[ironic]

Even after reading all the reviews on the Riss Racing Oil Catch Can and seeing the substantial amount of oil the units collected I was skeptical of how beneficial or necessary an oil catch can on the 335i would be.

But recently, I had a custom intercooler put in (by Turbo Hoses) and was asked specifically by the technician if I had noticed or was aware of a decrease in performance due to the large amount of oil in my charge pipe. I said I've heard of the 335i's passing oil through the intake tract, but that I didn't think it was that much; he promptly inverted the intercooler and charge pipe and I could see the oil gather around the edge of the pipe. So I got back home and ordered the Riss Racing kit. It's priced fairly and seemed a good investment to make sure I get the most out of my new intercooler.

The fit and finish on the unit as a whole is good, it isn't something to put up on a pedestal but it looks the part and is functional. The unit assembles quickly and the install is not very hard. The only caution I have to give is to make sure you don't kink the lines as you route them around to the unit. Otherwise everything goes together just like on their DIY video.

Recently I've turned my attention towards upkeep and maintenance on the 335i as opposed to focusing on performance enhancers and I'm glad I have. These little mods keep the car running well and help prevent power loss at a fraction of the cost of creating new power. So treat your car to something nice and install something that will keep it running well

[Sparky66]

What's inside the can ??

[ironic]

I believe it's hollow and not baffled, but from what I've seen this is enough to trap most of the oil that passes through it.

[BMW_TT]

How many miles?

[techforge]

Didn't one or two other people that installed the can report no oil collection even after being at the track? Makes me wonder if some vehicles have a problem with a bad seal.

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by techforge

Didn't one or two other people that installed the can report no oil collection even after being at the track? Makes me wonder if some vehicles have a problem with a bad seal.

Or improper break-in (stirring a nest with that comment)

[kyleb350]

How many miles did you have on your car before the install? I had about 15K before I installed mine and am wondering if mine would look the same.

[Zeph]

I installed mine with only about 1200 miles on it, I would have done it sooner but had shipping delays.

I am only at 2100 now and so far it isn't filling up the site tube yet. I am fairly confident that it is atleast "wet" with oil inside though since the stock tubes were wet when I installed it.

[oddjob2021]

there is a glass or plastic tube on the back not shown in the pic that connects to the near top and near bottom, i believe its just a way to see if it has become full, like a handle on a gallon of milk it fills up with the entire unit, maybe im wrong, but i dont plan on checking mine until i see a sign of oil in the tube

[TheMadDutchman]

It should be interesting to see how long the rubber hoses that where supplied in the kit will last. Given the exsposure to oil and high temperatures, silicone hoses would have been a better choice, imo.

[SV Concepts III]

Alex,

Great review, I think this is definitely a worth while upgrade if nothing more than to keep your engine running smoothly. We'll need to do this on Jon's car soon.

[Malek@MRF]

Originally Posted by Socom

Or improper break-in (stirring a nest with that comment)

This is true.. Improper break in leads to excessive oil blow by.

Hard engine break-in (regardless of what the owners manual says) is the best way. The ring landings need to be broken in so they seal tightly.

A soft engine break-in does not accomplish this. I have tested this, and all soft engine break ins had excessive blow by and slightly lower compression to cars that had gone through a hard break in from the start. Tearing the engine back down verified this.

[skim7x]

Could this affect warranty of anything? I'm not saying it would actually cause any damage, but COULD BMW blame anything on it (assuming proper install)?

[techforge]

Where is the oil coming from? Is the crankcase and/or valve cover vented into the charging pipes somehow? Hadn't thought about this before, but I don't see how it could breathe with the boost pressure.

[ironic]

Originally Posted by BMW_TT

How many miles?

I had about 16.5k on the clock when I brought the car for the intercooler install.

Originally Posted by techforge

Didn't one or two other people that installed the can report no oil collection even after being at the track? Makes me wonder if some vehicles have a problem with a bad seal.

I didn't see these reviews honestly, the ones that stuck in my mind were I believe Down4it's photo and a few other photos which showed oil poured into something like a Dixi cup. The guys at Turbo Hoses actually asked about my seals.

Originally Posted by kyleb350

How many miles did you have on your car before the install? I had about 15K before I installed mine and am wondering if mine would look the same.

Honestly, I installed an intake about 3k miles ago and just replaced it a few weeks ago and there was oil present. Not a lot, but a coating. I think there should at least be a coating of oil on your intercooler and charge pipe as well.

Originally Posted by TheMadDutchman

It should be interesting to see how long the rubber hoses that where supplied in the kit will last. Given the exsposure to oil and high temperatures, silicone hoses would have been a better choice, imo.

this is a good point, it might be something Riss Racing addresses later. Are you trying to get at the rubber cracking?

Originally Posted by techforge

Where is the oil coming from? Is the crankcase and/or valve cover vented into the charging pipes somehow? Hadn't thought about this before, but I don't see how it could breathe with the boost pressure.

it's the "blow by" as far as i know, i'm not too knowledgeable about the specifics. hopefully someone else can chime in.

[Pocket Rocket]

Originally Posted by skim7x

Could this affect warranty of anything? I'm not saying it would actually cause any damage, but COULD BMW blame anything on it (assuming proper install)?

Does anyone know if this install will affect the BMW warranty?

[ironic]

Originally Posted by Pocket Rocket

Does anyone know if this install will affect the BMW warranty?

I'd think you'd be fine bringing it in with you on a routine service, but if problems arise just do the safest thing and what will calm your nerves the best and simply remove it. I doubt they'd try to blame anything on it, but preventative measures are always a good thing and of course there's the tuner's disclaimer: if you want your warranty keep it stock. The install and reinstall would probably only take half an hour so it shouldn't be a problem going back to stock.

But to answer your question explicitly, it's impossible to say. I've been to a dealer who's blamed a sway bar install I had done a year ago on a faulty sensor. I just paid for it instead of arguing - they're either going to honor your warranty or try and weasel out of it.

[Pocket Rocket]

Thank you for the quick response...

For precautionary purposes, I already carry in the back of my trunk a NEW BMW VENT HOSE (with fittings), in order to go back to stock. Just in case I need to go to the dealer for any type of service.