Need generic oil lines... Bill R., Winfred, anyone help?

[Jon K]

I need to run oil to the supercharger. thought about a closed loop system but not worth it. I am between tapping the oil pan for the return line and tapping the dipstick. I need to get some lines though. They don't have to be the hole banjo bolt style. I am going to use normal barbed connectors. The oil return hose has to be lower than the blower, which is above the alternator... so I am thinking of tapping the dipstick. I am thinking maybe going to homedepot or lowes and finding a T pipe... like a small diameter T pipe, so I can cut the dipstick in half and weld the T pipe in and weld the dipstick on the other side, once cut down so that it matches OEM length to check oil levels... ugh oil lines suck.

Also, where would be the best place to tap in order to get an oil SEND line TO the blower? Thanks guys.

[bjl4776]

Any store that deals with turbos and s/c's can supply you with the lines. Make sure that there is no droop in the return line or you will get back pressure to the s/c and blow the seals. I have an oil pan from M50 that is tapped already, but the tap is on the opposite side you need because it is from a turbo. If you do tap the pan, be sure you do it above the normal fill level, also have it filled with cheap oil when you are drilling so as you drill through the oil pushes all of the pieces back out. As far as for the oil feed line the best and most common place to have this is at the oil pressure sensor which is on the back side of the oil filter housing. You can buy an adapter from JTD for $100 or you can make your own using a lug stud, a drill, some pipe fitings, and a tap set like i have in the pic to the top left of the BOV

[Jon K]

Any store that deals with turbos and s/c's can supply you with the lines. Make sure that there is no droop in the return line or you will get back pressure to the s/c and blow the seals. I have an oil pan from M50 that is tapped already, but the tap is on the opposite side you need because it is from a turbo. If you do tap the pan, be sure you do it above the normal fill level, also have it filled with cheap oil when you are drilling so as you drill through the oil pushes all of the pieces back out. As far as for the oil feed line the best and most common place to have this is at the oil pressure sensor which is on the back side of the oil filter housing. You can buy an adapter from JTD for $100 or you can make your own using a lug stud, a drill, some pipe fitings, and a tap set like i have in the pic to the top left of the BOV


So you're recommending tapping the pan with it on the car? Is this safe?

How much would you want for the M50 pan or at least the bung that you tapped with?

Can you give me mroe details on all the parts used to tap the oil supply line? Closer pics? Where you got the materials? Would you sell the setup? help!

[bjl4776]

I actually sold it to someone on this board doing an M30 setup. It is fine to tap the pan with it on the car, of coarse it wouldn't hurt to drop it, but it isn't necisary. I really like the dipstick idea, but I wonder if it would be enough flow to prevent the backpressure. Alot of oil is pumped through the s/c, so you have to thing if it will work to have it going through the small diameter of the dipstick. It doesn't take much back pressure, there was maybe 1.5in of droop in my return lines and I blew the seals and needed a rebuild. I don't have any other pics of it anymore since my pc crashed last, but it is extremely simple to make. If you don't want to go through the trouble of it then buy one of these: https://secure7.nexternal.com/shared/StoreFront/default.asp?CS=bimmerworl&BusType=BtoC&Count1=605632960&Count2=522773385&ProductID=270&Target=products.asp
The one I made I took an old lug stud, drilled a hole straight through it, Then I tapped the top side of it to screw in a male side of a T-fiting. Then I re-tapped the one of the other female side of the T-fitting I retapped to fit the oil pressure sensor and the other one I used standard size adapter to fit the oil line onto. The probelm with the pressure sincer is that it is metric size and you can't get metric size pipe fitings in the US unless you special order them.
Oh, and I've also seen replacemtn oil filter housing caps that already have a drilled and tapped hole on top of it for an oil pressure sensor, but will work for oil feed lines. I think that was at VAC motorsports.

Edit:
I still have the oil pan, but it is for a turbo. The tap is on the wrong size for a s/c setup.

