How to MS3 Catch Can Install with tons of pics.

[JimmyMac]

Disclaimer! I take NO responsibility for any damage, death, or dismemberment to you or your car from following my How To. This is simply showing you how "I" did my install. It is only meant to be a reference for any one looking at installing one of these for themselves. Always be safe. Make sure your car is cooled down. This install may void your warranty.

Okay! I just installed my Saikou Michi Stage 2 OCC. It was pretty simple actually. But I decided to make it an all day project. Taking many pictures along the way. And trying to find the best mounting location. And the best hose route for this install.

This install is for the PCV to intake. Perhaps later on I will do the install for the cam cover breather to intake/cai install. Installing an OCC after the PCV helps keep unwanted oil out of the intake and through combustion. Oil can pool up in the intake manifold and head causing it to get very dirty/gritty. Which can decrease performance and engine life.

This page will have approximately 25 pictures. So please be patient. If you have dial up.... sucks to be you! Also, this is done on a 2007 Speed 3 with the CP-e FMIC installed. So some things may be different. Mainly the location of the power steering lines and mounting bracket. Plus I'm using a Saikou Michi OCC. Using other brand OCC may require a different mounting bracket or even different mounting location. This install is in the passenger side wheel well bumper area.

Step 1 Gather your supplies.
Tools required; Money

As stated, I'm using a Saikou Michi Stage 2 OCC. This unit has 5/8" fittings. This closely matches our the PCV's 15mm fittings. It comes with 2 mounting bolts, 2 washers, 2 lock nuts, and a black mounting bracket (which I do not use). I have about 5 feet of heater/oil hose (5/8" id.) I had various hose clamps. But I only used the 4 pack. Please buy a good brand of clamp. These were cheap and easy to strip. I may change them out with better brand or even mini "T" bolt clamps. Also used is a PCV valve mounted inline between the OCC and intake manifold (This AutoZone PCV is no longer used. See below for the updated PCV). This prevents the OCC from being pressurize from the boost pressure in the intake manifold. And lastly is an aluminum strip from Lowes. I used this to make a mounting bracket for my OCC.


Added!! Here is the PCV valve from the dealer. A clear hose from Lowes. It is 5/8" outer diameter and 1/2" inner diameter. I bought 1 foot for 28¢. But you will only need 1 inch of it. A short 5/8" inner diameter hose (from the 5 foot hose above). And some more clamps.


Here is a pic showing the size of the OCC vs a Pepsi 20oz bottle.


Updated!! And here is a closer pic of the PCV valve I used inline with the OCC and intake manifold. This is the same factory PCV that is on your car now. I bought this from the local dealer. Just give them the part number. My local dealer is not MazdaSpeed certified. But they can still get this part because it's shared with the CX7. It'll run you around $20 after taxes. When installing this after the OCC, the green end will face the intake manifold. The orange end will go to the OCC. Now here is the problem. The green end will fit the 5/8" hose you just bought. However, the orange end is too small. It is about 1/2" wide. This is where the clear hose comes into play. We will address this later on.


Step 2 Prep the car.
Tools required; Set of ramps or lift. 10mm socket/nut driver. 8mm socket/nut driver. Short philips head screw driver or philips hex adapter. Flat head screw driver.

Put your car up on some ramps (of lift if you are lucky).


Then take off the under tray. You can even take off the small thin strip in front of your under tray. I took off the strip mainly so I could make sure all my IC hose clamps were tight. But this may help a little with room and flexibility with the wheel well liner.


Next take off the 3 screws from the bottom of the passenger side wheel well liner. I am pointing to 2 of the screws here.


Then using a short philips screw driver or philips hex adapter type (like I used), take off the 2 lower plastic pop in liner fasteners that are in front of your tire.


Now the liner should just hang down slightly. This'll give you room and flexibility to work inside the bumper well.

Step 3 Location and removal of the PCV hose.
Tools required; Pliers, Channel Lock Pliers, or Needle Nose Pliers.

