Oiling System for BMW Z3 (1996-2002)

If your M50, M52, or M54 engine takes a few seconds to build oil pressure after sitting, there's a good chance that your factory oil filter housing drain back valve has failed. Over time, the factory plastic check valve degrades, allowing oil to drain completely out of the housing and back into the oil pan while sitting. Every cold start essentially becomes a dry start, resulting in a loud ticking noise and causing unnecessary wear on your engine's internals.

Unfortunately, BMW does not offer this check valve as a standalone part, forcing you to purchase a costly, complete oil filter housing assembly just to fix one failed plastic component. Thankfully, our team of BMW enthusiasts took note of this common failure mode and designed a permanent, cost-effective fix.

Our Billet Oil Filter Housing Drain-Back Valve is designed as a direct-fit upgrade for your factory oil filter housing. CNC-machined from high-strength billet aluminum, this upgraded valve restores positive sealing to keep the oil filter housing fully primed. Maintaining this hydraulic prime ensures rapid oil pressure stabilization upon startup, directly mitigating dry-start bearing wear and top-end lifter starvation without requiring the purchase of a complete OEM housing assembly.

Through experimentation and data acquired from our E36 World Challenge Touring Cars, it was discovered that in long corners and under heavy braking that there was an oil starvation problem in the M50 and M52 engines. This system was developed to keep oil in the sump and eliminate the starvation problem. After several iterations, further testing and data acquisition in the Touring Cars showed that this system eliminates the problem of oil starvation. This is a less expensive alternative to replacing the stock oil pan with the factory BMW M3 Lightweight oil pan, while still achieving the similar results.

*Requires Professional Welding

Installation instructions (E36/Z3 Oil Pan Baffle for M50, M52, S50, S52 engines)

This item fits the following BMWs:
1992-1999 E36 BMW 323is 323ic 325i 325is 325ic 328i 328is 328ic M3
1992-1995 E34 BMW 525i
1997-1998 E39 BMW 528i
1997-1998 Z3 BMW Z3 2.8
1998-2000 Z3 BMW Z3 M Coupe M Roadster S52

Stainless steel filtration is not a new technology but is quickly gaining popularity in the automotive segment. With the ability to filter down as small as a paper filter element with the ability to be washed and reused!

The K&P Engineering filter element is made from medical grade, type 304 stainless steel micronic filter cloth to provide unmatched protection against oil contamination and resultant engine damage. A one inch square of this material flows an incredible 1.9 gallons of oil per minute at only 1 PSI pump pressure. The adhesive used in the filter assembly process is good to 600 degrees Fahrenheit, far above normal engine operating temperatures. A super strength nickel-plated neodymium rare earth magnet is installed in the top of the element for magnetic pre-filtering of the oil. The sophisticated bypass is engineered for proper differential pressures and consistent operation, delivering a greater percentage of filtered oil while being very easy to clean. The twist lock design assures positive filter element placement and allows for easy disassembly, inspection, and cleaning. The quad-ring gasket doubles the seal between the filter and the engine. Finally, the filter housing is carved out of solid 6061T6 billet aluminum, which not only looks trick but aids in dissipating heat.

K&P Engineering manufactures stainless steel filters for a vast array of engines around the world. Staying at the forefront of design and testing allows this company to offer a top-tier product for your European vehicle.

Features:

• Consistent filtering across entire filter surface
• Superior ASTMF316 filtration performance
• 7 times the flow of comparable paper oil filters
• Magnetic Prefiltering
• Progressive rate bypass combined with high flow characteristics of the filter media avoids unfiltered oil bypassing the filter during cold startup and high rpm
• No more cutting apart messy paper filters for trapped debris inspection
• Proven in Motorsports, Military and Aerospace applications for years. Technology is FAA approved for use in aircraft. 

At regular oil changes, clean to K&P's specifications for continued used - a true lifetime filter.

This product fits the following BMWs:
1995 - 1999 E36 M3
2001 - 2006 E46 M3
1998 - 2002 E36/8 Z3 M Coupe
1998 - 2002 E36/7 Z3 M Roadster
2006 - 2008 E86 Z4 M Coupe
2006 - 2008 E85 Z4 M Roadster