When I bought the car, it came with a Riss Racing oil catch can. Good news, right? Well, not so much. After realizing how small the lines were, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Why wouldn’t they utilize the large lines that the stock PCV system had? Plus, it’s mounted on the hot side, right on top of the turbos! Definitely a re-branded eBay part.
Anyways, I bought a BMS OCC because it’s built from the ground up specifically for this car. It’s hoses exceed the OEM PCV piping in diameter and that flow rate is maintained throughout the entire catch can ensuring no excessive crankcase pressure buildup. Unlike the Riss Racing can, the BMS version is mounted on the cold side underneath the cowl for a stealthy look. Holding the two, the BMS oil catch can is the winner, hands down. Gotta love Terry’s products.
Much better. The hoses are nice and thick and you can’t even see it once the cowl is back on. Very happy with the upgrade.
I ordered Steve’s Walbro 255 inline fuel pump kit so I could run up to 100% E85 for more power. The factory LPFP could handle a smaller mix of E85, but it was maxed out at that. I met up with Bob for help with the install. He has installed the pump before and also has the flashing tools and software. We installed the pump this weekend and flashed the ECU with a free E85-specific flash that BMS offers.
First step: remove the fuel pump bucket from under the rear seats…
As you can see in the picture above, we unplugged the connections first. I didn’t take any pictures of the actual removal process. It’s fairly straightforward if you follow Steve’s instructions. Here it is, removed:
I bought some used VRSF downpipes for $300 and decided it was time to put them in. Most people on the forums say they would rather pay to have it done if they had to do it all-over again. In other words, I went into this expecting it to take a while…
We were pretty slow throughout the whole process. I was able to loosen most of the nuts, but one in particular was giving me trouble. It was in a really tight spot and we ended up rounding it off. I had a friend heat the stud with a torch and use an air chisel to snap it off.
After we got that out of the way, we still needed to unbolt brackets, v-bands, four O2 sensors, and unhook the whole exhaust from the hangers. We even had to unbolt the steering rack and move it out of the way for more room. Maybe we should have started earlier?
I was surfing the forums when a good deal popped up for a ZHP shift knob. I’ve always liked the look of the ZHP knob and figured it was time to replace the worn BMW Performance knob that I had.
Before: (Note the wear on the right side)
Finally something to match the steering wheel!
After:
I couldn’t be happier. It’s actually formed to the shape of my hand, unlike the BMW Performance knob. It has a much more natural feel and is easier to go through the gears.
Conclusion: It feels great with the short shifter. Money well spent!
Since Memorial Day is on Monday, I decided to take advantage of the long weekend and do some maintenance on the car. She was due for an oil change so I picked up 7 quarts of Castrol Edge, fully synthetic 5W-30. I also stopped at the dealership and picked up an oil filter kit.
I saw a few posts online about people deleting the Clutch Delay Valve for a better clutch feel. Since I was already underneath the car, I figured I might as well try removing this thing:
I popped out the locking pins with a small screwdriver and pulled the valve right out. I quickly capped both lines with my fingers because I didn’t want to lose any brake fluid. After that, I simply connected the lines back together without the valve in place. Then I got to work on bleeding the clutch. The whole process only took about a half hour with the help of a friend. Look how restrictive it is!
This car has the best clutch feel out of any car I’ve ever driven. The CVD delete paired with the BMW Performance short shift kit and the BMS clutch stop really makes for an awesome driving experience.
Modifications, DIY Guides, Build Log, and pictures of my 2008 BMW 135i (E82 1-Series)