From under the car, locate the intake manifold. Then locate the hose connecting the intake manifold to the PCV valve. This is pretty simple. But taking off the hose is very hard if you have large hands. So you may have to con a smaller buddy into helping you out! The top of the pic is the engine. The bottom of the pic is the radiator. You can see the hose coming out of the intake manifold and snaking to the left under the shiny hose and up into the PCV valve. You'll see a clamp on each end. These are taken off with some pliers and/or small channel lock pliers. The bottom clamp is already raised off in the pic.


Here is a pic with the hose off. You can now see the nipple on the intake manifold. And the green plastic nipple on the PCV valve.


Next... Selecting your location. And making your bracket.

[JimmyMac]

Step 4 Find your mounting location and making your mounting bracket.
Tools required; Vise (or other way to bend the aluminum strip.) 2x 11mm or 7/16" wrenches (same thing, used for the OCC mounting bolts/nuts.) 11mm or 7/16" socket and socket wrench. Drill with various bits. Ruler or tape measure. Magic marker. File. Hacker saw or similar.

Find a suitable mounting hole for your bracket. There are a couple under there. But this is the best one I found for my install. It's right in front of the a/c compressor on the chassis.


Now that we have a mounting hole. Let's make the OCC mounting bracket. Measure off 9" from your aluminum strip and cut it off. This one here is already cut off. You can use a file to file off the sharp edges. You can even round the edges if you like.


Now here is a very crude drawing of the measurements for my mounting bracket. And some pics of the mount being bent slightly. This bracket may or may not work for you. But it's here to show you what mine looks like. I make it this way to clear the power steering lines. First you will measure off 2.25" at one end. Then bend it at a 90° angle. Measure off 3.5" at the other end. And bend very slightly. And I mean very slightly. This is to clear the wheel well liner. Then mark off your holes and drill them out. The hole size will depend on your mounting bolts.



Now test fit your bracket to the chassis to be sure it clears the power steering lines and wheel well liner. Perfect!


Now test fit your OCC to the bracket. Perfect!


Next... Routing up your hoses and finished!

[JimmyMac]

Finding a good route for the hoses can be tough. There are many possibilities here. I went over many situations. One way will bring you right up against an a/c line mount. But with the engine rocking back and forth, it will just end up cutting a hole in the hose over time. You can simply just bring the hose straight down the front of the engine. Then over and straight up into the OCC. But I wanted to avoid the PCV to OCC hose from dipping down below the OCC level. Another way, you have to be cautious of the long serpentine belt. My way brings it very close. You will see a pic of this. I will be keeping an eye over this as time goes on. But I don't think there will be trouble. The engine will rock back and forth. But the hose should rock with it. So let's get started.

Step 5 Routing your PCV to OCC hose.
Tools required; Razor or knife. Screw driver or sockets (for the clamps). If you use socket, you will need a 12" extender, and a 6" extender.

The first hose I hook up is the PCV to OCC hose. The fitting on the top of the Saikou Michi OCC is the location for this hose. Routing this hose can be very difficult and hard to show with pictures. I'll have to photoshop these pictures to better illustrate them better. So bare with me. I should of used a clear or red hose! hehe.

First route up the hose between the fog light and the windshield washer tank. It's going to curve up and over the chassis and towards the radiator area.



You are gonna have to work it around some wires and hoses. Then aim it right under the intake manifold. Again, this is gonna be hard. You will need small hands for this. Or be very patient! The hose is hard to pick out in this pic from the top of the engine. But you can see it in this pic at the center. It's the hose at an angle going under the electrical wires and under the intake manifold. I'll photoshop this later on to make it more clear.


Here you can see the same shot from under the car. You can see the green PCV valve fitting at the top left of the pic. And you can see the end of the hose with a clamp on it. The hose will have to go over the shiny hose and connect right up to the PCV. Tighten it down with either a long screw driver. Or a socket wrench with the 12" and 6" extenders on it. Make sure there is a little slack in the hose. In the pic you can draw an imaginary line from the hose end, all the way down near the belt and over the chassis.


