Oil Catch Can Installation
 

I have been researching the best way to install an oil catch can in the E55. I make no claim to be an expert on this; I’m just explaining what I am doing for myself. Here is my understanding so far:

I bought an oil catch can from AMW and yes the quality is great. In its stock form the most restrictive airflow portions are the fittings for the hoses. The ID of the fittings is 1/4 inch. It has been suggested that this is too small for the E55 based on the larger hoses MB uses.

You'll see in the diagram below, the breather system for the E55. Letters A are the outlets from the valve covers which connect to hoses going to the throttle body. Letter B is the hose that inserts directly into the throttle body’s air stream. Letter C is the "make up" air hose, connected to the air box. Nothing has to be done with C as it supplies the fresh make up air being sucked out of the valve covers by the throttle body. If you completely remove your air box both lower and upper you’ll see all this. The hoses route under the surge tanks to the throttle body.

There is no check valve or PCV valve in this system. Mercedes said they typically don’t use them. Considering the throttle body is before the super charger then it makes sense that unless there was a backfire no positive pressure would enter the PCV system via the throttle body inlet hose. So basically, there is no need to install a check valve with the catch can.

I measured the ID of the Letter A and B openings. Gratefully they are both ¼ inch ID! This means there is no air restriction in using the AMW can in its stock form. You’ll see that the MB system Ts the two valve cover outlets together using the hose as a giant T, into one inlet to the throttle body. I intend to do the same thing for the inlet of the oil catch can thereby using the one existing inlet on the can now. This will give the same flow as the throttle body is experiencing now. Then the outlet of the can simply goes right into the throttle body inlet as before.

I should have this all installed in the next couple of days.

what about the info given in the other post...

is his info accurate or am i analyzing the picture wrong because it seems they're already tied together?

Can you please take lots of pictures during the instal? Much appreciated.

As a left field thought - is everyone sure the aerosolised oil has no function in lubricating the supercharger screws? The reason I ask is that MB/AMG must be aware that the oil causes contamination and could so easily have added a catch can themselves.........and had the dealer charge a fortune to 'service' it at each oil change.:nix:

Hmmm as far as I know the S/C screws don't touch but get as close as you dare without touching ... so if anything I would say oil would be worse not better for them ... if oil did get in there there would be hydraulic pressure between the srews squashing the oil - if you see what I mean. Also the one screw is a type of plastic resin type thing - not sure if the oil would corrode this unit - again a guess. But I really dont know enuf about S/C's to know for sure.

Call in the guru's... gee where's Grumpy666 - think he needs to change his sig to Grumpy10000

No oiling required here at all. Rooters should be dry but a little oil won't bother it either. Oil is worse in the chambers. All bearings and gears are self lubricated.

Will post pictures. MB does this on most of their cars, NA or FI. So I agree that I don't see the SC needing it.

Great info DSC...looks easy. Await your results.

PCV Mod
 

DSC
Just saw your post. This is excellent information and goes along with what a MB Tech told me and I could not get my head around since the SRT8 and all other "american" V8's use such a simple one hose system. Here is the system I installed on my SRT8.......very simple install between the vacuum source and PCV valve. Oil is the last thing you want in the intake tract. When I installed my phenolic spacers I was shocked over the amount of oil in the E55 intake tract. This crap will pool up in the intake and cook itself to the intake valve and pistons. The Postive Crank Ventilation System thing is strictly for Emissions and nothing else.

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j6...o/IMG_0256.jpg

My car goes in next week and this really helps!

here is another catch can manufacturer.



http://www.eliteengineeringusa.com/Catch_Can.html

The picture is right, they are already tied together.

I have it all installed. Great location and easy to get at. I took a lot of pics so I still have to sort them and write this up.

Please post them ASAP! Thanx!:y

Here is how I installed the catch can.

Disclaimer: This is what I did, I’m not telling anyone to do it.

Removing E55 PCV hosing (see the Diagram from the beginning of this post):

1. Remove the upper and lower air box completely.
2. Remove the two lower throttle body mounting screws along with the PCV hose retaining clip.
3. Disconnect the PCV hose from both the drivers and passengers sides valve covers.
4. To completely pull the PCV hose out you will need to break it at a couple of the union joints so it can slip out from under each surge tank. Save all the parts you will need some for the Catch Can installation.

If you are using the AMW Oil Catch Can you will also need a 3/8 nylon Tee & Union, a total of 7 hose clamps, ¼ inch rubber vacuum plug, silicone glue, zip ties and about 2 feet of extra 3/8 PCV hose.


