shop Apollo 1-in x 1-in x 1/2-in Barb Fitting at Lowes.com

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...823_165659.jpg

The tee is 1" x 1" x 1/2"

Using a jig saw I cut lenghtwise the 1" section; with some epoxy and some clamps to add strenght I attached it to the dipstick guide and once the epoxy cured I drilled through the 1/2" nipple to open the drain. Here's the final product:

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...823_165645.jpg http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...823_165652.jpg

What you see there along the rubber drain is a check valve that allows oil to drain but doesn't allow fumes to travel up the drain.

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...3284afb689.jpg

After noticing that the hose would tend to kink, I added a elbow for a better turn.

Very nice write-up. This is something that I have wanted to do, Thank you for information. I'm going to work on a parts list.

If it can help I sourced both the ProVent 200 and the check valve on the oil return line (also Mann+Hummel) from diesel-filters.com

You can get the p/n from the ProVent catalog here: https://www.mann-hummel.com/fileadmi...nt_en_2013.pdf

That does help! I'll be in touch and post here on my progress. It will have to get a little warner first and I need to establish my maintenance schedule. Thank you!

THE FINAL TAKEOFF PLATE

Like I said in the prior post, I had someone scan the profile, replicate it in CAD and machine it out for a perfect result. I then bought a 1" aluminum elbow mandrel bent.

The elbow is made by HPS: HPS 1" 90 Degree Bend 6061 Aluminum Tubing 16 Gauge w/ 6" Leg & 1.5" CLR

I bought mine from Amazon since I have free shipping with Prime: Amazon.com: HPS (AT90-100-CLR-15) 1" 16-Gauge 90° Bend 6061-T6 Aluminum Elbow Tubing: Automotive


http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...230_094536.jpg http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...230_094606.jpg

This Saturday I went to a local fabricator I've been using for all sorts of projects and had the elbow TIG welded to the plate.

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...124_172403.jpg http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...124_172314.jpg http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...124_172322.jpg http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...124_172341.jpg

Used a rattle can of Rustoleum High Heat flat black for a clean finish.

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...124_180237.jpg

Here's the new plate installed with a measure of the length of the tangent.

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...125_100222.jpg http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...125_101049.jpg


THE HOSES

I'm still struggling a bit with finding the proper hoses. For now, I'm using a length of heater hose. It runs $3 per foot so it's cheap, but I'm unsure of its resistance to oil. We'll cross that bridge once we get there.

For anyone reference the two hoses are 23" and 29.5" long respectively.

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...125_101015.jpg

Update 4/22/2015: sgrice found some great hoses the appear to be precisely what is needed for this job. Read about below at #20 or click here -> http://www.xoutpost.com/1035221-post20.html

Nice!It is getting better and better.By any chance,would you like to sell these plates to fellow dieselers ;)

I'm not really interested in selling it. However I can let the guy who made it for me know that you are interested.

Oh, and I've updated the post with details on where I bought the elbow. I checked with the fabricator and unless you buy them in bulk, mandrel bent aluminum elbows cost right around that price...

I would be interested also.

Thanks.I may buy more than one if that will stimulate the fabricator to make a batch.

I've started a thread here to gauge interest: http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...rator-35d.html

Pardon me for not quite understanding, but what 1" section did you cut? Do you mean that there is a section of the oil dipstick guide tube that is 1" thick and you cut that? You're not cutting one of the 1" nipples on the tee, are you? And I assume you have to cut out a length of the dipstick guide tube that is equal to the length of the exposed tee, so that the two mounting brackets for the guide tube will still fit on the engine properly. Is that correct?

And what do you mean with regard to drilling through the 1/2" nipple to open the drain? Does the tee come with the 1/2" nipple blocked off? I don't think I've seen a tee come with one of the tees blocked off from the manufacturer, but I suppose it could be. Or are you talking about running a drill bit through it to clean up any epoxy drips that might be plugging it up?

Sorry for not quite understanding.

No so the tee has a 1" section and a 1/2" nipple. I cut the 1" section lengthwise to make saddle. The saddle is epoxied over the dipstick with the two clamps for additional strength. The 1/2" section of the tee is not blocked off but as you use it of a saddle you'll have to drill thought the dipstick wall.

I did not cut the dipstick, just drilled it thorough once the saddle is installed and the epoxy has cured.

Now I understand. Thanks for the clarification.

Provent and other supplies ordered.

Regards.

Variation on the installation - how I did it
 

I recently finished doing a ProVent installation. As I will discuss, I made some variations to ZetaTre's approach, but really just minor modifications. Some of the modifications were about what parts I chose to use. Other modifications were done since I don't have a CNC metal working machine, and to avoid TIG welding of aluminum. Be aware that I am just a hobbyist, and some of the things I say may not be totally correct. I am glad to be corrected on any of these issues.

