Sorry the images aren't in-line. Maybe at some point I'll get them on a server where I can link to them... but for now I'll include them as attachments just to get this posted. Wherever you see a [number inside brackets], refer to the next photo attachment.
For my OCC, I chose the McKinney with 1/2 90-degree fittings. The can is very tall, so I would HIGHLY recommend the 90-degree fittings. Otherwise it would be extremely difficult (if not impossible) to find a mounting location where the hood would close. I went with the 1/2 inlets because I figured if BMW used 8 of 3/4 hose for crankcase ventilation, suddenly introducing a few feet of 3/8 hose might be too restrictive. You could use the 3/8 can... but in this DIY I will be referring to 1/2.
For mounting location, I found a spot right behind the passenger side headlight where it fits perfectly. It wedges right in between the oil hoses and the aluminum bracket that holds two vacuum canisters, and once the hoses are attached, it's so stable that you really don't even need to fasten it down. I see that ThorsHammer relocated the washer fluid fill tube and clamped the can to the bracket where the washer tube was. That's definitely an option, though I'm happy with my placement, because I can lift out the OCC and empty it without having to undo any hardware.
There has been talk of using the Riss mounting kit (3/8 hoses) with the 3/8 McKinney can. Obviously, you'd have to use the 3/8 McKinney can, so they weren't an option for me. Also, due to my mounting location, the Riss hoses would not have been long enough to reach the can. Of course, you could purchase the Riss hose kit for the 3/8 McKinney and extend the hoses using a coupler from the auto parts store, or you could mount the McKinney per ThorsHammer's suggestion... but that's up to you. I ended up assembling my own hoses and adapters for about the same price as the Riss kit.
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The crankcase outlet uses a 3/4 hose fitting, and the inlet on the intake runner uses a 1 hose fitting. So, you need a bit of 3/4 hose and a bit of 1 hose to attach to the factory fittings, a few feet of 1/2 hose to run to the OCC, and some adapters to reduce each of those sizes down to the 1/2 inlet size of the can.
To accomplish this, I purchased a few brass plumbing fittings from the home improvement store. As hard as I looked, I couldn't find fittings for the 3/4 and 1 hoses, but I discovered that 1/2 and 3/4 pipe nipples (basically short pieces of pipe threaded at the ends) would fit inside the hoses perfectly. A couple of other fittings reduced those down to 1/2.
You could purchase the same adapters I did, or you could assemble your own... it's your choice. Just be aware that the crankcase gases are extremely hot, so choose fittings that can take the heat.
Here are the materials I used:
About 10' of 1/2 heater hose (I used two 6' packages)
A foot (or less) of 1 heater hose
A foot of 3/4 heater hoes
1/2 MIP x 2 1/2 brass pipe nipple
1/2 barb x 1/2 FIP adapter
3/4 MIP x 2 1/2 brass pipe nipple
3/4 FIP x 1/2 FIP reducing coupling
1/2 barb x 1/2 MIP adapter
Two hose clamps for 1/2 hose (plus the two that came with the McKinney)
Two hose clamps for 3/4 hose
Two hose clamps for 1 hose
High-temp RTV silicone (to seal the threads of the adapter fittings)
Two hose bending guides (optional, to help the hose turn corners without collapsing)
Zip ties
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And now... the fun part.
1. Assemble the hose fittings to form one adapter from a 3/4 hose to 1/2, and another from 1x1/2. In my case, I did it as follows:
a. Cut the threads off of one end of each of the pipe nipples. I used an angle grinder because it was fast, but you could use a Dremel with a cut-off wheel.
b. Use a grinding bit on the Dremel or coarse sandpaper to smooth and round the cut edges of the pipe nipples.
c. Make sure to CLEAN ALL METAL DUST AND SPLINTERS OUT OF THE FITTINGS. Otherwise they'll end up in your engine.
d. Use sandpaper to rough the outer surface of the pipe nipples. This will help keep the hoses from slipping off once oil vapor starts running through them.
e. Assemble the fittings to form your adapters. Apply high-temp RTV to the first few threads of each joint before screwing it together, and wipe off the excess after tightening the joint.
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2. Remove the black covers at each end of the firewall tray by pulling two rubber tabs up and away from it, then unlatching a plastic clip at the front and back of each.
3. Remove the sensor on top of the passenger end of the tray by grasping the side of it OPPOSITE the wires and rotating counter-clockwise (as if you were looking at it from the driver side). Release the two clips holding the wire to the tray by gently prying the sides of the metal clip from underneath with a screwdriver. You may want to remove the other sensor at the driver end of the tray... I left it connected and just rotated the passenger end of the tray out, rather than removing the tray completely.
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4. Remove one more clip holding the washer fluid line to the tray on the passenger side right in front of the windshield.
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5. Remove 6 8mm hex-head screws around the climate control microfilter, then lift off the filter.
