BMW E46 M54 Catch Can Install to bypass/delete CCV

The catch can install on a BMW e46 m54 engine. I followed the instructions posted by Nathan's DIY garage to do this. No more blue smoke it would seem 👍 😎 so hopefully this has stopped the oil burning problem as a result. It took around 3 hours to do from start to finish.
If you are interested in the parts I used then I can post links here.
Parts Used:
1 X 12 Inch 7/8 Inch Silicone Hose:
1 X 36 Inch 3/8 Inch Silicone Hose: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/25272318211...
2 X 7/8 and 6 X 3/8 Inch Jubilee Clips:
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/11199407589...
1 X 3/8 Inch Plug use for dipstick:
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/28050658507...
1 X Silicone Sealant for catch can as the visual guage where it meets the blue washers of the can were leaky and not retaining vaccume:
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/26280748516...
1 X 3/4 to 3/8 inch reducer:
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12136874093...
1 X Catch Can in black. I used the can, sticky gaskets, metal bracket, the bolt to fasten it to the car with jubilee clip and the metal plug that comes with it to block off the intake I talk about in the video on the top of the engine. The rest of the parts I did not use:
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/16204423301...
This video is for entertainment purposes only.

[@lootzhimbeyohimbe6346]

My experience from using the port at the back of intake resulted in oil seeping from the valve cover bolt grommets at high rpm’s. Sure there is vacuum at idle, but not enough to handle the crankcase pressure/blow by during hard driving. I switched to using one of the ports on the rail at the top of intake(quite a bit more vacuum) and oil stopped leaking.

[@Mlive722]

Did you get good clearance under the rail?

[@olskillywilly]

Nice install and added info in comments mate thanks a ton

[@bbking7552]

nice job

[@lefora87]

i did it without pcv valve and the pressure blew through seals...pcv valve is a must

[@jonathanbock8435]

Can you add the link to Nathan DIY video on how to install oil catch can on e46? Thanks!

[@Lurkatron]

Thats all nice and well if you have a rhd chassis lol hope it worked for the run of it

[@NakaiSan.]

U recomend delete ccv?

[@mcycleserv]

did you fit pcv valve on the vacuum side ..why I asked is I have done a can and went back through the Distribution rail with a PCV but find there is quite a lot of vacuum when trying to remove oil filler cap and after a few minutes there is a vacuum leak squeal but goes away when the motor is warm ...the valve cover and seals are new $500 but the leak if from there ...release oil filler cap by half and the noise goes away when vacuum slightly escapes ...has anyone had this problem

[@fishtoasty]

Hi mate - yes there is a bit of vacuum at the filler cap although a little is ok. I have found the engine performs better when under a little vacuum anyway.

[@paco_rider]

Do your silicone hoses collapse due to the vacuum at ilde?? Mine does.....

[@fishtoasty]

No - they have been fine. Are you using the ones I have linked to above?

[@arnolduk123]

Great video. BMW was already prepared for the catch system and left the mounting holes and space for one. :) Not too keen on the blue pipes mate, could you not find black ? IF you like the colour then its still looks a good install. What did you use to cap off the dipstick and intake pipes ? How much oil is the catchcan holding since the install ?

[@fishtoasty]

Arnold Rimmer yeah the blue unfortunately was all I could get at the time - and given it was to fix a problem - I was not too fussed on the colour in the end, as it was more about the function. I used the plug linked in the description for the dipstick and as for the intake I used the plug that came in with the catch can.

[@benshaw576]

Is it best to run the out feed of the catch can to to the back of the intake rather than the top of the intake (old ccv route) I hear it has more vacuum from the top, good or bad?

[@fishtoasty]

I have heard that it’s better to the back of the intake rather than the top. However in saying that I have had no problems using the top in my setup.

[@witciu12]

jaka srednica tych niebieskich rurek ?

[@fireblade954rr6]

Hey, i have done the same oil catch can intallation as you. Yesterday i finished with starting the engine and notissed, that i have much much more vacuum in the crankcasecover. Taking of the oil cap is pretty hard now because of the big vaccum. Did you have the same at your m54 engine? Im not sure if it is so good to have such a big vaccum there. greetings from Germany

[@fishtoasty]

Hi Fireblade - I noticed some additional vacuum but not a large vacuum.