First of all, many thanks to ZetaTre for his work on this topic. Without his posts I never would have had the confidence to do this. The earlier posts in this thread are essential and give a great background to the issue. I chose to go down this road after finding moderate carbon build up on my swirl flaps and intake manifold (the link to that post is here).

The parts I used are shown in this picture.

http://www.xoutpost.com/attachment.p...1&d=1429626105
http://www.xoutpost.com/attachment.p...1&d=1429620172

ZetaTre already talked about where to get the ProVent and oil return check valve - no need to repeat.

To make the takeoff plate, I bought 1/4 inch aluminum plate from Amazon (link is here). I burned through about 6 metal cutting jigsaw blades to shape the takeoff plate, but it wasn't too bad.

Since I don't have any friends who know how to TIG weld aluminum, I made the elbow from a 90 degree hose end piece from Summit Racing (the link is here). This piece was combined with a bulkhead fitting from Summit (link is here), and a size -16 bulkhead nut from Amazon (link is here). I used a 1 5/16 metal cutting hole cutter from Amazon (link is here) and a drill press to cut the hole in the takeoff plate. Those parts assembled nicely to form a takeoff plate with elbow ready to accept the hose.

One of more challenging things was finding a roughly 1 inch ID oil/vapor resistant hose to go to/from the CCV takeoff plate and the ProVent. Many people have used heater hose, but it soon seems to deteriorate. Some on the VW TDI forums have used rigid PVC pipe. I did a lot of searching, and eventually decided my best bet was 24 mm crankcase breather hose from Patrick Motorsports (link is here). Patrick Motorsports make a number of specialty items (many for Porsche), and this hose is used in several of their oil catch can kits. A bit pricy, but it works well. Flexible enough for installation, and fits all the connections without modification.

Vacuum brake boost hose (ID 15/32 inch) was purchased online, and the 1/2 inch ID oil return hose was purchased AutoZone.

One silly little detail was the need for 10 x 16 mm washers (link to Amazon is here). Since the 1/4 inch aluminum plate is not as thick as the original hard plastic CCV cap, washers are needed if the original bolts are going to be used. I could have purchased shorter bolts, but it seemed easier to use washers instead.

First, here is an overview picture of the completed installation. One can see the CCV takeoff plate and hoses on the left (green arrow), they curl around the back of the engine and connect to the ProVent on the right (blue arrow). The yellow arrow shows the engine partition compartment that cracked (to be discussed later), and the red arrow shows where the butyl tape was used (also discussed later):

http://www.xoutpost.com/attachment.p...1&d=1429620172http://www.xoutpost.com/attachment.p...1&d=1429627865

Here is a detail pic of the installed takeoff plate on the CCV side:

http://www.xoutpost.com/attachment.p...1&d=1429620172http://www.xoutpost.com/attachment.p...1&d=1429626096

And here is a detail picture of the installation at the ProVent side. The bracket that holds the ProVent will be discussed a bit later. Also, note the brake vacuum boost hose that is routed over/next to the ProVent (red arrow) - that will also be discussed later:

http://www.xoutpost.com/attachment.p...1&d=1429620172http://www.xoutpost.com/attachment.p...1&d=1429627855

As discussed by ZetaTre, a bracket needs to be manufactured to hold the ProVent (this replaces the bracket that held the vacuum brake line). He has a pic of his, but mine is slightly different. I bought some 1/4 inch aluminum plate at Home Depot and cut it as shown, then bent it in a vice to allow the proper angle. Here is a pic:

http://www.xoutpost.com/attachment.p...1&d=1429620172http://www.xoutpost.com/attachment.p...1&d=1429626105

A few other details:

As described by ZetaTre, the vacuum brake boost hose needs to be re-routed. ZetaTre chose to do this at a spot that is up under the intake manifold and is (for me, at least) quite hard to get to. I found I was able to replace the roughly 3 inch segment of hose with a roughly 8 inch segment, and everything fits nicely. If one wants to do it this way (which I think is much easier) then this connection has to be the last hose connection made. In other words, remove the roughly 3 inch segment of original vacuum boost hose, install the ProVent, then replace with a roughly 8 inch segment of new vacuum boost hose. One of the pictures above shows the new hose in position. There is still enough room to remove the ProVent cap and filter element. Of course, make sure one uses vacuum brake boost hose (not heater hose) that won't collapse under vacuum.

