M30 oil starvation in long left hand turns

[kronus]

Hello, I run an e30 with an M30 in the 24 hours of lemons. We've been battling oil starvation in extended left-hand turns for a few years, and it's killed several engines.

After getting sick of it, I acquired a crank scraper and we ran it for 1 race. It was a complete pain in the ass to install and did not address oil starvation at all. We took it out.

We're seeing oil pressure drop over time as well, so there's probably some heat issues that don't help the situation. A cooler is in the works.

I have heard some rabble about flow restrictors to the head which ends up keeping more oil in the block (since we're in the higher RPMs most of the time anyway, because racecar), but not sure if anyone has conclusively found anything about this.

Anyone have any ideas? I'd like to stop killing engines.

[kronus]

also here's some telemetry from sears point this weekend: http://race-capture.com/events/sears.../device/cheesy

if you click on laps in the left screen you can see oil pressure bottom out during the carousel (big left hander, turn #5). ((Our sensor is miscalibrated, it is actually 0 when it says 14.5))

[jalopi]

I've heard of people doing this for small/big block chevys, no idea if there are plugs you can drill on m30's though.

This is just a guess, but I'm gonna say you and your team are pretty savvy with fabrication. I'd try a cooler + fabbing up an extra large+deep sump for the pan and a pickup to match it. Include some baffles and you're probably good to go.

[CorvallisBMW]

sub'd to see what you guys come up with, we may be in the same boat!

[kronus]

I've heard of people doing this for small/big block chevys, no idea if there are plugs you can drill on m30's though.

This is just a guess, but I'm gonna say you and your team are pretty savvy with fabrication. I'd try a cooler + fabbing up an extra large+deep sump for the pan and a pickup to match it. Include some baffles and you're probably good to go.

yeah, baffles are in the plans. making our own sump is going to be complicated, but I've seen a hartge M30 pan than has much more capacity over stock. We might be able to replicate it.


corvallis, yeah, you guys will definitely run into this. Making it to thunderhill at all this year?

[e30m3s54turbo]

[quote=kronus;4068504]yeah, baffles are in the plans. making our own sump is going to be complicated, but I've seen a hartge M30 pan than has much more capacity over stock. We might be able to replicate it.

Hartge oil pan can hold 9 quarts of oil. It has a oil baffle. If you want me to text you some pics of Hartge oil pan let me know? I have a lot of pics.

[kronus]

yeah! I would love to see some detail photos of the baffling.

[jlevie]

An M30 behaves pretty much the same as an M20. The fix for oil starvation is a larger, baffled, pan and a close fitting crank scraper. For an M20 my preference is a Paul Poore pan and an IJ scraper. Capacity increases by almost two quarts, which helps with oil packing into the head on long high rpm straights and the baffles, mouse traps, and scraper help in corners. My data logging doesn't show appreciable (less than 5psi, worst case). I do have a large'ish oil cooler mounted in front of the radiator and have modified the oil filter adapter for full time flow.

[kronus]

So you don't have a thermostat in the cooler? Is it possible for it to not get up to temperature? Any reason other than fewer failure points?

We had the IJ scraper installed and saw no difference in starvation.

[the imitator]

I'm at work but I recall a couple companies making baffles/crank scrapers for that exact reason you're having. I'll see if I can track them down after work..

I believe some of the guys that do the 24v swaps using the m30 pan use a weld in baffle for track conditions.

[kronus]

I believe some of the guys that do the 24v swaps using the m30 pan use a weld in baffle for track conditions.

[the imitator]

sorry I was NOT thinking, day 13 of 15 of gnarly shift work gets to people. I was sneaking that post in the middle of work, and had 2 thoughts mixed up together, no doubt an m30 pan would NOT work for a 24v swap My B.

I also mistaken the m5x baffles for m30 baffles, not only vac, but tons of custom fab shops make them as well, thus I was under the impression one of those oddball shops made an aftermarket baffle.

That being said, unless I'm mistaken aren't the m30 oil pans already baffled? I'm staring at one in my garage right now, and unless I'm mistaken (not counting that out!) the rusted part in the picture below is indeed the baffle, it also shares parts numbers with the S38's as well.

I doubt you want to run a dry sump on a Lemons car haha
M88's from the old M1's used them I believe
Vac sells a dry sump kit and oil pan for the m30 but you're looking at $3k

why don't you just simply go slower around corners?? lawlz



Not my picture btw.

[CorvallisBMW]

yeah, baffles are in the plans. making our own sump is going to be complicated, but I've seen a hartge M30 pan than has much more capacity over stock. We might be able to replicate it.


corvallis, yeah, you guys will definitely run into this. Making it to thunderhill at all this year?

I wish, but with 3/4 of the team immersed in Pro3 I think we're only doing The Ridge this year :/

[marshallnoise]

This thread makes me grin.

[jim325]

Have you asked on mye28.com ? There a couple guys, firstfivesdictator (peter Florence) and another guy in va that autocross that have talked to me about oil starvation and oil pooling in the cylinder head due to heavy cornering. I remember them talking about using a good crankcase vent system and plugs in the cylinder head.

Anyway, might be a good question to ask over there.