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6. Pull forward on the wiring channel in front of the firewall tray to detach it and lay it on top of the engine.
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7. Use a screwdriver to unsnap 3 clips holding the wiring loom under the tray, and pull the loom out of the clips.
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8. Remove two 8mm screws at the ends of the tray.
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9. Pull the tray forwards and then up to detach it. You can either rotate the passenger end forward or remove the tray completely depending on whether you removed the driver-side sensor in step 3.
10. Use a 5mm hex bit to remove 4 screws holding the engine cover on. Note that one screw is recessed at the rear passenger corner of the engine cover.
11. Lift the engine cover off, maneuvering it around the oil cap, and set it aside.
12. The blow-by tube is the 3/4 black corrugated tube at the very back of the engine. Detach the wires from the blow-by tube by gently prying up the front clip with a screwdriver while pulling out on the wires.
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13. Detach the driver end of the blow-by tube by prying out the two clips and pulling up on the hose.
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14. Detach the passenger end of the tube by releasing all sides of the 4-sided clip. This can be accomplished by pulling steadily on the hose while sliding a screwdriver under each side, one at a time, starting at the bottom. (The clip is plastic, so be gentle!)
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15. Remove the connector from each end of the corrugated plastic hose. One end has the same 4-sided clip as before, and the other end can be pulled off... just keep tugging at it until it comes apart.
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16. Cut a 2 or 3 piece of the 1 hose. Attach one end to the larger factory connector (45-degree) and the other end to your reducing adapter. Slide two hose clamps onto the hose and tighten them down at each end. DON'T OVER-TIGHTEN ON THE FACTORY CONNECTOR; it's plastic and could crack. NOTE: This assembly will connect to the car's intake.
17. Cut a 6 or 8 piece of the 3/4 hose and attach to the 90-degree factory connector in the same way. NOTE: This assembly will connect to the car's crankcase.
18. Test fit the two assemblies onto the engine to make sure they fit. You may have to play with the angles and orientations of the hose clamps, or even adjust the lengths of the hoses themselves. Note that the engine cover will apply pressure on top of these hoses approximately where they cross each other, so try to make them sit as low as possible.
19. After you are happy with the hose/fitting assemblies, lock them both onto the engine.
20. Reattach the wiring harness that was removed previously (on the connector on top of the intake runner).
21. Route one section (about 6') of 1/2 heater hose around the rear of the engine. From the passenger side of the engine, it should route past the computer wiring looms and positive battery terminal. On the driver side of the engine, curve the hose up and back towards the passenger side to mate with the crankcase hose assembly. I recommend using the two hose bending guides here to avoid crimps in the hose. Secure the connection with a hose clamp. Label the free end of the hose crankcase or cc. You can see this in the picture above.
22. Route another section (about 4') of 1/2 hose around the rear, passenger-side corner of the engine and attach it to the intake assembly with a clamp. Label the free end of the hose intake.
23. Sit the OCC in place in front of the big aluminum bracket that holds the two vacuum cylinders behind the passenger headlight. You'll have to pull the factory hoses forward just a bit, but once the can drops between the aluminum bracket and the hoses, it's quite secure and sits just low enough for the hood to close.
24. Route both hoses to the OCC. You could route them alongside the engine for the easiest installation. Or, you can route them underneath the coolant reservoir and back up as shown below for the cleanest-looking result. What I chose was to route the hoses around the fender side of the coolant reservoir, so I know they won't be close to anything hot. You can see the final routing at the end of the DIY.
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25. Verify that the hoses don't have any kinks, don't have too much slack, and are where you want them, then use some tie wraps to secure them in a few places.
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26. Cut the ends of the hoses so that they will fit onto the OCC fittings. Try to leave enough slack so that you can lift the can out in order to empty it. The crankcase hose goes to the IN on the can, and the intake hose goes to the OUT on the can. Attach the hoses with clamps.
27. Reinstall the engine cover. Try not to fold over the foam under the cover.
28. Reinstall the firewall tray and the two screws that hold it down. Make sure the rubber tabs at each end are hooked into the slot in the tray. (You will have to angle the back edge of it down and push it towards the rear of the car, then let the front edge down.)
29. Reinstall the sensor and wire clips at each end of the tray, and the washer fluid clip on the passenger end.
30. Reinstall the two wiring looms to the front of the tray.
31. Reinstall the microfilter using the 6 screws.
32. Reinstall the cover at each end of the tray. On each one, make sure the front and rear clips snap into place and reengage the rubber tab next to the water drain.
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Done! Note that with the OCC placement and hose routing, it's held in place without having to actually attach it using screws, brackets, or ties. (If you feel better attaching it to something, you could zip-tie it to an adjacent hose or the aluminum vacuum cylinder bracket.) The placement also allows lifting the can out of place in order to empty it, without detaching any hoses.
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