ZetaTre talks about how the CCV bolts are an unusual pentagon shape. He utilized "the almighty Dremel" to shape a hex wrench to fit. It turns out that a set of "security star bits" will fit the bolt quite nicely. Be aware that you want a "star bit" with 5 points, rather than a torx bit, which has 6. Here is a picture of a security star bit that fit perfectly:

http://www.xoutpost.com/attachment.p...1&d=1429620172http://www.xoutpost.com/attachment.p...1&d=1429626105

ZetaTre chose to remove the soundproofing material from the engine. I preferred to leave mine on. But if you do, the new hoses make it impossible to get the black plastic cap back into position without modification. It was an easy task to get out the jigsaw and cut off portions of the back and sides so it fit just fine. Here is a picture after the modification:

http://www.xoutpost.com/attachment.p...1&d=1429620172http://www.xoutpost.com/attachment.p...1&d=1429626105

Last issue, while doing this work I had to remove the engine compartment partitions to gain better access to the rear of the engine. These parts are known to crack, with resultant water leakage and injector failure. This link gives a good description of the issue, with lpcapital (aka ZetaTre) once again elegantly diagnosing and solving the problem. I had checked these partitions about a year ago and they were fine then, but no longer. Here is a pic of the cracked center partition:

http://www.xoutpost.com/attachment.p...1&d=1429620172http://www.xoutpost.com/attachment.p...1&d=1429626105

Rather than spend money on a new partition, I used a bunch of epoxy to repair the joint, and re-assembled the partitions using butyl tape as discussed in the SIB referred to in the link above.

I've had this operational for a few weeks and all is fine. No engine codes or change in performance. In a few months, I'll thread a borescope through the throttle valve to inspect the EGR valve to hopefully confirm no carbon build up on the EGR valve.

Otherwise, thanks again to ZetaTre.

So sorry - Once again, the pictures are not working. I will work on getting the pictures added correctly.


Edit - pics hopefully working now.

The past is present (or is it future).

I am just now replacing my trusty 2003 TDI with an 35d E70 and remember closely following this thread at Fred's TDIclub.com. My ultimate cure for oil in the inter-cooler was to run and monitor oil level at minimum spec - about 150,000 miles ago.

Another thing we did in the area was to minimize the EGR duty cycle in ECU software. I replaced the TDI intake manifold at ~80k miles due to coking. My guru mechanic kept a stock of salvaged and clean IM and swapped it in less than an hour.

Great job! Just one question, does your d use any oil?

This is fascinating stuff guys. I just bought an e70 x5 and I'm reading up on the coke/ tar issues.:thumbup:

What other board was this posted on?

Split71 - I would say my 35d does not use an unusual amount of oil. I'm usually down about a quart when an oil change is due. For me, that's been about a quart every 10-12,000 miles. So (just as for ZetaTre) the reason to think about doing this is not because of oil usage, but because of trying to limit carbon build up.

Dalecan - ZetaTre originally made a series of posts over on bimmerfest. As you will see, he uses the ID of lpcapital over there. His first post (the link is here) is titled "Rather simple idea to reduce oil passing through crankcase?" Then a few months later he made a second post (the link is here) that is titled "Improving on a "Rather simple idea (aka Version 2.0)." He summarized those two posts into the beginning of this post. Though the post here covers the highlights, it is very interesting to read the original posts and see how things evolved over time, with obviously a lot of thought and effort going into it.

Thanks :thumbup:

Wow! nice work sgrice!! Yes for sure its gonna help CBU problem.I will be doing in couple of months as soon as my CPO warranty expires.I had provent installed in my VW TDI and i removed it before selling.It really helped and my TDI's intake was clean and oil free.

Great job budd!!!!

I REALLY like the hose you're using. I'm currently using some rubber coolant hoses but I may end up replacing them with what you bought. Let me know if they are working out fine!

Also, did you do the draining back through the oil dipstick? It can be a PITA to get the lower bolt...

Congrats!!!

One thing worth mentioning: the reason why I actually removed the sound proofing material is because it collects and soaks up with water. This causes corrosion around injector #5. To one person corroded the electrical terminal, to me it was starting to corrode the fuel line. Water gets there primarily because the engine partition breaks and drips down between the airbox and the rear plastic cowl.

The center piece of the partition now sold by BMW is made of plastic and it's much more sturdy than the cardboard like material...

You can read a lot more about it here: Error code 4B99 and 483D - Bimmerfest - BMW Forums

ZetaTre - So far, so good with the hose from Patrick Motorsports - though these are early days, of course. I'll be sure to update how it holds up. It seems good quality (and they are using it on a bunch of their custom kits), so I'm hopeful. The 24 mm ID fits without any adapters on the ProVent, the size -16 AN elbow from Summit, and the CCV hose end.

