Check your OIL PUMP NUT!

[slcook54]

Note: I already posted this in the stickied thread at the top of this forum, but I thought I would share my experience for those who haven't encountered this problem. For more information, check the thread stickied at the top of the forum including full DIY write-up.

WTF!? Okay guys, get this. My buddy and I have been planning to do the oil pump nut for 2 months now, and we finally got around to it yesterday. We decided to sacrifice my car as the guinea pig since he is still having a full cage built. Anyways, his cage builder offered us accessibility to his lift, which we were very thankful for.

For some reason we both forgot about the engine hoist, so Alex's (aweather)'s cage builder fabricated an engine hoist for us in about an hour. It was amazing, it followed the same design as all the other ones we have seen, so we deemed it to be structurally sound. Well, after lunch we start on the oil pump nut, we wanted to print the directions provided by Chad, but Alex's printer wasn't working so we summarized the steps and wrote them down. We figured that and the Bentley would suffice.

Everything was very simple, removing underpanel, swaybar, x-brace, dipstick, power steering, etc. Then we got to the oil pan and for some reason didn't unscrew the control arms from the body which you should DEFINITELY do to save time, we were able to squeeze the oil pan out nonetheless, but on the re-installation we took them off which made life much easier.

So the moment we were all waiting for, we pull off the oil pan and THE NUT WASN'T EVEN ON! We searched the entire oil pan and it wasn't to be found, but we did find one of the four screws used to hold the sproket in place. The arrow is pointing to the screw that had backed itself off, not including the oil pump nut. (This is not my OIL pump, just a picture from another thread)

Steve, Alex's fabricator suggested the oil pick up might have sucked it up, sure enough there was the nut, in the oil pickup. Another trip and I could have lost my engine, what a relief. We tack welded the nut in two spots, changed the motor mounts, refilled the oil and power steering fluid and called it a day.

What a relief. CHECK YOUR NUT!!!!
PS. My car is a 95 M3 with 74000 miles and URI crank pulley, to date, I have spun out twice, only once did I not get he clutch in.

[Chongus]

You are making me paranoid. I have neither the resources nor time to do this.

[slcook54]

The lift really did make life easy, but without one, you could easily do it in 6-8 hours.

[JClark]

Holy crap. I bet you had a little freak out eh? Makes me wonder how mine is doing in there. I dont have the access to a lift until the spring so I'm trying to wait.

[slcook54]

Yeah, I was freaked, but more relieved, one more week and I would have been toast. Funny thing was I was contemplating doing the auto-x or the oil pump nut, looks like I made the right decision.

[Speedlimits?]

does this affect all years all engines?

[DocWyte]

Hmmm. I have 108k miles on the motor already. Figure I'll just wait for it to cook itself. If the nut was off, the motor would've lunched itself long ago.

How many miles are on your car?

[EThirD]

Does the oil pump issue also affect the M50B25? Just curious, nice to have my little tank of an M20

[slcook54]

does this affect all years all engines?

Yes.

Hmmm. I have 108k miles on the motor already. Figure I'll just wait for it to cook itself. If the nut was off, the motor would've lunched itself long ago.

How many miles are on your car?

74K miles and change. There is no guarantee you will avoid damage when it does pop off, even if you turn the car off immediately.

Does the oil pump issue also affect the M50B25? Just curious, nice to have my little tank of an M20

Not sure about M20 motors.

[BSH]

does this affect all years all engines?

Yes. Even the euro motors. They all have a similar oil pump setup. Check yours now!!

[jonnyg]

You are making me paranoid. I have neither the resources nor time to do this.

Seriously, me too.

[Ali]

hmm, i wonder if the crank pulley has anything to do with this...

[M3corey]

doubt it

[slcook54]

Some said it does, no direct evidence, but just thought I would list that anyways.

[Balthazarr]

Hard for me to fathom how a left handed threaded nut can back off with a clockwise rotation.
So when spinning the car, there is a counter torque when the engine shuts down?

[AntiHero]

I hate reading these threads . I dont have a hoist and im really lazy. Well I guess when I have the broken car i'll wish i did it

[JClark]

Anti-hero: we need to organize a northeast oil pump nut day. Thats the only thing that will get me to do it.

[Estoril4dr]

This happened to my friends car this month with a 97 m3. He was driving on the freeway when his oil light came on. Within 10 seconds, his engine shut down and would not start. He is now without a car.

[slcook54]

Anti-hero: we need to organize a northeast oil pump nut day. Thats the only thing that will get me to do it.

Jesse, on the first time, without a lift, you'll probably need a full day for one car, about 8 hours give or take on your work methods. Second time around though, everything will go much faster, I'm sure.

[Hammdy]

When you welded the nut on did you clean off the oil first? Once when I did it I cleaned it up nicely (with brake/parts cleaner) to prepare for the weld then welded it and there was a nice flash fire. I've been thinking what else could be done besides cleaning off the oil with flammable fluids.

[///AlpinePower]

Hard for me to fathom how a left handed threaded nut can back off with a clockwise rotation.
So when spinning the car, there is a counter torque when the engine shuts down?

yeah, the road

[Gene V]

Mine is locktited and the threads centerpunched...knowing that it's secure is a great relief...

[slcook54]

When you welded the nut on did you clean off the oil first? Once when I did it I cleaned it up nicely (with brake/parts cleaner) to prepare for the weld then welded it and there was a nice flash fire. I've been thinking what else could be done besides cleaning off the oil with flammable fluids.

Yeah, we cleaned it up nice however the whatever it is coated with, zinc, I'm assuming didn't make for the cleanest welds, however, still much cleaner than the picture above.

[POPS M3]

I know what the next project for my car is.

Thanks for the post

Ken

[Luftwaffe1O1]

i cant beleive this was never recalled