[Jon K]

Could I maybe tap my own oil canister for oil feed? How does the oil flow through the canister?

[Javier]

Turbo? What is the line for, lubing the device?

Just a wild guess, isn't the pressure of the cooling system for the engine oil (oil radiator below cooling radiator) suitable for this application? Or there isn't any in M50.

Javier

[winfred]

personally id go for a aftermarket oil cooler like this but can be scrounged together cheeper (http://www.activeautowerke.com/cooling/oil-cooler.cfm) or 3rd thing down (http://www.vacmotorsports.com/cgi-bin/special_view.pl?man=VAC+Motorsports) you can then plumb into that for supply and you have the added benifit of having a cooler to help with the added strain on the motor

[bjl4776]

A turbo or supercharger are basically compressors that push air under pressure into your engine. The more air that can go into your engine and be compusted the more power you can make. The oil lines are needed to lube the device because they move at about the same rpm speed as your engine so they need oil just like your pistons do. The oil cooler would be a good source but there isn't one on an M50.

Jon K:
I would definately get your oil supply from the pressure sensor, and I would more than likely put the return straight to the pan. These are tried and true methods that you can't go wrong with. I would hate for you to try something else and blow your s/c, or even worse your engine from sudden pressure loss. I know it seems scary to tap your pan, but its not as bad as it seems, just take your time, maybe practice on some aluminum of equal thickness first.

[winfred]

turbos and superchargers pressurize the air going into the motor upping the power that it can produce by sometimes up to 50%


Turbo?

[winfred]

what i do when i drill tap and install a heli coil to repare drain plug threads is dump a quart or two of cheep oil through the motor to flush the crap out


I know it seems scary to tap your pan, but its not as bad as it seems, just take your time, maybe practice on some aluminum of equal thickness first.

[bjl4776]

your on the ball tonight winfred

[Jon K]

what i do when i drill tap and install a heli coil to repare drain plug threads is dump a quart or two of cheep oil through the motor to flush the crap out


Winfred, this is acceptable? I would assume so coming from you. Ok this is the bajillion dollar question:

Since I can do that without dropping Big Ben (my nickname for our huge oil pan), can you, based on an ETK drawing or such tell me where I should tap? This is a supercharger application so the tap is going to be on the side of the motor opposite the exhaust manifold. I am not sure where the oil pump is in that thing so I don't want to poke a cute hole in it and hit something. And if you could just one more time, it is in fact ok to drill a hole (with a drill) into my pan, without dropping it?

[winfred]

if you go too far from the drain plug dumping a quart or two of oil through to flush out the chips won't work, drilling the hole doesn't send that much crap in as the flutes of the bit channel the spoil out, tapping the hole will make the most problem, you can pack the tap with grease to help catch the shavings and go slow but theres still a chance you could drop something in. the oil pump is mostly in the front of the pan but is not real close to the sides, so you could use one of those collars that goes around the drill bit to limmit it's penitration. another possible sorce for a drain would be to use a m52 dipstick tube, it has a nipple made into it for oil drain back from the pcv system, or try to copy one as i can't think of a front sump m52 pan

[Jon K]

if you go too far from the drain plug dumping a quart or two of oil through to flush out the chips won't work, drilling the hole doesn't send that much crap in as the flutes of the bit channel the spoil out, tapping the hole will make the most problem, you can pack the tap with grease to help catch the shavings and go slow but theres still a chance you could drop something in. the oil pump is mostly in the front of the pan but is not real close to the sides, so you could use one of those collars that goes around the drill bit to limmit it's penitration. another possible sorce for a drain would be to use a m52 dipstick tube, it has a nipple made into it for oil drain back from the pcv system, or try to copy one as i can't think of a front sump m52 pan



Do you think an M52 dipstick would bolt on? I can get that for $11... so easier than tapping!

