s50 oil dip stick

[LINUS]

has anyone taken the oilpan out while the motor is in the car?

You would have to drop the subframe to do it, wouldn't you?

Just break loose the bearing cap and take the piece off, it's not that much work.

I had to do some grinding on the E34 pan baffle to open up the little ' u ' shaped areas on the edges of the baffle. Not much, maybe 1/8". Small enough that I did it with a flapwheel, not a grinding disc.

[Bimmer335is]

is there really anything wrong with using the e36's baffle?

[Mike B.]

To get to the oil pan, put some jackstands under the engine for support and drop the subframe.

Is the E36 baffle a definite No-No? I'm not sure, but let me call a guy who has done a ton of these and get confirmation.

[Bimmer335is]

Thanks a ton mike, you rock.

[LINUS]

Is the E36 baffle a definite No-No? I'm not sure, but let me call a guy who has done a ton of these and get confirmation.

I laid this out as it is on the car, I see how you could make a E34 pickup work, maybe. But the baffle in the E34 pan in my mind would be designed for the oil sump forward, not rearward like the E36. I would think as different as the designs are, there is something to using the right pan with the intended baffle.

335is ---- Post a pic of your baffle setup - show us how you did it. It may work just fine, but I am curious to see it. Did you have to do any serious cutting to the E36 baffle?

[Bimmer335is]

remember, the pick up tube is attached the the oil pump and is short... the oil pan baffle is attached to the motor, and does not interfere with pump or pick up tube or the oil pan. So all you have to do is put the pan on without the e34's oilpan baffle. It should be fine. I don't see any reason it wouldn't work out fine.

I'm sorry but I didn't take any pictures of what I did cuz my battery on my camera died. The motor is already in the car, I'm just making sure that I didn't do anything wrong because it won't be fun going back.

[LINUS]

^^^ No, I get what you're saying entirely. It might be fine, but there has to be some reason for the drastic difference in design. Think about it, the E34 had fins that drop all the oil immediately, and the e36 looks like it tries to hold it up on the baffle to some extent. Totally different. You might be just fine, at least you have a baffle - that has to be better than none at all.

[Bimmer335is]

I also noticed that the pan you have in that picture is that wrong one. that one is the e36 pan.

You are correct in that the e36 oilpan baffle goes to the rear of the engine and attaches to the engine. But the oil pump pickup tube is in the front of the motor, and you would better understand it if you saw it working with the e34 oilpan.

[Bimmer335is]

^^^ No, I get what you're saying entirely. It might be fine, but there has to be some reason for the drastic difference in design. Think about it, the E34 had fins that drop all the oil immediately, and the e36 looks like it tries to hold it up on the baffle to some extent. Totally different. You might be just fine, at least you have a baffle - that has to be better than none at all.

okay.

[Mike B.]

I have an E34 pan in my garage. I will take a picture and compare it to the one above.