Baffled sumps - advice needed

[theboyfold]

I'm baffled about baffled sumps at the moment I had my E36 328 out at Bedford yesterday and after 2 of the sessions the engine was ticking quite loudly, and in my reading I've found that this could be oil starvation. From what I understand long corners and braking from high speed cause the oil to be forced to one part of the sump where the pump can't pick it up from. The car is a lot stiffer than the standard 328i with coilovers, braces, cage and sticky rubber.

Also, it's said that putting more oil in is a temporary fix. One of the cures, I've read is getting a baffled sump, but I can't see to find any where to buy one, apart from the US where they seem to be quite common.

So what are my options? Does the M3 sump just bolt on, I've read that it's baffled and might help. Or do I try and get a baffle kit fitted to the standard sump? (The main issue is that I can't find a kit at the moment)

[iguana]

On a track 328 ticking usually - hydraulic tappets due to oil thin as no oil cooler & not proper shim tappets like M3.

I'd fit m3 oil cooler before messing about with sump, but tbh most just change oil regularly & when its too bad a used engine isn't far off the cost of an oil cooler purchase & fitment.

[Wh00sher]

What oil are you running ?

On our 328 we swapped to some 10W60 and it`s far better. Used to have exactly the same tappet issue, but now it`s only after a long session on a very hot day.

[Steve H]

Yep, if it's oil starvation either you would have only heard the ticking when it was going round the corner in question or it was bad enough to do damage in which case it would still be ticking now..............?

[theboyfold]

Thanks for the replies, interesting to hear about the conclusions. I've started looking around at track day oil and found this, which is exactly the issue that I had: http://www.bimmerforums.co.uk/forum/f17/1996-e36-3... It's also a really interesting at the bottom of the thread where they explain about oils and what the numbers mean. Everyday is a school day.

The tapping did stop after a while and I only heard it between 2 sessions where I was too impatient to get back out on track. So it could point to overheating as has been suggested. So the first thing would be a flush, oil change and new filters. The next thing to work out would be which sort of oil to use. I think BMW suggest 0/40w, so I might run something a little thicker.

As for the oil, I don't know what it is, which suggests that it could do with a change ASAP

Back to Google I go!

[Wh00sher]

0w40 is fine for the road, but on track, you`ll get a ticking top end, which suggests you probably have a 0W40 or 10W40 in there. Your symptoms are almost certainly to be the oil getting too hot/thin.

Be aware, I wouldn`t run a 10W60 on a road car, it probably doesn`t get hot enough and it could be too thick, especially in winter, but for a dedicated track car, like ours, it was a no-brainer.

[theboyfold]

Wh00sher said:

0w40 is fine for the road, but on track, you`ll get a ticking top end, which suggests you probably have a 0W40 or 10W40 in there. Your symptoms are almost certainly to be the oil getting too hot/thin.

Be aware, I wouldn`t run a 10W60 on a road car, it probably doesn`t get hot enough and it could be too thick, especially in winter, but for a dedicated track car, like ours, it was a no-brainer.

I'm looking at something like a 10w/50 I think. The last stuff would have been good quality, but I've no idea of its age or viscosity

Edited by theboyfold on Sunday 7th June 17:49

[Wh00sher]

Road & sometime track car or dedicated track car ?

[theboyfold]

Wh00sher said:

Road & sometime track car or dedicated track car ?

Road and about 5 track days a year. It's a 2nd car, so it doesn't do any short runs

[QBee]

Ok. V8 TVR, not Munich's finest. But I called Castrol and had half an hour of a technical consultant's time, and without hesitation he said use 10w60 Racing Oil. I bought Shell because I can get a 20 litre drum on EBay for around £100.

I run a baffled extended sump, but no oil cooler, on my TVR for track days, and it has been fine. It takes 9.5 litres of Shell's finest. Job done.

[theboyfold]

Does your car get used off track?

[QBee]

Yes, about 85% road use, 15% track days. It went shopping today, and for a blast around the country lanes on Friday. The recommended oil for TVR V8s is 20w 50 Mobil 1, but the Shell Helix Racing 10w60 covers everything the 20w50 would. Service interval is only 6000 miles on these engines, however. General good advice is to change your oil more frequently if you do track days. Racing these cars like ours, the guys change the oil every race.

[theboyfold]

Thanks for the help with this, the man from Opie Oils has suggested (as some on here have) that 10w/50 is the way to go. I'll get some ordered, along with a flush and a new filter in time for the next track day in a couple of weeks. I'll report back on how the car gets on, here she is having fun at Bedford

[QBee]

Car looks cool, and you are clearly having fun. I am at Bedford on Monday, so will check to see if the track (an old WW2 bomber base) is still tilted.