Looking into installing a universal catch can for our motors. No vendor offers a complete kit yet. I'm not sure if I need a two port or three port and also where I should tap into for the hose routing? Has anyone done this on the M276 engine or can share info with me about how to setup the lines for this?

 

I guess i'll be the guinea pig on this since no one has installed a catch can system on the m276 motor. I went ahead and purchased a universal catch can from ECS tuning and have begun to research the breather system on our cars. Attached is a pic of the catch can I purchased.


From what I can gather the m276 engine has an oil seperator built in, which acts like a catch can, but I assume it still doesn't hurt to add a catch can into the system to prevent blow back. I cant fin where the oil seperator is in the motor but was able to find a diagram.

 

I was looking into this also. I really want to get a meth kit as well for when it starts to get warm. It sucks No one makes any.

 

I dont want to let the cat out of the bag, but a meth kit may be soon in the works

 

Why would you need this? Catch cans are nearly worthless on newer motors that run a more sophisticated system.

 

Catch cans are a very popular modification for highly modified forced induction cars. Even on newer vehicles when you start tuning the engines for more boost it can create more issues with blow back. My thinking is that installing a catch can is good insurance to keep the engine clean and help with longevity. I want to do all that I can to ensure the motor is protected considering I'm running stage two software which is putting more demands on the motor. In the BMW/Audi/VW World many new vehicles run aftermarket catch cans. Unfortunately no vendor offers a complete system for the Mercedes m276 engine so I'm trying to rig one up myself.

 

Dude!! LMK what you find. I have been looking but i guess in the wrong spots lol.

 

Wouldn't changing the oil at a higher frequency fix this issue?

 

The primary reason why you would want to install an oil catch can especially on a direct injection engine is to reduce the carbon deposits on the intake valves. Not sure what Mercedes has done to reduce the the carbon deposit on the intake valves but i know manufacturers are taking steps to reduce it compared to the first generation of direct injection motors.

 

The benz PCV system is very good, we see almost no intake valve coking compared to the BMW and other DI engines. I don't think you will see much benefit if any from a catch can.

Also, meth injection runs over the valves, so it gives it some sort of cleaning effect like a port fueled engine.

I wouldn't bother with a catch can on this engine personally.

 

Update: It's been a while since I updated this thread. Here's whats news with this project After much research I found out that our engines have a built in oil seperator located in the "V" of the engine, under the intake manifold. The crankcase breather line runs out from the back of the engine on the passenger side and into the oil seperator. Then there are two lines which run from the oil seperator to feed excess vapor back into the engine. One line runs to a one way disc valve which attached to the front of the intake manifold (i'm assuming to vent vapor into manifold under boost). That line is a flexible black line which runs directly under the intake manifold from oil seperator. The valve allows air into manifold but not air out. The other line is a hard line which runs from oil seperator directly into a hole in the passenger side turbo inlet pipe (under where the air intake connects to the turbo inlet). I'm not sure why one line runs to manifold and one line runs to the turbo? My guess is so that vapor can be pulled in under boost or under normal engine vaccum?

Below is a photo which shows the stock oil seperator and the two lines I describe above

 

Update: Over the last few weeks I have been running a catch can setup using a universal catch can from ECS tuning. The can is under vacuum, because when I remove the sealed dipstick in the can with engine running i can hear the motor idle drop and can feel the sucking pressure. The can has only been on for 300 miles or so and i have yet to capture any significant oil, but have seen an oily residue in the can. They way I have the catch can setup is as follows:

-I am basically running the catch can in line with one of the lines coming off the factory oil seperator, which then leads to the intake manifold before the one way disc valve. This means the can is only able to capture anything the oil seperator lets through, and only in one line out of the two coming from the oil seperator.

-In many factory catch can setups you would completely eliminate the factory oil seperator and just use the catch can, but to do this you would have to remove the intake manifold to get to the "V" and plug the oil seperator. You would also need to get to the passeneger side rear of the engine, to locate the crankcase breather lines and run those lines directly to a catch can, or to two seperate catch cans (since there are two lines).

-I didn't feel comfortable cutting the 2nd line which is hard plastic and runs to the passenger side turbo inlet, so this line is still feeding any blow by coming out of the oil seperator.


In a perfect system I'd envision two catch cans: One setup the way I have coming off the line to the intake manifold and another coming off the line to the turbo intake. These could either be run in line( still using the factory oil seperator) or the factory oil seperator could be completely removed , and those lines could run from crankcase breather directly to the cans.

 

In order to run the catch can I made a fitting that fits into the intake manifold where the one way valve disc originally fitted. One one end I added a nipple for my boost gauge, one the other end I inserted the one way valve which has two discs which only let air in/ not out. One side of this sent to the line to the oil seperator, the other side goes to the fuel purge valve line. For the line that goes to the air oil seperator, I pulled the line off the one way valve and inserted a brass barbed fitting. I rant that lien to the "In" on the catch can. I then ran the "out" line of the catch can back to the original one way valve (now on one side of my fitting which runs to the manifold).

 

Heres pictures of where the hard line feeds from the oil seperator into the passenger side turbo intake, below the airfilter.

 

Here is a very rudimentary diagram I made up showing how I think th factory oil seperator works, how i've connected the 1 catch can and how you could run two catch cans. Any feedback/comments/corrections are appreciated as this is all exploratory territory for me.

 

i have no idea what the point of any of this is but I am in to learn! good work so far!!

 

Any updates?

 

I have a 2013 E350 Coupe (C207) normally aspirated M276. When changing the air filter to K&N I decided to take the rubber intake elbow off and the throttle blade had oil all along the bottom edge as if it was full of oil on the other side. So I took the blade assy off to find the intake is basically coated with oil. I envision the intake plenum has oil pooled up in the low spots and my intake valves are caked with carbon...
So I want to fix this, obviously, and it seems a catch can and a filter to absorb oil is needed. Plus I want to clean my intake and valves which will require removing the intake, but I'm waiting for intake gaskets to become available from RockAuto; MAHLE MS20293 as my local MB dealer won't answer their phone.
My plan was to cut the elbow fitting that connects the plastic pcv tube to the intake just behind the throttle blade (see pix). I'd add hose to each end of the cut which will go to an oil separator. Since I don't believe typical oil separators work very well, if at all, I also wanted to add a filter using kitty litter or something after it.
As for cleaning the valves and intake; I'm still working on that plan. I was thinking maybe a steady injection of Sea Foam mist? I dunno....
So I was fishing for thoughts, better ideas etc etc. Thank you!

 

I love that you guys are modding a luxury car. Props to you!

 

Dealers are not too cooperative with catch cans. I know when I'm on the Z06 forums that some dealers were voiding warranties.

 

i did this. cut in half and insert catch can, it should work.

 

It’s a 3/4 ID un-enforced hose. You need 2 3/4 to 1/2 fittings and 2 inches long 3/4 ID hose to avoid cutting it.
3/4 hose >> fitting >> 1/2 hose >> can inlet
Elbow >> 3/4 hose >> fitting >> can outlet

 

i hate to cut it, but won't it be sticking out and too long if connecting those fittings and hoses on the breather line?

 

Hi have you done this on m276? Im looking to add this as well

 

For more info on the factory system that's on these engines, see page 20 of the attached PDF.