Change Oil Pan Baffle - Good Idea or Not?

[husker boxster]

So I run across a fancy oil baffle that's supposed to be an improvement on the X51 design. I'm in the process of installing it and I see the factory baffle. Not sure I like the new one better than the original. The original kind of looks like a cofferdam. Thought the new one would be a good idea since I use my CSS for DEs. Am I overthinking this? Should I install the new one?

1st pic is original, 2nd is new one.

[thstone]

Good idea. Very good idea.

The new one looks like the EBS oil baffle. I use one of these in my Spec Boxster for racing.

Here is a link to a few pic's from the install (scroll down the page a bit):
http://986forum.com/forums/boxster-racing-forum/30625-oil-starvation-2.html

[jsceash]

+1 very good idea I use to see pressure drops and now it on 70 - 80 PSI all the time unless RPMs are down

[husker boxster]

thstone, thx for the link. Great info. I'll move forward this morning.

I'll look closer but on initial inspection it appeared the lower rubber edge on the wings causes the baffle to be too high for the mounting plates (gap between). Do I just tighten the bolts down or trim the rubber for a perfect fit?

How long should the gasket cure before putting in oil and running? Didn't see this on the tiny instructions on the gasket tube.

[ekam]

Get the deep sump with extended baffles... there are at least one company makes these.

Plastic baffles are pretty crappy IMO, designed by bean counters trying to save a few dollar per engine!!

[thstone]

Originally Posted by husker boxster

How long should the gasket cure before putting in oil and running? Didn't see this on the tiny instructions on the gasket tube.

The Loctite 5900 technical data sheet says to cure for 7 days (click on link and scroll to right hand column on second page). But that seems like a LONG time so I waited 24 hrs before filling with oil. Your choice on how long to wait.

http://krayden.com/tds/henk_loctite_5900_tds.pdf

[steved0x]

I have got that exact same baffle, the EBS one, I was able to use the pictures from thstone's thread to help me install it. One thing I would do differently if I ever take that sump pan cover off again, and that is to use the Dreibond. It comes in a tube with a little handle that you turn to force the sealant out. Getting that Loctite 5900 out of the tube and onto the baffle was easily the hardest part of the job for me.

Pelican parts sells it, but oddly I couldn't find it even though I just spent 10 minutes searching their site for it. I bought a tube of it when I thought I was going to have to go back into that area but ended up not needing to.

One big thing that helped me is I took one of the sump cover bolts to lowe's and bought three long bolts with the same thread pattern, and then had then cut the heads off using the chain link cutter, and used them as guides when putting the cover back on.

Good luck!

Steve

[thstone]

Originally Posted by steved0x

Pelican parts sells it, but oddly I couldn't find it even though I just spent 10 minutes searching their site for it.

Found here on Pelican Parts: 1988 Porsche 944 Turbo Coupe - Engine Miscellaneous - Page 2

This page also lists Dreibond.

I can't explain why the Loctite 5900 it not on the 986 Boxster pages!

[husker boxster]

The practice fitment was a bit scary - had to favor the driver's side to get it to slip in. It then slid back into alignment w/ the bolt holes. Had an 3/16" gap between the pan cover and block but it seemed to snug down when I tightened the bolts. This was a practice run w/ no loctite. I didn't go full tight w/ the bolts.

Hope it's not bending the pan cover or jamming something at the top of the baffle. Think I'm going to stop for lunch before I complete the job.

[jsceash]

I used the LN deep sump kit with mine but I also had to trim a small amount at the top edge around the one return defoamer

As far as the 5900 I've already put oil pan on and filled it in less than an hour with no leakage.

[steved0x]

Originally Posted by husker boxster

The practice fitment was a bit scary - had to favor the driver's side to get it to slip in. It then slid back into alignment w/ the bolt holes. Had an 3/16" gap between the pan cover and block but it seemed to snug down when I tightened the bolts. This was a practice run w/ no loctite. I didn't go full tight w/ the bolts.

Hope it's not bending the pan cover or jamming something at the top of the baffle. Think I'm going to stop for lunch before I complete the job.

I had to favor one side at first, I seem to recall it was the passenger side but being upside down and under the car I can't remember. Once I got it started, then it leveled out. Then like you, there was a tiny gap that firmed right up once I tightened up the bolts. I think I let mine cure overnight but I'm not 100% sure, it may have been longer.