Yes, I have the ProVent set up to drain back into the dipstick. I agree that the lower bolt is at the bottom of a bottomless pit! I was sprawled over the engine compartment (both feet off the ground) to get into a position where my fingers could reach down there. Looked like I was doing something obscene to the radiator!

Just came across this video on YouTube discussing/demonstrating how the ProVent works. Might be of interest to people reading this thread.

The 200 is huge. HUGE. The 1" inlet/outlets killed that idea for me. Good work to you guys for getting them installed. I have installed a ProVent 100 on my M62 motor, very happy with the results.

FYI: Vortech uses Gates 4319-0114 for thier hot oil drain hose (Gates LOC), it is rated to 250F.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...%20numbers.png

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...%20numbers.png

I am using Eaton Aeroquip FC332 Hose (part number FBN0800) for my supercharger and ProVent drains. It is rated to 300F.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...oquipFC332.png

All of my other CCV hoses are NAPA / Boston Weatherhead Hose H101. They are rated to 212F.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...erheadh101.jpg


For what it's worth...

Update:

It's been approximately 6,500 miles with the Provent installed (see post #20 above), and it seemed like a good time to check and see how things were working. Details are below, but the short answer is that everything looks great! Be aware that I had cleaned up EGR valve, intake manifold, swirl flaps, etc approximately 2,500 miles before putting in the Provent (the link to that post is here), so some of the (quite minimal) carbon build up (CBU) that you will see on the EGR valve may be the result of those earlier 2,500 miles.

First, here is a view of the throttle body after the charge hose has been removed. In times past there has always a teaspoon or so of oil puddled up in front of the throttle body valve (discussed by ZetaTre and myself in posts # 5 and 6 in the link above), but now it is essentially dry. A tiny amount of dried oil/soot residue, but much, much less than in times past.

http://www.xoutpost.com/attachment.p...1&d=1440599774

Next up was to take a look through the throttle body at the EGR valve. First I used a Ryobi borescope from Home Depot, but I actually got a better view with the trusty iphone:

http://www.xoutpost.com/attachment.p...1&d=1440599774

Really only a light coating of CBU/soot. One can even see a couple of spots where the aforementioned borescope had bumped into the EGR valve and scraped some of the light soot off - revealing the clean metal in three places.

ZetaTre has tried a couple of different hose types during different iterations. As I mentioned in post #20 of this link, I used hoses from Patrick Motorsports to go to (red arrow) and from (yellow arrow) the Provent. The hoses look great, with no weeping or anything:

http://www.xoutpost.com/attachment.p...1&d=1440599774

One additional side note - I've seen a couple of postings of MAP sensors being clogged and causing CELs/codes (here is the link to one). So I went ahead and checked mine (I had replaced the grommet to the intake manifold when I was doing the CBU cleanup, but I never looked at or cleaned the sensor. I suspect I would have soon been having similar issues to noodle654 in his link. Here is a pic of the sensor before cleaning (very similar to his sensor pic on post #12 of his posting):

http://www.xoutpost.com/attachment.p...1&d=1440599774

And here it is after some cleanup with MAF cleaner:

http://www.xoutpost.com/attachment.p...1&d=1440599774

Like I said, I think I saved myself from a soon to be CEL. And hopefully, the Provent system will prevent future sensor CBU.

Hope the above is helpful.

Thanks for the update!!! I've put close 30k miles on mine and everything is still performing good.

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Why don't you guys offer a paid service for this? Similarly to the valve stem guy.
The process and equipment obviously works. How many hours of labor are we talking ? : )

I said it before that I am entirely uninterested in any effort to commercialize this as I do not think there's absolutely any money to be made.

I couldn't even line up 10 people around the country for an additional batch of plates...

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After 30,000 and some miles I decided to replace the filter/separator element.

After the car was left unused for a couple of weeks, the filter was fairly dry of oil. However you could feel soot deposits on the surface of the coaelescent element: that's why it has to be replaced on a regular basis. As the filter shed oil, some solid particles are left behind and eventually clog it.

Mann-Hummel says the replacement interval depends on the application; on the Cummins is every 67,000 miles; one could also monitor crankcase pressure and see how it is affected. I decided to replace when the service reminder with the car on the lift is due (roughly every 26,000) so I have a reminder. That's the same time I do the air and diesel filter.

On other news, the hoses are seeping oil again. I'll replace them with a different type over the weekend and show you then...

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Thanks for the well documented info guys! Zeta, are you still using just the 3 holes drilled into the provent housing for relief during high pressures or has that changed at all since? SGrice, did you end up drilling the relief holes as well? Thanks again guys..