Here is another pic of how close the hose will come to the belt. (The hose at an angle dead center.)


Now with some slack, swing the hose right under the windshield washer tank and too the OCC. Cut the hose to length and tighten it down to the OCC top fitting. You are now done with the PVC to OCC hose!


Step 6 Routing your OCC to Intake Manifold hose.
Tools required; Razor or knife. Screw driver or sockets (for the clamps). If you use socket, you will need a 12" extender.

This one is pretty simple. I'm not as worried about it dipping down below the OCC since this is the return line. And there should be NO oil returning back to the intake manifold. This line will also require the PCV valve (you bought) to be installed in it. This is to prevent the OCC from being pressurized when the intake manifold becomes pressurized from boost.

First install one end of the hose to the remaining fitting on the OCC. And tighten the clamp. Next route the hose just under the radiator hose and in my case, right over the IC piping. You can see in the pic the hosing coming out of the OCC and disappears to the left. It bends and goes right between the radiator hose and IC pipe. Then comes up towards the top of the pic at an angle and blurs out. From here it's gonna go straight up the engine and to the intake manifold. But first we must connect the PCV to the other end of this hose.


Added!! Remember that clear hose you bought from Lowes? Well cut off about an inch of it. Then slide it over the orange end of the factory PCV you just bought. Now the orange end will fit nicely into the other end of the black hose and seal properly!



Updated!! Now slide on the short black hose to the green end of the PCV valve. Then tighten the clamp on the green and orange ends of the PCV. You should end up with something like this.


Updated!! Now connect the short hose with PCV valve to the intake manifold nipple. Then tighten down the clamp. And you are done connecting the hoses! Important!! The orange end must face straight down or the PCV may not function properly!


Step 7 Put back on your under tray and liners. Finished!
Tools required; 10mm socket/nut driver. 8mm socket/nut driver.

Now that the hoses are connected. Go over everything making sure they are secure and not obstructing anything. Make sure your mount is tight. Then pop in the wheel well fasteners. Bolt up the 3 screws to the liner.




Bolt up your under tray liners. And all done!!



Now draining the OCC is quite simple. There is a wing nut style drain at the very bottom. However in this install, it's all blocked off by the wheel well liner. I'll have to unbolt the liner just to drain it. However very soon, I will cut a small hole in the liner and connect a clear hose to the bottom of the OCC drain plug. This will make things a little easier. All I will need to do it pull off the under tray (which take about 1 minute for me to do). Then reach over and twist the nut to drain it. Simple enough.

I would suggest maybe once a week checking your OCC. Make sure it is tight. No leaks anywhere. No rubbing. And draining it out. This will be a good measure of how often you have to drain it. It might be once a month. It might be every oil change. All cars are different.

I hope this write up helps you out. I just wanted to share it with you. Enjoy!

Updated!!! After almost a month. I drained out my OCC. This is what came out.... About a cup full of gas/gunk/oil. Nicely layered as it came out! This pic is a day of letting it settle.

[fdkss03]

good writeup.
i did the same thing and am using the same pcv valve but mounted it to a homemade bracket attached 2 the ballast bracket on the driver side of the car, wouldnt work on this setup since you have the fmic there...

i removed the intake mani to do it, and accidentaly knocked a coolant line loose from its clip and it got knicked by the fan when i was goin up the road... wow what a mess haha and a $30 line @ dealer pricing

[kingpin748]

This is some really good work. Great pictures! Very timely, I have that CC sitting on my table right now.

Thanks!

[Grim]

could taking off the front bumper give easier access to everything?

[JimmyMac]

Originally Posted by Grim could taking off the front bumper give easier access to everything?

Not really. I mean it could. To mount the OCC. But it will in no way help at getting to the PCV hose. And that's the hardest part. The easy/hard way to get to the PCV is by taking off the intake manifold. Something that should be done to clean out any gunk in there. But if you don't want to go that route, then this install is the "other" way.

[bova]

my only question is, is the pcv valve you used able to with hold the higher boost pressure like the stock one? whoosh tested stock one to with stand over 20psi.

