K&P Unboxing & Future Reviews

[Torgus]

"I'm all for improving factory designed stuff but it's an oil cap. If it seals well and does not leak it's doing it's job."

The theory behind the fins and aluminum design was lower oil temperatures... obviously that did not fulfill its designed function and now the community knows because folks went out and tried it for a long period. Anyone can make a cap that doesn't leak. If people bought the new design thinking it would be better at not leaking, then obviously they missed the point and wasted their money.

I mean this with the upmost respect but did people honestly think it would help cool the oil? How would anyone look at those fins and think it would cool the oil anything noticeably? If oil cooling caps were an actual thing other platforms would have them. It's just not enough surface area in an area with poor airflow. It's just going to make for a VERY HOT oil cap when you go to take it off. Usually people drain their oil when it is warm to get a good full drain. So now when you do it you need oven mitts to hold the oil cap as it is metal and the 230 degree oil will conduct it's heat VERY well into the aluminium. It is also touching the metal on the engine too right? When fully compressed/seated & with the threads? It would be impossible to cool the engine block down with a few metal fins on the oil cap.

Only reason I can see using this was what was explained above because the stock BMW 'tool' for removing the oil filter housing will no longer fit well with certain aftermarket intake manifolds. I would still argue to just use a different oil filter wrench and be done with it vs. spending $65 bucks. Or just modify the stock tool so it will fit with a hacksaw if there is only one area with a clearance issue.

 

[matreyia]

I mean this with the upmost respect but did people honestly think it would help cool the oil? How would anyone look at those fins and think it would cool the oil anything noticeably? If oil cooling caps were an actual thing other platforms would have them. It's just not enough surface area in an area with poor airflow. It's just going to make for a VERY HOT oil cap when you go to take it off. Usually people drain their oil when it is warm to get a good full drain. So now when you do it you need oven mitts to hold the oil cap as it is metal and the 230 degree oil will conduct it's heat VERY well into the aluminium. It is also touching the metal on the engine too right? When fully compressed/seated & with the threads? It would be impossible to cool the engine block down with a few metal fins on the oil cap.

Only reason I can see using this was what was explained above because the stock BMW 'tool' for removing the oil filter housing will no longer fit well with certain aftermarket intake manifolds. I would still argue to just use a different oil filter wrench and be done with it vs. spending $65 bucks. Or just modify the stock tool so it will fit with a hacksaw if there is only one area with a clearance issue.

"I mean this with the upmost respect but did people honestly think it would help cool the oil?"

Yes, some people did. Now we know it does nothing.

 

[Jeffman]

Fundamentally - a finned aluminum oil cap cools the oil more than a nonfinned plastic cap. Heat transfer properties of aluminum are superior to plastic.

Practically - not a meaningful difference.

 

[matreyia]

Fundamentally - a finned aluminum oil cap cools the oil more than a nonfinned plastic cap. Heat transfer properties of aluminum are superior to plastic.

Practically - not a meaningful difference.

I believe in this case, there was zero difference simply because the ambient air did not escape and the internal hood temps were stationary. Had there been air flow, there would be no doubt that the finned design would have shed noticeable heat. Just like the lower heat exchange unit connected to the transmission line next to the fan bottom.

 

[Rob09msport]

C'mon let him in on the secret it only cools the oil when we turn on our battery powered squirt bottle fans I just hate having to pop my hood every light to spray the bottle
Seriously though I wouldn't count it as an upgrade more of a screw it looks nice and wont hurt anything and a bullet gas cap now that's just corny.

 

[Jeffman]

I had my face over the warm engine while it was running yesterday looking for an oil leak. When the radiator fan clicked on it got pretty windy over the engine bay, including my billet finned aluminum oil cap.

 

[matreyia]

I had my face over the warm engine while it was running yesterday looking for an oil leak. When the radiator fan clicked on it got pretty windy over the engine bay, including my billet finned aluminum oil cap.

Yes but it is heated air, not cooler fresh air. It is air heated from the radiator.

 

[Torgus]

It is screwed in to the engine. Metal on metal contact. It's not going to cool shit in any meaningful way. Prove me wrong.

Go look at a heat exchanger like an oil cooler or intercooler etc. Even if it had correctly designed super thin fins it would not do a thing. The ECS one doesn't do anything either.

There is basically no surface area worth talking about for cooling and again its physically connected to the block.

An aluminum gas cap will help cool your gas just as much as this thing cools your oil keep trying to justify your purchase.

If you like the bling factor great but any thought as to it helps with cooling is bonkers.

Yes but it is heated air, not cooler fresh air. It is air heated from the radiator.

Which is still significantly cooler than your oil temp so the delta would help your argument right? That it should help or could help? Real world it's useless.

