Installing the I-J Crankscraper

#1

The I-J scraper requires some material be removed to get it to fit. Put in 6-8 bolts to locate it. Then test fit the oil pump and turn the crank around a bit. After an afternoon spent repeatedly removing material and fitting again, the oil pump will finally be able to go on correctly, and the crank lobes won’t hit the scraper anymore. But make sure you use enough bolts to locate it precisely each time. The bolt holes are large enough that a couple bolts won’t do it.

I-J sells a teflon scraper that can be installed without clearancing material away from the crank lobes. That will make the install go faster but it costs twice as much. The pump hole will still need work tho.

A scraper is a lot easier to install if you do it with the motor out. If the motor is in the car then you have to do everything upside down and the scraper isn’t going to stay in place. The way to do it is to put some high tack sealant goobage on the bottom of the block and then use some of the bolts to fasten the scraper into place. Let it dry over-night. Then come back the next morning, remove the bolts, put the gasket on your oil pan, and fasten the oil pan on.

If the scraper moves during he above install then you need to turn the crank and confirm that the lobes clear.

Below is a thread that shows someone replacing some or all of the oil pan bolts with studs. This is pretty clever because if you were installing the scraper with the engine in the car, the studs would hold the scraper on while you jockey the oil pan in place.

http://www.e30tech.com/forum/showthread.php?t=79917

#2

When fitting a crank scraper, as a last test use all of the pan bolts. If the fitting is done with only 6-8 bolts you may find that it needs more clearance when all the bolts are used.

#3

I don’t remember having to modify the steel scraper at all.

#4

turbo329is wrote:

that’s unusual.

#5

TC Motorsports has a good deal on the I-J scraper. http://www.tcmotorsports-store.net/m20oilpanwit.html

Later edit. This isn’t the I-J scraper, I’d get the real deal, although it’s more pricey.

#6

I installed the TC Scraper last weekend. Fit fine, no clearance issues with the pump or the crank lobes. Easy peasy. Did have an issue with the baffle though…for the life of me I could not get the pan to line up with the baffle installed. Just wouldn’t center with the oil pump in place. I ground out a bunch of material on the baffle but still no go. Since the engine is in the car I could never really tell where the oil pump was contacting the baffle since I couldn’t see into the pan from below. I finally gave up on the baffle.

#7

See my post at the bottom of the page.

http://spece30.com/component/option,com_kunena/Itemid,94/func,view/id,37679/catid,16/

I failed to mention in the write up that I also had problems with the oil pump fitting back to the block properly. The inside edge of the pump was resting on top of the scraper providing for a cocked and unsealed fit to the block. It was difficult to see because it was under the diagonal arm of the pump. I think I found it on the third look-over. If I hadn’t found it I would have probably never generated much oil pressure and likely burned up a set of new crank bearings.

I tried modifying the window for the pump foot in the scraper, but there was a lot of over lap. In the end I removed material from the pump to get the clearance. It was easier to take the aluminum down in size and there was no less material from the edge of the oil flow port to the modified edge than any other direction on the foot print. I have had no oil pressure issues and the motor runs fine.

#8

Hi Everyone- thanks for the feedback on our oil pan baffle. Oil pan baffle link We did hear that a few users experienced fitment problems that we did not experience during our design and testing. The issue seemed to be a certain combination of parts, combined with how it was installed (if you installed it shifted all the way a certain direction) some people found clearance issues. We have since resolved all of the clearance issues and are confident that all new parts we are shipping world wide will go together smoothly.

Thanks again for your business and support and we look forward to working with you again soon.

#9

I am not certain what brand scraper I have - but I had to remove the oil pan to helicoil the drain plug.

So I have 2 questions on re-install.

-Do I use 2 gaskets - one on either side of the scraper?

-I would assume I need to re-fit the scraper making sure it does not hit. Doing that w/ motor in looks to be a chore. Any suggestions?

PS

The scraper has “2.5” cut into it. Does that help ID the brand scraper?

#10

The i-j scraper has 2.5 on it so that’s probably what it is.

Once the scraper has been installed, you should be able to reinstall it w/o removing material. There’s enough screw holes in it that it gets located pretty precisely. Trust, but verify tho.

There’s 2 kind of gaskets, paper which is thick, and cork which is thin. What you want to avoid is creating too much thickness because that drops the oil pan lower and therefore the pump pickup ends up “higher” relative to the bottom of the pan. You want the pump as low as possible.

I would not use a paper gasket with an i-j scraper, even tho paper gaskets are superior. Too much added thickness. A couple cork gaskets would be fine, or a couple layers of goobage, or one of each.

#11

Thanks Ranger!

Got scraper in w/ no issue.

Used black goop only - no gasket. So far no leak.

That’s quite a bit of work for a dang stripped oil pan plug… (eyeballs seller w/ some disdain… :slight_smile:

If we can survive w/ no leaks that will be great - a clean car is a happy car.

First HPDE will tell a lot - 5/2 w/ TrackDaze and VIR.