[gsrtype1]

awsome write up!!

[redrocketz]

now try that with a damn Turbine Tech front motor mount on there it's impossible since the mount is blocking all under engine access to the PCV.

[JimmyMac]

Originally Posted by bova80 my only question is, is the pcv valve you used able to with hold the higher boost pressure like the stock one? whoosh tested stock one to with stand over 20psi.

I was thinking that myself while I was trying to blow very hard through the end of the PCV. And it was barely leaking through. So I'm not sure. But it was way better than the aluminum PCV I got from Advanced Auto. It leaked like a SOB when I blew hard into it. Like it was barely sealing at all. That's why I went to AutoZone and found this one. Maybe I can install another one inline if need be.

[fdkss03]

Originally Posted by JimmyMac I was thinking that myself while I was trying to blow very hard through the end of the PCV. And it was barely leaking through. So I'm not sure. But it was way better than the aluminum PCV I got from Advanced Auto. It leaked like a SOB when I blew hard into it. Like it was barely sealing at all. That's why I went to AutoZone and found this one. Maybe I can install another one inline if need be.

i got the same one, and i can hardly blow on the smooth side ..air comes out of the threaded side very very easy...
is this the way it should be?

[JimmyMac]

I don't quite understand, you seem to contradict what you are saying. Or am I reading it wrong? If you blow on the smooth side, air should come out of the threaded side very very easy. That's why the threaded side faces the intake manifold. If you blow on the threaded side, little to no air should come out of the smooth side. This prevents the OCC from being pressurized. Was yours the same way?

[bova]

yeah i read it like you are saying too. i think what he meant to say is i can blow on the smooth side and air hardly comes out.

[dadasracecar]

Make sure you route the pcv so that the crankcase is being evacuated when under vacuum. You can test this by opening the drain on the can when the car is started and see if you get a vacuum leak or feel suction on the drain with your finger. If you don't your valve is too strong to be opened during vacuum or it's routed backwards.
CRANKCASE EVACUATION IS CRITICAL TO THIS MOTOR. Otherwise all of the water/gas/gook that I collect from my can weekly will remain in your oil and eventually sheer it to nothing - bad news.

THe nice thing about adding a second factory pcv is it's already a 90 deg bend and it's weak enough to open during vacuum but strong enough to hold ~20 psi. Two in line like Whoosh (and me) works well. Nice write up.

[JimmyMac]

Thanks for the heads up I'll have to check that out when I change my oil this week. The PCV I bought should let air pass through very easily under vacuum. But I think it's best I check to make sure. I may have to add that to the end of the write up. Thanks again.

[fdkss03]

Originally Posted by JimmyMac I don't quite understand, you seem to contradict what you are saying. Or am I reading it wrong? If you blow on the smooth side, air should come out of the threaded side very very easy. That's why the threaded side faces the intake manifold. If you blow on the threaded side, little to no air should come out of the smooth side. This prevents the OCC from being pressurized. Was yours the same way?

i guess i didnt word that correctly...

if i blow on the smooth side, air easily comes out of the threaded side. if i blow on the threaded side, air doesnt come out of the smooth side. so it is like this...

pcv --> occ --> autozone pcv --> crankcase

[bova]

um no, you want crankcase --> pcv --> occ --> autozone pcv or another stock pcv (whichever you buy) --> intake manifold

[fdkss03]

Originally Posted by bova80 um no, you want crankcase --> pcv --> occ --> autozone pcv or another stock pcv (whichever you buy) --> intake manifold

lol
im just running the autozone pcv till the stock oem one comes in tomorrow.

[JimmyMac]

Hey man, you need to lay off the booze!! haha j/k

[fdkss03]

Originally Posted by JimmyMac Hey man, you need to lay off the booze!! haha j/k

who u b talkin 2

[JimmyMac]

Okay, did my oil change today. Checked the OCC. Nothing in it. Just maybe 1 drop of oil if that. After the oil change I started up the car and let it idle on my ramps. Got under there and slowly opened up the drain on the OCC. You can hear the idle start to change ever so slightly. Sticking my finger under the drain plug, I could feel the vacuum. So the AutoZone PCV does work under vacuum. Whether or not if it holds my boost... Hmmm I dunno. I'll have to buy another one and have it tested I guess.

