BMS BOV ADAPTER REVIEW

[matreyia]

Installed the BMS BOV adapter after buying all necessary barbs to use with 6mm hose that fits on my TiAL BOV barb and the Vader Solutions BOV adapter.

Results: BMS BOV adapter yielded 1.5 to 2x slower transient response. More pedal input was needed to activate BOV, whereas Vader Solutions BOV Adapter activates the BOV as the slightest pedal input. I would guesstimate 10-15% more pedal input needed for BOV to activate when using the BMS adapter.

Also, more importantly, the BMS BOV adapter connected directly to the throttle body would result in engine detonation and violent backfiring after 10-15mins of highway driving. So much so, I had to pull over repeatedly to reset faults so I could drive home. I thought this there was something wrong with my engine so I switched back to the Vader Solutions kit and test drove...nothing wrong. So switched back to BMS kit...detonation. I did this 4x to be sure. Nothing on the car was changed. Only the BMS and Vader kit were changed.

So it appears my car does not like the BMS adapter wired directly to the throttle body. Additionally, after this episode, I found the car began to misfire on #4 cylinder, only on idle and Park Position. So I inspected plugs and found the #4 plug had a cracked insulator collar. See photo. I suspect this damage was from the super loud and violent explosions I experienced on the test drive.

I would be interested to see if anyone else has had any remotely similar performance issue when using this kit. Or anyone notice any performance increase or decrease.

After changing out all the plugs, which were super clean considering they been on the engine since port injection was installed and flex fuel e85 used... the car is silky and powerful in all situations, all gears. Zero issues. Response on Vader kit is still exceptionally better than stock location and better than BMS kit.

I do not know if this result will happen to every single user of the BMS kit, this review only pertains to my set up.

e85 port injection flex fuel n54
PR coils
FBO
Twisted Tune Custom FF

See detonation damage on plug #4.

 

[Terry@BMS]

You clearly must be doing something wrong as we extensively tested the BOV adapter and response was as instant as it was when plumbed directly in to a 1/4" fitting on the manifold itself. Maybe you're not snapping it in fully and creating a vacuum leak / preventing it from working. If using soft line maybe your line was kinked somehow. We suggest the quick lock connections and 1/4 hard line included with the $69 kit.

As to what is going on with your car with the major detonation and such, that is anyone's guess. There is no plausible method for a vacuum fitting alone to cause it.

 

[matreyia]

You clearly must be doing something wrong as we extensively tested the BOV adapter and response was as instant as it was when plumbed directly in to a 1/4" fitting on the manifold itself. Maybe you're not snapping it in fully and creating a vacuum leak / preventing it from working. If using soft line maybe your line was kinked somehow. We suggest the quick lock connections and 1/4 hard line included with the $69 kit.

As to what is going on with your car with the major detonation and such, that is anyone's guess. There is no plausible method for a vacuum fitting alone to cause it.

I would not say 'cleary'. I do not know why the car did not like the kit and had detonations when using it vs. when the vader kit was on. As stated, this was tested 4x because it seems absurd that detonation would be related to a BOV kit from anyone. But each time I used the BMS kit, the car detonated and each time the Vader kit, it drove rock solid. The detonation would not happen immediately. On the freeway after 10 or 15 mins it would suddenly have explosions. I agree there was probably a vacuum related issue, but cannot figure out what. The only thing that was different was the BMS inner connection to the throttle body plastic tube is completely different from the innards connection on the RB throttle body adapter. It appears that the RB throttle body adapter on the PCV delete kit has extra creases and folds that seal off the car's plastic tube that connects to the throttle body.

As for a kink in the BOV line, not possible because I changed out the lines exactly for that reason. The BMS hose was cut shorter to make sure no kinks were possible, and the Vader hose was kept its require length.

As for snapping in fully... that could be a possibility, but I did double check and try to pull it apart multiple times to be sure it was locked in. Only after hearing and seeing the retainer clip sink into place did I test pull the connections. Mind you this was done each of the 4 tries of switching back and forth.

It would surprise me if the BMS adapter caused the detonations...but the only time it detonated was when the BMS kit was used. I have a theory that the BMS kit yields slightly different vacuum responses and that was the threshold limit for that day because that day was a very humid day and cold and I have e85...so maybe, it works fine on normal gas and not super humid days...my car is so far modded that anyone's guess could be right on why it detonated. I mean, if it was BMS, it would have shown a boost leak code or something related... codes were o2 line related, something about overheating o2... should have made a screen shot.

So really, I have no idea what the deal is and I don't think that the kit is going kill everyone's cars. Just know it ain't for mine. At this point, I have no desire to install it again and get detonation risk.

 

[Terry@BMS]

Rather than continually switching back and forth that time would be better spent adding a temporary vacuum tee/gauge of the BOV to see what's really going on. Is it getting full vacuum when you let off the gas? Does it see full boost at full throttle? If not then there is a leak/seal issue.

Anyway above not for you since you're not planning on trying it again for anyone else who may have an issue and read this thread.

 

[gmx]

What tool did you use to gap the plug? I've seen that happen before it went into an engine. 100% installation/gapping error. Tool type escapes me, people wedge it against the porcelain to pry up the ground strap to open the gap (ie. if it's closed too much). It cracks, and you have exactly that type of failure shown in your picture.