Yes, I haven't changed it.

I since replaced the hoses once again since coolant hoses get attacked by the oil and start seeping. I'm using some softer hoses made of oil resistant Buna-N I got from McMaster (I may have talked about them either here or on the other forum). I didn't installed them in the past since they are squished, not round and I thought it would affect flow. The ones that sgrice proposed are very nice, but expensive so I figured I would just give the McMaster hoses a try before.
I tested again the cranckase pressure using the water column instrument and everything looks good and crankcase pressure stay within reasonable ranges. The most I see is 200-300 mm of H2O (that 1/4 to 1/2 PSI) which occurs when you go WOT in 6th at low RPM: under these conditions you get some blowby but the turbos don't generate enough depression in the intake. As soon as RPM gets in the 2500 range there's enough depression to balance blowby and crankcase pressure gets back to practically 0 or a slight vacuum of 100mm of H20.

Under normal driving condition with the transmission in D the car downshifts when you go WOT so it's hard to replicate the extreme scenario described above. While driving the crankcase remains neutral.

I'm really impressed how well this system works!!!! Intake is very dry and oil is absolutely constant between the 10k-12K oil changes interval.

I made a note to replace the filter whenever I do the air and fuel filter; for them I use the "Service" reminder that has the car on the lift. I think it comes up every 25K miles or so.

Really appreciate all the time and effort you put into this and then sharing it. Makes so much sense to have something like this installed. The drain tee'd into the dip stick line is ingenious!

I want to do everything I can to reduce carbon build-up and this seems like a perfect way to remove the "binding agent" from the mix, not to mention having multiple other benefits. Amazing how much oil was pulled out within 2K!

The hose that sgr posted didnt seem too bad considering it was for 5m/16ft. Since you used less than 5' I should have plenty left over and would be more than happy to send some down your way once I tackle the project. :thumbup:

Deftronix - 1) Yes, I drilled the three relief holes just as described by ZetaTre. 2) Not a big deal, but the price for the hose is a bit more than you think. The website is somewhat confusing/misleading, but the actual price is $35 per "0.2 Qty = 1 meter." So you'll need 2 meters = $70.00. With shipping/handling I think it was right around $80 total.

Otherwise I'll merely repeat that the system seems to be working great. No issues at all. I was doing some preventative maintenance a few weeks ago, and there was none of the sticky, tar-like CBU I had in the past on the EGR valve, and no liquid oil in front of the throttle/anti-shudder valve. Consequently, I assume the intake manifold, valves, and swirl flaps are similarly in good shape.

Good Luck!

Haha, guess I was being optimistic when I read the .2 qty = 1m and the fact that the part # had 5m in it. Thanks for the clarification.

Btw, I posted the length of the hoses I used based on the location where I put the separator. You may want to send a message to the supplier sgrice used and see what they get back to you with.

There's a few other alternatives, like the Gates hoses someone else suggested.

Also, McMaster sells plastic flexible conduits that could very well fit the application. But like I said there's nothing wrong with the hose I used and it's rated for oil. All I can tell you is that coolant hoses will not resist. Not to mention they are bulky and somewhat rigid since they are design to hold a certain pressure (something you really don't need for this application)

The latest hose I used end up failing on me again. It's always the side that goes from the valve cover the the Provent: the oil eventually eats through the rubber.

This time around the hose teared and with time oil smeared everywhere.

I pulled the trigger and spent the 80 bucks to get the same hose that sgrice bought from Patrick Motorsport.

Other than that the system continue to perform very well: the line going from the separator to the intake is completely dry.

Question about check valve for returning oil into dip stick: is there a particular strength (other specs?) that should be used?

Can I, please, get specs and source?

Is there some minimal distance between ProVent housing and check valve to create pressure?

I used a rather large one (good 3 inches in length!) that was locally sourced. Today, after some 100 miles, I saw ProVent housing has a pool of oil at the bottom - it was clearly not being returned.

Worse, the check valve was leaking oil that was standing in the tube.
Tube after check valve was confirmed to be completely clean and dry - oil was never there.

So, I have a valve inappropriate for the job, it seems.

On the same topic: how much pressure is coming back up into dip stick from sump pan? After removing the non-working check valve and replacing it temporarily with a catch can, I then covered the short hose that connects to the tee (the tee is attached to the dip stick, just like ZetaTre and sgrice did).

After a short drive, I observed surprisingly large amount of oil came out of that and made the undercarriage messy. Never thought there was any pressure there! Or, perhaps the tee is too close to oil line in the sump?