[bahnstormer]

use the plasma cutter rather than the drill
=]
heheheheheh

[Jon K]

use the plasma cutter rather than the drill
=]
heheheheheh


because aluminum just loves that

[winfred]

possibly, you may need to tweek it a little as the m52 has a rear sump oil pan, you may need to get one to find out if it's useable, i am suprised that it's that cheep


Do you think an M52 dipstick would bolt on? I can get that for $11... so easier than tapping!

[winfred]

i love my plasma cutter, however it would make a even larger mess inside of the pan


use the plasma cutter rather than the drill
=]
heheheheheh

[Jon K]

i love my plasma cutter, however it would make a even larger mess inside of the pan


Winfred, you wouldn't happen to have an M52 tube laying around you could just hold to an M50 to see if it fits would you?

[winfred]

i've sold all 3 m52's that have graced my yard

[Jon K]

Winfred, you wouldn't happen to have an M52 tube laying around you could just hold to an M50 to see if it fits would you?


Ok here's a question for you Winfred, the oil return line on my supercharger is 5/8". Think I should use that dipstick port? It's got to be like 3/8" or so... I mean it unpressurized oil returning, but still, i don't want to back my seals up and have to rebuild this HUGE beast of a hairdryer.

[Bill R.]

the motor, a turbo is exhaust gas driven. Since the supercharger is belt driven you can have boost immediately without any of the turbocharger lag, Since its belt driven there is more parasitic loss than a turbo. As the others said the oil is to lubricate it.







Turbo? What is the line for, lubing the device?

Just a wild guess, isn't the pressure of the cooling system for the engine oil (oil radiator below cooling radiator) suitable for this application? Or there isn't any in M50.

Javier

[bjl4776]

As many people as I've seem put turbo's on M50s and M52s I don't think that it would work as they all go with tapping the pan. It really isn't as scary as you think it is, and if you are that scared to do it, then find a shop that will do it for you and just put a plug in it until you install the s/c. And if you buy a drill and tap for a 1/2" thread, then I will buy it off of you as I need them for a couple of people that want me to install kits for them.

[winfred]

it's not that big and may not be able to handle it, nut up and pull the pan then weld in a good port and sleep good. id still go with a oil cooler of some kind, i like that racing one from vat, it lets you run a spin on filter where ever it's handy and frees up some room by the head at the same time


Ok here's a question for you Winfred, the oil return line on my supercharger is 5/8". Think I should use that dipstick port? It's got to be like 3/8" or so... I mean it unpressurized oil returning, but still, i don't want to back my seals up and have to rebuild this HUGE beast of a hairdryer.

[Jon K]

As many people as I've seem put turbo's on M50s and M52s I don't think that it would work as they all go with tapping the pan. It really isn't as scary as you think it is, and if you are that scared to do it, then find a shop that will do it for you and just put a plug in it until you install the s/c. And if you buy a drill and tap for a 1/2" thread, then I will buy it off of you as I need them for a couple of people that want me to install kits for them.


Hey bro, I am going to do the tap thing. I will buy a 1/2"... or should it be slightly smaller? And a tap and die set. You would be interested in buying it off me when done? Do you have AIM. I am oomxpxoo02 on aim.

[Jon K]

it's not that big and may not be able to handle it, nut up and pull the pan then weld in a good port and sleep good. id still go with a oil cooler of some kind, i like that racing one from vat, it lets you run a spin on filter where ever it's handy and frees up some room by the head at the same time


Winfred, can I arc weld the fitting to the pan?

[winfred]

i don't think stick welding al is precise or clean enough, with the right mig it could be done (my mig was damaged a while back and doesn't have the ass to do al but does steel fine) tig would be best, i get all of my al welding done at a propeller shop that's down the street from my shop (cleaned cracked m20 oil pan weld goes about $20-30) that kind of place does lots of al welding and can give a quality job cheep, just don't take them a cruddy part to work on


Winfred, can I arc weld the fitting to the pan?