For those (sumps) about to rot....

Roberltd2

Roberltd2

Active member
 Village of The Dam
I bought my 2.5si (2007 facelift) four and a half years ago and have thoroughly enjoyed it each and every day.
However, apart from the usual consumables I would expect to replace during this time, my only thumbs down about this car has been an increasing loss of oil due to a corroding sump made out of pressed steel. Almost impossible to source on any auction site as, understandably most breakers want to sell the engine as a complete unit.
Web searches will show some very nice looking aluminium replacement items for a couple of hundred quid. But, BEWARE. What they don't tell you is that these will only fit the models with automatic gearboxes. My trusted mechanic (and autodoc.co.uk) notified me of this and that my only option is to buy the original steel pressed item.
There do not appear to be any pattern part manufacturers making these items at this time, so the only option seems to be paying BMW agents £500 for a piece of pressed steel which uses the same tech (but a bit more material) as the tins of canned fish which I now buy to make my sandwiches for work.
I hope to have more info soon.
 
I had the same issue with my 3.0si. Sump was corroded and pissing out oil at an alarming rate. I bought an aluminium replacement and it fits just fine.
 
I sympathise with you but......there's a whole lot of work/money that goes into making the dies for the presses that take less than a couple of seconds to actually make the part. The cost of the die steel alone would make you weep, so that just about rules out anyone else picking up making pattern parts. While BMW has the only outlet, for these low demand parts, they will continue to price them accordingly. BMW aren't about to tie up production of high demand parts to run a few spares either (even if the dies still exist) so what is in the supply system is likely to be all that is around. Buying a second hand engine might just be the most cost effective method....and you will have spares for your car as well.
 
Thanks for all your replies. I feel all the better for reading them. I finally took the plunge and bought a brand new sump from Rybrook BMW in Shrewsbury. I found them to be very helpful and they even gave a 10 percent discount which I did not expect. The sump came to £382.50, the screw set £28.67 and the profile gasket £30.50 (before VAT). I'm just glad to put a stop to the endless searches, raised and dashed hopes on the ebay circuit. The sump is much bigger than I expected as well so that makes it feel more value for money.
By the way, for those who find themselves in a similar predicament, the relevant BMW part numbers are as follows:
11.13.7.553.164 Oil Pan
11.13.0.396.797 Screw Set
11.13.7.548.031 Gasket
These being for a 2007 facelift 2.5si
The next hurdle to cross is to get these items fitted. Under normal circumstances this wouldn't be a problem but at the moment my mechanic is struggling to deal with the backlog of MoTs. Not that it matters much at the moment as we're all in full lockdown mode again till 7th November anyway.
DSCF1703.JPGDSCF1713.JPG
 
This issue used to affect the suprex engines fitted to early smart cars, we used to apply a coat of hammerite for added corrosion protection :thumbsup:
Rob
 
I've been thinking along the same lines esp. if the spanner man won't be able to fit it for a while. And I've got the time to do it as well.
Bearing in mind rdgreen's comments as well, I'm going to make sure I keep the old sump and hopefully have it repaired at some point. Another thirteen years and this one I've just bought might be in the same state, although obviously I hope not.
 
Looks like it's going to be next week till I can get the car in to fit the sump. In the meantime, I found a half used tin of Hermetite Bike Pot Black (a nod to 1970's telly there) which I'd used on the Triumph and which has stuck quite well in my case despite some poor reviews on the net.
Anyway, I've given the sump a coat of that - one coat , no primer as per instructions - so with a bit of luck that will help it last a little bit longer.
 
Any chance of a photograph of the inside of the sump? Particularly the oil level sender studs.

Have you also considered having a universal dipstick tube welded on???
 
Hi Liam,
Here you go. Not brilliant images as it's a black item but hope they help.IMG_20201030_194247.jpgIMG_20201030_194412.jpg
Here is a photo of the oil sensor studs inside the tank (not sure if that's what you were after)...IMG_20201030_195846.jpg
And one of the outside....IMG_20201030_195910.jpg
The universal dipstick tube is an attractive idea. Have you done this yourself or would you know which one to look for?
Cheers,
Robert.
 
Thanks for the photos :thumbsup:

There are plenty of universal dipsticks to choose from but I've not done this myself. Two of my oil sender studs have sheared off so trying to figure out if I should attempt repair or buy a new one.
 
Can I just ask - do those that have suffered corroded sumps still have the undertray in place?
 
In my case, the undertray has been in place throughout and is in good condition, thanks in no small part to all the oil dripping on to it I would think.
 
Liam22 said:
Thanks for the photos :thumbsup:

There are plenty of universal dipsticks to choose from but I've not done this myself. Two of my oil sender studs have sheared off so trying to figure out if I should attempt repair or buy a new one.
Click to expand...
I,ve left the sump with my mechanic now but they looked like sections of standard metric threaded rod (M8 possibly?) to me.
 
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