[Edit] Reading about oil sump pressure: a lot of topics about sump pressure (some is expected, but not much) have to do with Crank Case Ventilation malfunctioning).

Will take a better look on Monday.

As ZetaTre reported in post #9, diesel-filters.com is a good supply source. The check valve can be found by using tabs to "Browse By," then "Manufacturer," then to "Mann Filter." The check valve is sku:2400843621, or a direct link is here.

I don't know how much sump pressure should be expected. The best discussion of sump pressure and check valve placement that I found is between 3:00 and 3:30 on this YouTube video. Not a whole lot of detail, but that is the best I could find.

Hope that helps.

Stephen

Thanks, Stephen. Placed an order on that check valve, should be here on Tuesday.

Update.
The check valve arrived and got installed. After >500 miles, no problems.
Opened ProVent, seeing the filter is doing its work and no puddles at the bottom.

To support ProVent is a good idea.
Reading Diesel Technolgy document provided by user Doug Huffman

A couple places suggest that oil puddles at at oil turbo intake may lead to over-revving condition (diesel engine runaway).

Page 43
Page 93
yes, throttle body valve essentially prevents runaway should it occur, but nevertheless.

In my case, there was a puddle of blowby oil sitting right before turbo blades.

Good job getting the Provent installed!! A bit of work, but I think it's worth it - well done.

Thanks to all that contributed to this post. I well definitely be fitting one of these to my X5 when it comes home next month.


Does anyone have a CAD file for the adapter plate??

Would anyone be interested in the PCV plate and possibly a novel solution for the drain?

I'm thinking of having a small fabricator make a small run of parts.

I think there would be a lot of interest.

Aerickson95 over @ e90 has come up with the best design I have seen so far for the cover. Since these were made for the 335d, we would want the outlet location to face the windshield instead.

BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum - View Single Post - 335D: The Build Begins

That seems much more elaborate than necessary.

My plan was to do more like OP, but to have the plate CNC'd. A threaded hole would be added for a brass elbow. The risk of galvanic corrosion between the brass elbow and aluminum plate would be mitigated by use of an appropriate thread sealant and the nature of the application.

Of course, that's why I like it so much! However, I could understand that cncing plate as opposed to decent sized chunks of aluminum would be much more cost effective.

Count me in. I am interested. Let me know $

I wish we have this for the X5:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Ok, guys. I'm obviously at the very very early stages of this. I think if we do just the plate, possibly with a generic elbow fitting, the price point should be under $50. (Just a guess)

My plan would be to have my guy make 5-10 of these, then I will kit them together and make them available for sale. I'm not going to ask for a group buy or down payments or anything because I've seen people try that and it seems to end in hostile feelings when deadlines are missed, etc.


If these do really well, and folks want something more elaborate, I also know a guy that does anodizing.


As for the drain, I'm toying with the idea of making a sandwich plate for one of the turbo drain line fittings. But until I do some more research, I'm not sure if that's even feasible.

Well, after having my charge pipe off this afternoon, I'm moving this job up my list. My intake is soaked with oil.

Update at 109K miles.

Popped off charge line to look inside throttle body.
Saw about 1/3 teaspoon puddle of oil sitting in front of throttle body. A bit surprised.

Opened ProVent and observed the filter fully soaked in oil.

I thought: "good that it is catching oil, bad that it is soaked and thus not catching enough?"

Didn't have much time for looking more on Sunday morning.

Need to inspect the ProVent outlet hose. Last time I looked at it, it was slightly moist but clear.

Since the filters are available for purchase, I wonder if it wouldn't be prudent to replace it periodically, rather than just rinse it with solvent.

@ZetaTre,

When I made comments about trying to offer the plate, I did not realize you had already started a thread gaging interest. If you are still pursuing that, I will gladly cease and desist with my offers.

Yes, they are replaceable and should be. I guess I didn't expect one to become soaked and thus less efficient so soon.
Will wash with solvent tonight and keep monitoring closely.
At $50 a piece, having to install new one every 2 months is a bit much :)

I tried to message him about the plate one time and he didn't reply back. So I guess he didn't push through with the project or only made a few plates.

But in case you will have one built, make it two I will buy the other one

Ok. I need to order in the pent-screw bits so I can take it off safely. Then I need to get drawings made and send them to my guy to quote.

Am I to understand that these pieces:

RealOEM.com - Online BMW Parts Catalog

cannot be reinstalled after this mod? Or do they require modification themselves to fit?

Modification to item 6 only I believe.

You can count me in for a plate as well. Someone should just make a full kit available.

That becomes a rather large outlay to only sell a small handful of kits.