Installing the Catch Can:

1. Clean the Driver side, inside of the OEM Tee removed from the throttle body with alcohol along with the outside of a ¼ inch rubber vacuum plug. Apply silicone glue the inside of the OEM Tee and outside of the plug. Slide the plug into the OEM Tee to seal off the side.
I cut the small hose of the OEM Tee down to 7/16 inch so it would not protrude into the throttle body as in the stock design. The hose originally protrudes into the air stream so oil doesn’t condense on the metal as much. With the removal of the oil I didn’t think it necessary to block air flow with the long tube inside the throttle body. See Photos 1-1 and 2-2
2. If you look directly behind the passenger side valve cover on the firewall behind the brakes lines, you will see a rubber plug in a hole of the firewall. Remove the plug and cut a small hole toward the top of it so you can pass the AMW hose threw it. See photo 3-3.
3. Slide about 20 inches of AMW hose into the plug and reinstall the plug into the firewall, leave a couple of inches to protrude into the engine bay. Photo 3-3.
4. Insert the nylon Tee into the engine bay side of the AMW hose and clamp. Photo 3-3.
5. Run about 2 inches of AMW hose from the nylon Tee toward the passenger valve cover to the OEM hose as viewed in Photo 3-3. Clamp the nylon Tee end and use the OEM barb union to connect the other end.
6. Install the 2 OEM hoses on the Drivers side as viewed in Photo 4-4. Keep the OEM barbed union in the end of the second hose and attach the AMW hose provided. Use zip ties to secure the hose to the brake line running along the firewall to the nylon Tee then attach and clamp.
7. The Catch Can goes into the compartment next to the AC exchange, See Photo 5-5. The AMW hose attaches and clamps to the top fitting of the can.
8. Just to the left and a little higher of the rubber plug you ran the hose threw, is a plastic plug in the firewall. Remove it and insert the 3/8 inch nylon union. See photo 6-6.
9. Attach a length of AMW hose to the side of the Catch Can and run it to the nylon union, clamp both ends. See photo 7-7.
10. Attach a length of the extra hose you bought to the other side of the nylon union and clamp. Attach the OEM hose with OEM barb to the OEM Tee. See photo 8-8. Your hose will be shorter than the photo shows, cut & fit to length.
11. Install the OEM Tee back into the throttle body and replace the PCV hose retaining clip and mounting screws. See photo 9-9.
12. Insert the Catch can into place, curl the hoses so there are no kinks. See photo 10-10. The Catch Can is easily pulled out for draining and reinserted.
13. Make sure there are no kinks anywhere in all the hoses. Reinstall the lower and upper air box.

The location of the Catch Can makes it easy to get at and is a very cool location compared to the engine compartment.

Here are the 5 other photos of the install.

Thats a fabulous write up - many thanks !!!

Also you found a great location for the CC ... !

nice dsc!

how many miles before you check the canister?

I'll check after about 500 miles, I work out of my home so that could be a little while. I'll post what I find.

Thanks dsc, that looks great.
Your instructions should be a sticky in the Performance upgrades forum.

Update: Oil Catch Can Results
 

It's been about 500 miles on the car and sure enough Finny was right, we struck oil! There is about 7 mls of oil in the catch can, see the pictures below.

Where does one purchase this pictured catch can?

At AMW, http://www.accmachtech.com/pcvcatchcans.htm

WOW!!! Great idea and execution!!! This is what this forum is all about!!!

How about you put a kit together and sell it!!! I do not know about the rest of the forum members, but I'm too busy (with kids, work and etc.) to put all of this together. However, if there was a kit, with instructions, I would purchase it and then just give it to my tech and he installs it. So what do you say? Just look at VRUS and his great ideas. Or, how about this, you put the kit togther for me and tell me how much I need to pay you to by the kit.

Thanks jcjmw. You really don't need many parts. Just order the can from AMW, get a little extra hose, unions and clamps which your tech probably has. Give your tech the instruction and your done.

I appreciate your vote of confidence, I'm just sharing not making kits. :)

Great thread!

I recently did this mod on my C32, except I used a dual inlet catch can from Jaz products. I plugged the bottom of the throttle body with a rubber plug and routed two 3/8" PCV lines to the catch can. It came with a small tube for draining the oil out and it works great. I paid about $60 for the unit. It even has a breather on the top with a mini K&N type filter.

Sorry about the pic...it's the only one on their website.

LINK TO THE PRODUCT Click on overflows and then 1 pint mini breather.



http://www.jazproducts.com/overflows/1ptminism.jpg

The only problem with venting it like that is that after a while you will be able to smell the oil fumes in the engine compartment. Just my 2 cents.

Very true.

Make a custom panovac system and install the check valve after the cat and o2 sensor?