[@JTD19881369]

hey bud... so i did Nathans as well. a few months after my car started throwing a shit ton of lean codes and misfire on bank one... turns out im not venting enough Crank case gas.. and causing a lot of false air in the CC. how is the longevity on yours mate?

[@fishtoasty]

Hi mate. All good still so far. I am not venting anything to atmosphere. Everything Capped. I have had lean codes before doing this and that was down to the small pipe that comes off this intake hose: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Throttle-Housing-Air-Intake-Hose-Pipe-BMW-3-Series-E46-330i-330ci-330xi-/361935306450?fits=Car+Make%3ABMW%7CPlat_Gen%3AE46&hash=item5445067ed2:g:TtoAAOSwhQhY0-8c Check yours as mine was cracked and had huge holes in it. It can be checked by taking the airbox and hoses that come off it. I just masked it up and they have disappeared for 6 months now after clearing the codes. I have also had misfires and that was down to a malfunction DISA valve as well as the fact the sparks were getting oiled up due to the broken CCV. For the DISA valve two T20 screws and that can be taken off and checked to see if it works like this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/noLMaGBnqNykhKM I also replaced the oring on this with a silicone one to prevent lean codes occurring again in the future (one of the other places lean codes can occur from). Still running really smooth and no oil burning any more. Not had to top up for 1 half months now which used to be every 2 weeks taking 6 litres of oil.

[@JTD19881369]

fishtoasty hey thanks for the info! luckily i have replaced my intake boots already.. im running a 530i.. maybe i just used the wrong vacuum port.. i decided to port into the air equalizer on top of the intake instead of the intake port in the rear. we share the M54 engine so you know what part im talking about. ill cap that and move my hose to the intake itself.. also i rebuilt the insides of my DISA using machined aluminum parts from a friend.. theyre working super well we basically took pictures from German Auto Solutions and used original parts for size reference and he whipped them up in a few days

[@milepavlov178]

Nice video ... Did you use a pcv valve?

[@fishtoasty]

no did not use one

[@freshprinceofkfc1941]

Can you source us the video you used please

[@fishtoasty]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJucp6eXfNBnepY

[@NOKRBTZU]

More bluish shouldn't be?

[@mehdicloarec6886]

Hello, i do the same job than u but i have Check engine light. Do you know why ? My motor work perfectly but the light is ON check engine. Thanks u

[@fishtoasty]

You may want to check this video out. Are you sure its the check engine light? kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5aWf2iGnJ6sgNk

[@fishtoasty]

I had a vacuum leak on the intake boot (the one he refers to as the common one)

[@0n370v3]

How your car is getting on with this mod? Is everything ok till this day?

[@fishtoasty]

Niks G everything still running fine. Sold it recently but was still running great.

[@0n370v3]

Good to know. Thanks for reply. Im about to install one on my e61 m54 just confused which port should i use, back one (the one you used) or main intake manifold. People have mixed opinions, some say back one aint strong enough and might cause issues on higher rpm

[@MrHaribo1983]

Is this still running ok, been thinking of doing it to mine

[@fishtoasty]

Craig Harrison Hi mate - yeah it's still running great and no oil burning anymore. Mine was really bad before this install (4 litres every month) and now i have not topped it up since doing this Install. The car performs better as well at higher rpm. The m54 engine is a great engine - it's just some crappy parts that let it down.

[@MrHaribo1983]

fishtoasty ya not wrong about crap parts. Mines using oil at 3-400 miles a litre. Planning on doing the 02 pilot mod first to see how that goes but if the catch can system works, I'll probably end up down that route

[@sportbike1006]

did you remove the CCV valve from the vehicle?

[@fishtoasty]

Jon B hi Jon, no it's still there. Just been isolated by cutting all three pipes that run to it.

[@sportbike1006]

fishtoasty did you can them off

[@fishtoasty]

Jon B no did not cap them off just left them where they were open to the atmosphere

[@EliCohen4283]

Jesus.. why blue?? you blocked access to oil filter! go buy a civic dude.

[@AdamAus85]

He's a pom buddy, they are not usually classy, aesthetically sensitive people. Good on him for getting rid of all that OEM stuff though.

[@freshprinceofkfc1941]

@@AdamAus85 what’s a Pom lol