Wishful thinking to make my life easier ;)

In all seriousness a full kit would be more enticing for someone to purchase knowing that no additional research would be needed in getting the remaining parts. Also it would be easier for shops to install as well. I'm not sure what the total cost of this upgrade would be but if more people were aware of the benefits I'm sure more and more diesel owners would jump on board if marketed correctly.

I developed a product of my own for the E39 platform and it's crazy how it blew up and now available worldwide. The great thing is now I just manufacture and don't have to worry about distribution.

Until we (collectively) determine how best to keep this mod working, I wouldn't be comfortable with supplying a "turn key" kit anyway.


I'm sure I could bundle a document that spells out what else needs to be purchased.

Zetatre or sgrice, can you guys send a picture of what the dipstick attachement looks like? I'm having trouble envisioning how it's put together. I don't understand your earlier post about cutting the T, saddle, epoxy, etc. The outlet from the ProVent and the oil on the bottom both drain back to the oil dipstick is that correct?

Zetatre/sgrice, is there a functional reason i should not just cut the plastic tube coming out of the oil separator on the valve cover and connect the ProVent input hose there, not drill holes in the ProVent, and then run the ProVent out hose back to the other end of the plastic tube that connects before the turbo inlet? Basically just replacing the black plastic breather tube on the valve cove with the un-modified ProVent?


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Sub'd

I think ecs offered a kit but im not sure if its particular for the x5

Did you see this post? Specifically, this photo shows the copper T hugs (saddles) the dipstick tube. To make it a saddle, the tee will have to lose the bottom of the 1" tube, to make it look like this, with 1/2" opening untouched:
https://mobileimages.lowes.com/produ...5528761707.jpg

Pay attention to orientation of the 1/2" opening of the tee in relation to dipstick tube.

Seattle, have you resolved the issue you had with the filter media saturating and not working correctly?

It is actually working correctly. I insinuated it may not be based on popping off post-Ingercooler charge pipe at throttle body and seeing oil or/and soot in the pipe and in throttle body.

However, when I popped the tube returning from ProVent into turbo intake, I found it completely dry and clean. Before, lots of oil would be returned in there from CCV. So, ProVent is doing an excellent job.
The oil/soot in the intercooler pipe are likely from turbo seals. A lot less of this stuff in the pipe than before.

Glad to hear!!

I assume, given the function and location of the intercooler, it's possible that there is a relatively large quantity of oil trapped in it. Even with no addition of oil from the turbos you may continue to see it in the intake.

The intercooler and both pipes were soaked and washed, intercooler properly drained, of course. So, that oil/soot is new I think.

Thought I would mention something related to ProVent behavior after starting and taking for a spin my newly EGR/DPF/SCR deleted X5D.

Before deleting, I was running ProVent since January 2017. It looked to be doing its job separating oil from blowby - the return hose was always clear and free of oil.

In January-February of this year, I did a big project:
1. Replaced both turbos, suspected as culprit of severe oil leaks.
2. Deleted and tuned out: EGR, DPF, SCR.
3. Added a "normal" diesel cat (DOC).
4. Cleaned intercooler, pipes, intake.

At the same time, modified my ProVent setup, as I feel it was not quite what was recommended in this thread.
1. Replaced my hoses that while oil resistant, were softer than shoud have been with these (sgrice post)
2. Made the 3 holes larger, to match size (on photos) as ZetaTre's recommendation. My 3 holes were a little smaller.

So, after taking the x5d for a spirited drive, observed fumes coming out off the top of ProVent relief valve while idling.
Removed filter element and with mirror, confirmed the side valve is stuck closed. So, due to higher sucking powers of the new turbo and tune, that valve got stuck closed - exactly what ZetaTre predicted happens when he tested!

On the other hand, I observed the spring of the valve is not able to retract it quick and all the way.

So, decided to not drill more holes and instead stretch the spring.
After stretching, the valve retracted much more readily and farther.

Put it all together, did more testing and haven't observed fumes coming out of top relief valve.

Question: what is the function of that side valve anyway? It seems that it does nothing good in our case.

The rubber boot around the valve introduces a lot of friction, making the spring work harder. By design?