Just out of curiosity, I popped off the valve cover breather hose on my cai. Stuck my pinky in there. There was some oil residue. So I think I'll be installing an OCC on there sometime in July. Guess I'll do another How To... hehe.

[bova]

you aren't going to have tons of oil in there. usually after a week there is about an ounce or so. here is what the saikou michi guy told me about why it doesn't always drain a lot:

The reason is, that the drain sticks up in side about 3/8" so there could be almost this much oil caught and it would not drain because it is not high enough to reach the height of the threads.

[JimmyMac]

Thanks for that info. I won't be checking it for about a month. So we'll see what it's like then.

[bykeryder4life]

if you can you should check it like every week or two, a month sounds a little long. my friend with a sr20 240sx checked his every week sometimes less or a little more.

[fdkss03]

Originally Posted by JimmyMac So the AutoZone PCV does work under vacuum. Whether or not if it holds my boost... Hmmm I dunno. I'll have to buy another one and have it tested I guess.

I had the same autozone pcv. It worked well at times, but I noticed after I put the oem one after the occ... the car felt like it had some ass 2 it again, i must had hella boost leak.

Also noticed while blowing through autozone pcv valve, at times it would let air come through... you shake it a little and it stop the air like it should (from the threaded side). So its very finniky! I would not recommend the autozone pcv for a permenant solution.. or any solution at that. you have spend the cash on the can, dont skimp out on the pcv...

[JimmyMac]

How much was the factory one? I'll probably stop by the local mazda dealer in a day or 2 and see what they got. Do you have a part number? The local dealer is not MazdaSpeed certified, but they should carry it if they sell the CX-7.

[fdkss03]

think they r $10 or $12 bucks...
dont have a p/n but send "TonkinPartsOnline.Com" a pm on here for a price...

also

MAZMART sells em on maz6club...$20 shipped.

[JimmyMac]

Okay, I'm gonna update the page in a few days. I ordered the stock MS3 PCV valve from the local dealer last week. Yesterday I just got back from my 4th of July trip and picked it up. So I'll redo the pics and do the install with the "proper" PCV valve after the OCC.

For those who want the part number, it's L3K9-13-890. If your local dealer isn't MazdaSpeed certified like mine, you can still order this part. It's shared from the CX7. Pricing was around $20.

[bmman93]

so did it stop the smoking? just wondering after a few days if it was worth the work?

[JimmyMac]

I can not comment on the smoking part. I did this after I put in a new GT28 turbo. And that puppy doesn't smoke. I think the main thing with this install is keeping unwanted oil and engine gunk out of the intake manifold. If you disconnect the hose from the PCV to intake manifold, you'll see some oil residue that's in there. That means all that crap is in your intake too.

So this install isn't a "how to cure smoke at idle". It's "how to keep your intake manifold cleaner". But for some it might help with the smoking issue. And for others it may not.

On a side note, I did not get to install the new factory PCV this weekend. I had other things going on. But I was out shopping for a solution for an adapter piece to hook up the factory PCV to connect it after the OCC. Here is a pic of the factory PCV. I'll also put this pic up at the top of the page in the install once it is done. But the green side is the side that faces the intake manifold. The orange side will face the OCC. When installing this PCV inline, you must have the orange part hanging straight down vertically. If you don't. There is a small chance of boost leak and you will pressurized your OCC. I noticed this while blowing into it at different angles to see how it would react. When holding the PCV on it's side sometimes it would seal. Sometimes it would not. With the PCV straight up and down it would seal all the time. This is due to the check valve/ball that is free floating in there.

