Why no Z3/M54 oil pans for E30 swaps?

[bmw444]

Thanks for clarifying that Andrew I got all excited thinking the E38 had a rear sump that would fit with a standard x member. I will go back to modifying my x member for more room at the back similar to the Arc asylum setup, move the sway bar to a front mount and squeeze in a standard m54 sump with a bit trimmed off the front of the sump bit if I need to. For information this is going in a gravel rally E30 and I want to have as much clearance as possible for the sump guard, especially at the front. I've seen a couple of front sump setups but they hang too low for my liking.

[Andrew325is]

E38 is a front sump like E34.

[bmw444]

I had a look through your build thread. That is an amazing job you have done on those two E30's. Just the rust repairs alone would have burned most people out.

Just to be clear. So the E38 sump will work with no mods to the standard cross member.
You wouldn't have a photo by any chance. It looks like on your cars you were using E34 front sumps not the rear sump like on a standard M54 or E38 728.

Thanks for clarifying this for me. I am right in the middle of modifying my e30 to fit an m54 and really would like to go rear sump for ground clearance as the E34 sumps hang pretty low.

[pazi88]

Hi Andrew. Are you saying that an E38 sump will work on an M54 in an E30 without modifying the cross member? Or does the cross member still need modifying like the Arc asylum one? Thanks Chris

Yes that is right. Just use e38 m52tu oil pickup tube. (11411432735)

[bmw444]

E38 sump

Hi Andrew. Are you saying that an E38 sump will work on an M54 in an E30 without modifying the cross member? Or does the cross member still need modifying like the Arc asylum one? Thanks Chris

[Andrew325is]

I was just looking over realoem and I noticed the E38 M52 uses the same oil pump pickup tube as the E34 M50 and the E38 M52TU uses the same oil pan as the E38 M52, so you can totally use the E34 M50 oil pan with the E38 M52TU oil pickup tube. Of course the E38 oil pan is fine in the E30, but is more difficult to source from the US, so all you need is the pickup tube. :)

[Andrew325is]

There are currently listings on eBay for the E38 sump and oil pickup from Lithuania. The listing for the sump includes a pickup, but it's for the M52. There's a separate listing for the M52TU/M54 pickup. About $500 for both shipped to USA.

[wazzu70]

No, m54 has a different oil pump/pickup.

[325est13psi]

bringing back a dead thread - i have a m50nv swapped E30 with ARC asylum pan and subframe - they modified the oil pickup too - does the m50nv from e36 and a m54 share the same oil pick up and mounting locations?

[FredK]

whoa. That's extremely useful info!

[Andrew325is]

Just use the E38 728i M52TU sump and oil pickup (11131710319 & 11417503261). It looks like the pickup can't be ordered from a US dealer, but there are suppliers in Europe who will ship to the US like http://www.schmiedmann.com/ and http://www.estore-central.com/.

[Tsx-kineticz]

You can use the original oil pan on the m54 if you get a custom subframe from arcasylum
He does good work and your pan isn't touching the floor like all the e34 oil pans when your car is lowered

[DesertBMW]

Im underneath a Z3 that has an M54 in it, and its a rear sump pan.. As we all know, the subframe and most of the front end is the same as E30..

Had a good laugh

[Wanganstyle]

Why no Z3/M54 oil pans for E30 swaps?

I have a m54 in the e30 racecar. Front sump and custom pickup must be fabricated

M54 is no different in dimensions than a m50. The m54 physically shares 98% of dimensions with m50 and can be adapted to single vanos and 413 computer

[bimmer630]

Yeah forget I even started this thread. I was tripping I think.

I forgot to factor in that the engine is located further back on the subframe in E36's than it is in E30s. I thought at first you could just adapt your motor mounts to make it line up.. but like another said, the engine would still have to be halfway inside the passenger compartment for the pan to work, lol