[husker boxster]

I took the baffle off the pan cover and slid it up in the block to see what was the issue. Several places need some modifying. Taking my time grinding but feel it will fit properly after I'm done.

When I'm done I'll take some pics of the offending areas.

[seningen]

Originally Posted by husker boxster

I took the baffle off the pan cover and slid it up in the block to see what was the issue. Several places need some modifying. Taking my time grinding but feel it will fit properly after I'm done.

When I'm done I'll take some pics of the offending areas.

I went with the EBS baffle kit and the BK extension kit both sourced through EBS

Came with loctite 5900.

First thing I did when I picked up my S to be a track based car.

Less than 2 hours taking my time
No issues what so ever.

Mike

[husker boxster]

Got the fitment where I like it now. Pics below. The tiny red circles show where I've done my "adjusting".

The new baffle basically seals up the sides to prevent oil from excaping the central area where the orig had some openings in the back and didn't go all the way to the back of the engine. This would be where the slopping would occur - out the front and back openings.

So this will solve the sloshing issue, BUT there aren't many openings to the two side areas. It doesn't appear to this virgin engine builder that much oil would get into those area. It looks like the return oil is dumped into the center section. If it fills up faster than it can seep into the outsides, what happens? Or if the seal is so good, can you run out of oil in the center section if you're driving in a straigtht line (so the side flaps don't open)? Sorry for being so anal, but this is a big deal with major ramifications, not some air filter swap. Obviously must work because we have live testimonials, just wondering how it works.

This pic shows the passenger side clearance issue that had to be corrected.


Here is the driver's side. Originally the baffle was stopped by the bolt head.


This pic shows the baffle level with the engine block.


This pic shows the baffle and all the areas I adjusted. I did it in 3 different steps but I probably ended up taking off the 3/16 that was stopping me before. I didn't do any grinding on the top of the wings, just removed the rubber seal. I may take the bottom rubbers off the wings before I do my final assembly.

[maytag]

Folks, I installed the EBS baffle this evening, and I'm a little uneasy about the way it fit.... so I did a search and found this thread.
When I put it up in, it fit nearly tight on the rear, but had a 3/8" gap on the front. I pressed (hard) and it moved up in, but sprung back. So I put the bolts in and pulled it up evenly with them.

Now I see this thread.

Should i drop it and trim it? What could i have bent? Or is this correct? Should i leave it be?

Thanks in advance.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

[Geof3]

No, it supposed to be a tight fit. The point of the rubber seals is to do just that, seal. It takes some wiggling but fits just fine. This is a pretty old thread EBS may have modified the design a bit. I installed mine about 9 months ago.

[jsceash]

I had to trim one corner in mine I think it was near a bolt on the one defoamer.

[husker boxster]

Geof3 is probably correct in suggesting there have been design changes in the last 4 yrs. I just did not feel comfortable with forcing the sump cover on with that much deformation.

I have not had any issues with the sump cover leaking in the 4 yrs since putting the EBS baffle in. Since I can't remember what I had for lunch yesterday, there's no way of knowing how long I waited to refill with oil, but chances are it was 1 day not 7.

I was prepping for a 2 day DE at Kansas Speedway later that month. Ended up going there the next yr too. No issues with oil starvation.

Thanks to all the forum members who talked me off the ledge. Great bunch of guys.

[Geof3]

Originally Posted by husker boxster

Geof3 is probably correct in suggesting there have been design changes in the last 4 yrs. I just did not feel comfortable with forcing the sump cover on with that much deformation.

Mine didn’t require any deformation to fit. But, it definitely required being installed straight up, right on the money. Off even a little stopped it completely. Then compressing the rubber seals was all it needed, and that wasn’t much.

[P_Carfahrer]

I received my LN/BRS sump a couple of days ago and when dry fitting the baffle to the windage tray I found the holes are half a hole off and to get them lined up I will really have to force the baffle in place. The issue stems from the fact the sealing edge with the radius does not have the same radius as the windage tray.

I’m not really happy with the fitment and LN says I am good to go and just force it to line up. Hopefully I don’t have clearance issues at other places after doing so.

Pic of the baffle/windage hole misalignment.