Also note that the green side is close to 5/8". So this will slide into a 5/8" hose just fine. However the orange side is only about 1/2". So sliding it into a 5/8" hose is very very loose. My solution is to buy a small hose and mount it over the orange side. Then slide the 5/8" hose over that. It's pretty simple. Lowes sells some clear hose that is about 28¢ a foot. It is 5/8" outter diameter and 1/2" inner. So it'll be a good fit. I'll post pics of this in the install once I do it.

Anyways, here is the pic of the oem PCV with part number.

[AutoXRacer]

So, is this the absolute correct why to install an OCC? I thought you were supposed to remove the intake manifold...? I've read numerous threads on other forums that said, to access the PCV valve, you had to remove the intake manifold...which I thought was a little weird since the PCV is a manintenance item that should be easily accessable.

So is this the correct plumbing for the OCC mod to reduce/eliminate oil contamination in the intake manifold?

Thanks!!

[JimmyMac]

If you've had your car for awhile. Then it's best if you do take off the intake manifold to clean out the gunk. New cars should not require manifold removal. But if your cars has miles on it and you don't want to take it off for one reason or another. Then this "How To" is a guide to show you ONE way (of many) of doing it. It'll familiarize you with what's required in the job.

Tomorrow I'll be updating the "How To" with new pics with the factory PCV. I did the job today. But I also changed the hose to do some detective work. Plus I'll show you how much, and what came out of my OCC. I haven't drained it since the install. So you'll see what goes into your intake every day.

Catch ya then.....

[AutoXRacer]

Originally Posted by JimmyMac If you've had your car for awhile. Then it's best if you do take off the intake manifold to clean out the gunk. New cars should not require manifold removal. But if your cars has miles on it and you don't want to take it off for one reason or another. Then this "How To" is a guide to show you ONE way (of many) of doing it. It'll familiarize you with what's required in the job. Tomorrow I'll be updating the "How To" with new pics with the factory PCV. I did the job today. But I also changed the hose to do some detective work. Plus I'll show you how much, and what came out of my OCC. I haven't drained it since the install. So you'll see what goes into your intake every day. Catch ya then.....

What is considered a "new" car and a lot of miles?
Mine is a 2008 with 21K miles, got it back in Nov 07.

[Fobio]

I talked to my mechanic about this and apparentlly, in my city of Toronto, if the cops find that you have modified your PCV, it's a $600 ticket, including OCC! ...and having talked to my buddy about this, this is what we wonder: Isn't NOT having all that crap being combusted and shot out the back of the car BETTER for the environment?

I figure as long I don't get pulled for "street racing" and having my car searched... then a stealth install should keep me out of trouble...

thanks for the wikkid pictures...

[JimmyMac]

The "How To" has been updated!!

Now what I did not discuss is what I found during replacing the AutoZone PCV with the oem PCV valve. Up on taking off the AutoZone PCV, I found oil on the intake side?! Maybe this was left over residue from before the original OCC install. If not, there is a possibility that it's oil from the valve cover breather hose. But the OCC side of the AutoZone PCV was dry.

So, what I've done was replace the black hose with a clear nylon/vinyl hose from Lowes. This is a temporary setup for about a month to see what's going on in the hose. Mainly around the PCV fittings and the OCC fitting.




I'll keep tabs on it over the month......

[JimmyMac]

Been thinking some. Looking at how much gas I caught in the OCC. Would that be normal? I'm starting to think that's from using the WOT box. Lemme go ask some questions in the WOT thread.....

[AutoXRacer]

Will that Lowe's hose take the heat...?

[JimmyMac]

As I stated. The clear hose is only a temporary setup to see what's going on with the oil from the intake manifold. I understand that it'll crack. But I'm not too worried right now. I'm just doing a little investigative work. It'll only take about 10 minutes to swap it back out with the black hose.

[phrozen]

Does the MS3 have an EGR system? That might allow unburnt fuel from the exhaust to venture back into the intake system. I would imagine most of it would get burnt, though...

The easy way to test if the WOT Box is responsible or not is to drain the catch can, turn off the WOT Box, run the car for a few weeks and see if you still get fuel in the catch can.... Keep us posted.