 

[fmorelli]

What tool did you use to gap the plug? I've seen that happen before it went into an engine. 100% installation/gapping error. Tool type escapes me, people wedge it against the porcelain to pry up the ground strap to open the gap (ie. if it's closed too much). It cracks, and you have exactly that type of failure shown in your picture.

Along these lines, these cars seem to be sensitive to gap, and precision to a couple thousandths of an inch is not childs play. Most people do not spend their life operating things at that measurement tolerance (I happen to) and they think they are gapped at a value that, in fact, they are not. Until recently I had used feeler gauges and a brass hammer, tapping the top with the feeler in the gap with the ground set on a hard surface. Then recheck gap after adjusting for firm drag on the feeler. I finally broke down and bought a screw jig, which I've been pleased with. I know not cheap, but given the sensitivity of these motors and gap I feel it was $35 well spent.

Sorry slight off-thread, but thought it relevant to your comments.

Filippo

 

[fmorelli]

Sorry to hear about the woes with your car, @matreyia ... sounds frustrating. I saw your other thread as well. Who knows what's going on, and why playing with the BOV setup seems to tickle the issue. I hope you figure out exactly what's causing the problem. These kinds of things can drive us nuts!

Filippo

 

[matreyia]

What tool did you use to gap the plug? I've seen that happen before it went into an engine. 100% installation/gapping error. Tool type escapes me, people wedge it against the porcelain to pry up the ground strap to open the gap (ie. if it's closed too much). It cracks, and you have exactly that type of failure shown in your picture.

Feel gauge, circular gap tool. gap is not the issue, nor was gap process. never touch the tip or any part except for the prong. plugs operated fine for 4 months. only after detonation did it start to misfire and that's when the damage was found. If you follow my history, you will see I test every product that has potential for progress in the community. even had the fancy screw down gap tool. always triple check each plug after gapping to ensure the gap is exact, it is not enough to slip the feeler gauge into the gap, rather you must also note the exact level of resistance for each and every plug to be sure they are all identically gapped. Even though the feeler gauge appears to fit the gap, it had better have the same resistance as the previous plug you just gapped or else you have different gaps...it is impossible to visually verify gaps, only through feeling can you be sure they are all identically gapped.

I hope other people try this bov adapter and report their experiences. I would be interested to see if they have better results.

 

[matreyia]

Sorry to hear about the woes with your car, @matreyia ... sounds frustrating. I saw your other thread as well. Who knows what's going on, and why playing with the BOV setup seems to tickle the issue. I hope you figure out exactly what's causing the problem. These kinds of things can drive us nuts!

Filippo

Could be there was way too much humidity and moisture collected on the DCI and that caused detonation because the eco tried to enrich to compensate for the excess moisture...as stated, it was a very humid and foggy morning when I test drove it... but then again, after all that time, there should have been no more moisture...so there goes that idea.

 

[matreyia]

How is op, and others plugging the original vacuum fitting on the manifold?

I do not understand your question. There is no "original fitting". There are only the fittings that came in the BOV 'kit' or you have to buy 1/8 npt to 3/8 barb to fit the RB OCC hose in addition to the BOV hose.

 

[fmorelli]

How is op, and others plugging the original vacuum fitting on the manifold?

A rubber vacuum cap. I put a very small cable tie on for insurance, not too tight.

Filippo

 

[matreyia]

A rubber vacuum cap. I put a very small cable tie on for insurance, not too tight.

Filippo

Ah... I thought he meant plugging as in 'connecting' the hoses. Need to brush up on my Engrish.

 

[matreyia]

What keeps it on during boost? Wouldn't it just blow off?

It's vacuum, not exhaust pressure.

 

[Jeffman]

It's vacuum, not exhaust pressure.

Under boost the manifold is at boost pressure so like Philippo said, use the supplied zip tie on the rubber cap in the BMS kit so it doesn’t pop off the first time you press down on the pedal.

 

[Rob09msport]

It's vacuum, not exhaust pressure.

He was saying when the intake manifold is under boost. I would have thought that it's vac low load and pressure high load. Actually it def has to see pressure.

 

[matreyia]

He was saying when the intake manifold is under boost. I would have thought that it's vac low load and pressure high load. Actually it def has to see pressure.

Totally misread his comment. Again..engrish. but yes, ziptie on mine also.

 

[matreyia]

Yes, this is how I thought it worked. Now i'm trying to figure out how a vacuum nipple and zip tie are going to stand up to over 20psi.

I have 23psi max tapered to 17... zero leaks. The plug must fix tightly.

 

[fmorelli]

Sorry I'm in the middle of prepping my house for sale and I'm also headed out of the country for a little while middle of the week. Here's a photo and I haven't had a problem in the last couple thousand miles at 20 psi. If someone has a smarter or possibly more bulletproof solution I'd love to hear her say it. Could always fill it with a little bit of JB weld and then put the vacuum hose and cable tie on?

Filippo

 

[Snertz]

Sorry I'm in the middle of prepping my house for sale and I'm also headed out of the country for a little while middle of the week. Here's a photo and I haven't had a problem in the last couple thousand miles at 20 psi. If someone has a smarter or possibly more bulletproof solution I'd love to hear her say it. Could always fill it with a little bit of JB weld and then put the vacuum hose and cable tie on?

Filippo

View attachment 26227

Could trim the nipple off and plug with a small setscrew and some JB weld.

 

[Torgus]

I used a vac nipple just like that but I filled it half full of silicone sealant 1st before I put it on and then used a small zip tie. I allowed it time to cure. Belt and suspenders if you will.