 

[matreyia]

- correct, in the real world, it has negligible effect in temps. However, to say that because it is connected to the metal motor, it has no cooling properties is erroneous. It most certainly by physical laws has cooling properties by nature of aluminum and finned design.

Unfortunately, the inherent cooling properties of the finned design and aluminum are erased by the massive heat absorption from the metal motor direct contact.

"Which is still significantly cooler than your oil temp so the delta would help your argument right? That it should help or could help? Real world it's useless."

Yes, that delta SHOULD help my argument, however as stated, the direct contact with engine metal erases any practical temperature decrease. This in no way negates the inherent cooling properties of aluminum or heat sink designs.

In the end, as stated by me: people think they designed a better unit only to be reminded that they did not take into account all factors and their myopic approach ultimately fails.

But...Guinea pigs are necessary to prove the real world results so they cannot keep selling to the public.

 

[Rob09msport]

It is screwed in to the engine. Metal on metal contact. It's not going to cool shit in any meaningful way. Prove me wrong.

Go look at a heat exchanger like an oil cooler or intercooler etc. Even if it had correctly designed super thin fins it would not do a thing. The ECS one doesn't do anything either.

There is basically no surface area worth talking about for cooling and again its physically connected to the block.

An aluminum gas cap will help cool your gas just as much as this thing cools your oil keep trying to justify your purchase.

If you like the bling factor great but any thought as to it helps with cooling is bonkers.





Which is still significantly cooler than your oil temp so the delta would help your argument right? That it should help or could help? Real world it's useless.

I cant speak for everyone but I am joking and even stated that it was more of a why not thing. Honestly it could be argued that it increases temps by being attached to block and transfering heat into oil. I dont think it does but my point is everyone is getting real serious about a cosmetic mod. Their was just a post about CF engine covers that many could call a waste but this is open forum and people use their cars as a form of expression. It's like an ass tattoo ya you only see it when someone looks under the hood but who cares if it makes the buyer happy.

 

[Rob09msport]

Also for someone like me that scratched the shit out of plastic one before I bought the proper adapter it was def worth it idk how much a stock one is but I didnt feel that it was an overly expensive purchase
On a more important note should i pull my oil sample from drain or filter housing and at operating temp correct. Last should i get on it for little to get stuff moving or do I want to idle and let settle then go from drain. Basically what is the best way to get the most accurate sample and or most metal.

 

[E92 420]

Anyone know of the ECS cap has the same design flaws as the CTS cap?

 

[matreyia]

Anyone know of the ECS cap has the same design flaws as the CTS cap?

ECS internals are different from oem internals, different from CTS internals, and both are different from oem internals.
Each company thinks it can just imitate the external form and as long as it hold the filter and fits the housing unit...it should be fine. I would be curious to the reason why ECS vs. CTS vs. internals are all different form factors and how it affects flow.

 

[Lurcher]

Now we know it does nothing.

You mean I'm not getting that 40 hp that Fillipo promised in his original review?


Really, my only splurge on Black Friday. Just had to get something....

 

[Aaron]

I believe in this case, there was zero difference simply because the ambient air did not escape and the internal hood temps were stationary. Had there been air flow, there would be no doubt that the finned design would have shed noticeable heat. Just like the lower heat exchange unit connected to the transmission line next to the fan bottom.

You're kidding right?

You could have a fan right in front of it and it wouldn't do anything. There's very little oil in contact with the cap, the oil that does contact the cap does so for a very short amount of time, the cap is not and cannot reasonably be designed with enough surface area to matter, and the cap is being far more efficiently kept warm by the block.

Yes but it is heated air, not cooler fresh air. It is air heated from the radiator.

Which is still significantly cooler than engine oil temperatures. Not like it matters because of above.

 

[matreyia]

You're kidding right?

You could have a fan right in front of it and it wouldn't do anything. There's very little oil in contact with the cap, the oil that does contact the cap does so for a very short amount of time, the cap is not and cannot reasonably be designed with enough surface area to matter, and the cap is being far more efficiently kept warm by the block.



Which is still significantly cooler than engine oil temperatures. Not like it matters because of above.

Here we go again....it's Dr. Feel Good.

 

[matreyia]

Also for someone like me that scratched the shit out of plastic one before I bought the proper adapter it was def worth it idk how much a stock one is but I didnt feel that it was an overly expensive purchase
On a more important note should i pull my oil sample from drain or filter housing and at operating temp correct. Last should i get on it for little to get stuff moving or do I want to idle and let settle then go from drain. Basically what is the best way to get the most accurate sample and or most metal.

Once I used the ECS tuning oil cap tool and the oil filter cap got stuck to it to the tool. I sent the tool with the stuck cap to ECS and they promptly refunded and sent me a new oil filter cap.

 

[Rob09msport]

That sounds nice and inconvenient