Oiling System for BMW 3 Series E30 (1984-1991)

The No-Compromise Oil Pan for Your 24V E30 Build

Every E30 swap story starts the same way: you want the reliability and power of a modern BMW 24V engine - M50, M52, S50, or S52 - but without heavy modifications or a list of oil pan parts that are no longer available(NLA). You’ve read the forums, seen the DIYs, and done the math. And you’re still faced with the same question: how am I going to find all of these parts and make them work?

That’s exactly the problem we set out to solve.

At Turner Motorsport, we’ve been building BMWs for decades. We've performed the swaps, turned the wrenches, and taken the laps. The Turner Fabricated Oil Pan was born out of that experience, an enthusiast-engineered solution that eliminates the guesswork and lets you focus on what really matters: driving.

We designed this oil pan from the ground up to support 24V engine swaps into the E30 chassis, with zero permanent modifications.

Crafted from TIG-welded 5052 aluminum, this pan is as durable as it is lightweight. The brushed anodized finish adds a subtle shine under the hood and guards against corrosion for long-term reliability. Inside, we’ve integrated full-length oil control baffles with trap doors, ensuring your oil stays where it needs to be, even under the most aggressive acceleration, braking, and cornering.

The low-profile design is perfect for lowered cars, and the 8 mm-thick flange ensures a proper seal with the factory gasket. We didn’t stop there, every pan includes a billet aluminum oil pickup with an integrated stainless mesh screen that’s fully serviceable, a 304 stainless steel dipstick tube, and a billet rear transmission plate that allows you to utilize the lower mounting holes, unlike the stock E34 pan.

Whether you're building a high-performance street car, a dedicated track weapon, or a clean restomod, this oil pan offers OEM-level integration with aftermarket performance. It’s the cleanest, easiest, and most effective way to run a 24V engine in your E30 — built by BMW lovers, for BMW lovers.

Design:

Fully TIG-welded 5052 aluminum construction
Brushed anodized finish for a clean look and corrosion resistance
Engineered specifically for M5X/S5X engines in the BMW E30 chassis
Front-sump design clears the factory E30 subframe, no cutting or modification required
Designed and tested in-house by BMW enthusiasts
Features:

Built-in oil control baffles with trap doors to prevent starvation under cornering
Low-profile design for maximum ground clearance - perfect for lowered cars
Billet aluminum oil pickup with integrated stainless mesh screen - fully serviceable
8mm thick flange ensures a reliable seal with OEM gasket
Works with all standard 24V swap motor mounts
3/8" NPT port for turbo oil drain and 1/4" NPT for OBD2 CCV drain
Compatible with G260 and ZF transmissions
Stainless steel dipstick tube (304) included for strength and appearance
Utilizes E36 Dipstick (P# - 11431427993)
Kit Contents:

Turner Fabricated Oil Pan
Billet Rear Mounting Plate
304SS Dipstick Tube with Mounting Hardware
Billet Aluminum Oil Pickup
Optional: Oil Pan Gasket, Oil Filter, and Motor Oil
Optional: Complete Install Hardware Kit
Why It Works:

Direct fitment for M5X/S5X into E30, no cutting or fabrication required
Maximum clearance for front subframe, steering rack, and lowered suspension setups
Track-proven baffling to prevent oil starvation under load
Transmission compatibility with Getrag and ZF gearboxes
Built by enthusiasts, designed and tested in-house on real cars
Please note this will require an oil pump from M50/M52/S50/S52, M52TU, M54, and S54 oil pumps will need to be replaced with a single vanos oil pump.

Product development:

Our swap pan components are designed, engineered, tested, and quality inspected by our Research and Development team at Turner. Nothing but the highest level of precision and quality through leading-edge product development technology, including FARO laser scanning for reverse engineering and quality inspection, SolidWorks 3D CAD modeling, rapid prototyping utilizing our in-house 3D printer, and rigorous long-term product testing.

When we designed this catch we wanted to have the most function options available, the best separation method, and the easiest to service. The Turner engineered catch cans offer a pre-setup design based ion desired flow direction, however this does not limit you to this flow. The inner baffle orientation can be easily adjusted to flow in both directions in case you decide to move this catch can to a different vehicle. A 4 chamber system  baffle system inside the catch can was engineered to create multiple changes in the direction of airflow within the separator to cause oil droplets to fall out of suspension before exiting the catch can. Having a closed / recirculated design reduces oil ingestion and promotes cleaner emissions and odor-less operation.

Our catch can was also designed with the idea that the cans fill level can easily be checked with a top mounted dipstick and an optional use bottom drain hole. The drain system comes complete with a valve and hose to be mounted at a lower area of the vehicle so when you're doing an oil change you can drain the catch can.

Features:

• 6061-T6 billet machined body, anodized black for lasting protection and appearance
• Strategically positioned 4 chamber baffle system maximizes oil / air separation 
• Knurled and black anodized oil dipstick makes inspecting oil volume of reservoir clean and simple
• Sealed with a pre-installed viton O-Ring
• Includes 2.5mm allen key to remove baffle plates for cleaning
• Engineered to create multiple changes in the direction of airflow within the separator to cause oil droplets to fall out of suspension before exiting the catch can
• Closed / recirculated design reduces oil ingestion and promotes cleaner emissions and odor-less operation
• Optional use drain hole - drain kit included!
• Universal mounting kit

When we designed this catch we wanted to have the most function options available, the best separation method, and the easiest to service. The Turner engineered catch cans offer a pre-setup design based ion desired flow direction, however this does not limit you to this flow. The inner baffle orientation can be easily adjusted to flow in both directions in case you decide to move this catch can to a different vehicle. A 4 chamber system  baffle system inside the catch can was engineered to create multiple changes in the direction of airflow within the separator to cause oil droplets to fall out of suspension before exiting the catch can. Having a closed / recirculated design reduces oil ingestion and promotes cleaner emissions and odor-less operation.

Our catch can was also designed with the idea that the cans fill level can easily be checked with a top mounted dipstick and an optional use bottom drain hole. The drain hole can be used with a valve and hose to be mounted at a lower area of the vehicle so when you're doing an oil change you can drain the catch can.

Features:

• 6061-T6 billet machined body, anodized black for lasting protection and appearance
• Strategically positioned 4 chamber baffle system maximizes oil / air separation 
• Knurled and black anodized oil dipstick makes inspecting oil volume of reservoir clean and simple
• Sealed with a pre-installed viton O-Ring
• Includes 2.5mm allen key to remove baffle plates for cleaning
• Engineered to create multiple changes in the direction of airflow within the separator to cause oil droplets to fall out of suspension before exiting the catch can
• Closed / recirculated design reduces oil ingestion and promotes cleaner emissions and odor-less operation
• Optional use drain hole (valve and hose sold separately, watch for our model specific drain kits!)

The intermediate shaft bearings are located in the engine block (an inner and outer bearing). The intermediate shaft is driven from the timing belt and spins the oil pump shaft. Whenever the engine is torn down and the block is chemically or thermally cleaned these bearings will need to be replaced. The bearings must be sized with the intermediate shaft! The bearing surfaces must be machined to the correct tolerance for the block and shaft! You must make your engine builder aware of this before final assembly.

Note: these bearings must be machined for the shaft and block.

M20 block uses inner and outer bearings but the bearings are the same part numbers.

When doing any sort of repair or maintenance there is no replacement for genuine factory parts. Turner Motorsport carries the Genuine BMW brand with pride and has the parts you need to complete your next project with confidence.

• Ensures tight seals on power steering and oil lines
• Maintains proper fluid containment
• Prevents leaks for enhanced performance and reliability