PSA - Use the correct oil pan baffle!

[luckysnafu]

Or your engine will sound like this:



It turns out I inadvertently installed the e34 M50 oil baffle that came with my e34 oil pan on my s52 engine. The s52 oil baffle has openings in specific locations to allow the bottom of the crank to have enough clearance not to hit the baffle. The e34 oil baffle does not have these openings and two bolts on the bottom of my crank were hitting the oil baffle, see pictures below.

I was stumped as to what was making the noise so I ended up pulling the engine and removing the oil pan and baffle to see if the crank was damaged and lo and behold the baffle had fresh marks on it. I was surprised the oil baffle was the issue but relieved that it could have been worse!

I hope this helps someone avoid installing the incorrect oil baffle during a swap. Install the oil baffle that came with your engine, not the oil pan!

e34 m50 oil baffle with marks showing where the crank bolts were hitting:


Closer view


Crank bolt heads (inverted torx) worn down slightly from contacting m50 baffle


Correct S52 oil baffle installed, openings for bolts now in place!

[DesertBMW]

my DME makes so much power that it stretches the crankshaft so much that it touches the baffle. LOL

[justin_l_]

I have an s52 car sitting in my garage running and e34 pan/baffle with no issue. Interesting

[MyE30]

justin, does your e34 pan have a built in baffle? I too am running an e34 pan with built in baffle no problem. it looks like the OP's pan and baffle are two separate units in which the baffle bolts to the block.

[luckysnafu]

Yeah, now I'm confused on the differences in e34 m50 oil pans. There are two auctions on ebay now for e34 m50 oil pans. One has a built in baffle and the other does not. My e34 oil pan came with a separate baffle which I installed and caused this issue.

Oil pan without baffle
Oil pan with built-in baffle

[justin_l_]

Yes, it has a riveted on baffle.

[NickL]

Yeah my car is running the riveted on E34 baffle and has no issues.

[gkurey]

I have run into this same issue before, OP is 100% correct. I didn't find out until I cranked it over...doh! It is a massive relief to find out the noise wasn't some other massive fail with bearing, rods, etc.

[Mwishlist]

I just did the same thing but realized it before install. I somehow missed this thread but thanks so much for posting this, you answered my question. Now I have to go pull the pan again. . .

[mpowerful]

There are two different e34 oil pan baffles.

[AllydNYC]

Yeah my car is running the riveted on E34 baffle and has no issues.

Reviving this thread since my question is related to this.

Here's a picture of what my oil pan looks like with the built in baffle/windage tray:


After 30 minutes of searching and reading I've heard mixed things. It seems a lot of people are using both windage tray and baffle as the same thing but from what I know, their application is different.

I have an M52B28. I've read here that I should remove my E36 windage tray that is currently on the engine since my E34 pan has one riveted in.

Some say that the E34 riveted in baffle is fine to put into an M52B28 and nothing needs to be done, like this post. But maybe they assume you will clearly see that using both the E34 pan with the windage/baffle and the E36 windage tray won't work.

Yes, I could bolt it up and try it but I rather ask first since I have limited exposure to this and something I want to do once, correctly.

Others, and it looks like for M50s, have to cut part of the baffle off the E34 oil pan. Like this: http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...4&postcount=10 . I don't think this applies to me.

And here says, "Remove the E36 windage tray that is attached to the block. The new windage tray is in the new oil pan (for an M52, the E34 windage tray will need modification to fit)." I'm assuming "in the tray" means the riveted in one but what modification is needed?

Any help is appreciated.

:thankyou:

[mpowerful]

I took the one out of my m52b28 and used the one you have in your picture. The riveted in one does fit but I had to clearance the three tabs to clear the block. Basically I took a cutoff wheel and removed roughly 1/4 inch from each of the three tabs. I choose that over drilling the rivets out and removing it in favor of the e36 tray/baffle, whatever it is.

[clydesdale]

So, if I want to avoid these issues, which pan do I want. I want an M50 E34 pan? BTW, will this be the same m50 that I want to get an intake off of? My S52 has a cracked intake and have been learning that I want an M50 intake. I will look for the pan at the same time. What m50 do I want in order to get the right pan? Thanks.

[AllydNYC]

I took the one out of my m52b28 and used the one you have in your picture. The riveted in one does fit but I had to clearance the three tabs to clear the block. Basically I took a cutoff wheel and removed roughly 1/4 inch from each of the three tabs. I choose that over drilling the rivets out and removing it in favor of the e36 tray/baffle, whatever it is.

:thankyou:

[Yezus_Krys]

Thanks for posting this as I would've probably made this mistake. Picking up my S52 tomorrow. Any links to purchase radiator and hoses like yours?


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