Thanks for the info Seattle, I recent did the ABC delete as well, but also installed the ProVent per the sgrice diy. On the first drive I had a oily mess because apparently I accidentally knocked the top cap loose while I was finishing the install. It really surprised me how much oil was around since i only drove a few miles. the next trip was a bit harder and then 10 miles of hwy driving. while on the hwy I checked the oil level through the DIS and is showed low when i just did a change. I stopped and checked it via the dip stick and the level was fine, while stopped i also checked again with the DIS and is showed normal as well. I was wondering if the increased boost from the new tune was somehow causing the ProVent to cycle oil through and into the pan?
I unhooked the ProVent for now, but will be re-connecting after i replace the exhaust manifold due to #1 port wrapped. it really upsets me because i know it was when i put it back together, but thought the new gaskets would still seal it up.
Anyway... your thoughts on the oil level indication change?
As a side note i very seldom us the DIS to check the level so maybe its just always acted like that and i just never noticed it.

You drilled holes like suggested by ZetaTre, correct? 5 is too many, 3 is correct to get turbo sucking just right amount when filtering.

In my case, before ABC deletes, that was just fine, but increased suction from turbo after deletes, paired with weakened valve spring, caused the valve to close and fumes nowhere to go but through top cap relief valve.

If oil (not just fumes) get sucked into provent somehow, easy way to check is the hose INTO Provent. Normally, the hose would have a thin oily film, but if any oil was passing through, it would be covered in it from inside.

I have an exhaust manifold off a 50K mile x5d laying around in my garage.
Salvage yard where I got the HP turbo was too lazy to separate, so gave me both turbos and exhaust manifold together.
PM me if interested.

I did drill only 3 holes as per DIY. Good point on the amount of oil in the inlet tube, it was oily, but not like a lot had flowed through, but more then just mist, although it has 170k miles so it may have more blow-by then normal.


I will reconnect everything, monitor and then stretch the spring as you have done. Thanks for the offer to sell your extra manifold, but I just bought a used manifold on Friday. #1 port on it is warped away from the head ever so slightly as well when checked with a straight edge, but much less then mine and is something I can take out with mild plaining... I think.

Is there a separate thread on this warped manifold issue? Tune related ? Also looking at getting a tune in the near future, but don’t want to replace parts because of it.

Have people been having problems with the factory CCV with tuned engines? I am planning on keeping the factory system and adding a provent using a fan powered secondary loop, much like Soldberg does for their industrial CCV filters

The tune is unrelated to the warped manifold. I have known my manifold was warped for the last 3 years when I found both exhaust bolts on #1 cylinder were broken.
As for the ProVent and issues after tune Seattle summarized it earlier in this thread, although I’m not sure I would call it an issue or just something to be aware of and make the necessary adjustments.

Need this badly

The valve is meant to avoid excessive vacuum to be pulled from the crankcase. High vacuum as well as pressure are both bad for the crank seals, more so vacuum because what would happen is dust getting pulled past the crank seals, damaging crank journals.

That's part of the reason why I left it there. In addition, from a practical perspective, the valve is also the seal of the exit cavity so if you remove it it would leak air.

Since I'm here: 90,000 miles on the ProVent setup and still working beautifully. The hoses from the Porsche tuner work beautifully

I know this is an old thread, but I am getting ready to do the same thing on my 2009 X5. I have a question about drilling holes in the Provent 200 valve. I can't figure out how to disassemble it to drill the holes.

I am also curious why a takeoff plate is needed. Someone else asked why but unfortunately didn't get a response.

Reviving old thread for some additional input:

Kalifornia owners - any issues passing smog check (visual inspection) with Provent installed?
Can someone advise on provent valve holes diameter for the stock (non-tuned) car?
Any tips for removing / re-installing dipstick guide tube (specifically lower bolt)?
Should I use worm clamps to secure vacuum hose extension?
Should I use clamps to secure 1/2" oil drain tube (T / 90-degree / valve)?
Any recommendation for the CCV plate pentagon bolts torque specs?

Huge thanks to ZetaTre and sgrice for the guide, pictures and parts.

I got base parts manufactured and positioned (no piping yet).
Spent too much time time removing 3" vacuum link.

Any advise how to remove lower dipstick bolt?
I can not reach it from the top.
Also, there is AD piping near lower dipstick mounting section.

POBEP - it's been several years since I did my installation, so I don't remember all the specifics, but here are my thoughts:

1) Advice on lower dipstick bolt - all I can remember is that it was really far down, but I did get to it from the top. No way it was reachable while standing next to the engine compartment. I remember putting a bunch of padding (old towels and bathmats) on top of the engine and then having to lie on top of the engine and reach my arm way down. As I think I noted, it probably looked like I was doing something obscene to the engine. Cannot remember whether I used socket extensions, but it is certainly possible.

2) I used worm clamps for the vacuum hose and the oil drain tube connections.

3) No idea about the CCV plate torque values. As I recall I just snugged it up to roughly what it had seemed like to remove. I seem to recall there is a rubber gasket so the torque was not too high.

Hope that helps. Good luck.