# Bmw Engine Tilt?



## AW328i (Aug 14, 2006)

I did a search but didn't find anything that explains why our inline engines tilt to the passenger side. Anyone know why?? I'm sure it has something to do with oiling but I've always been curious. :dunno:


----------



## Tangent (Jan 18, 2004)

Because if they weren't tilted they'de be sticking up out of the hood by a good 6-7 inches... They're pretty tall engines. Tilting them is actually bad for oiling. In hard left turns the oil can easily slosh way up the slope on the passenger side of the oil pan if you don't have baffles installed.


----------



## AW328i (Aug 14, 2006)

Ah ha!


----------



## Vikram (Aug 15, 2006)

Tangent said:


> Because if they weren't tilted they'de be sticking up out of the hood by a good 6-7 inches... They're pretty tall engines. Tilting them is actually bad for oiling. In hard left turns the oil can easily slosh way up the slope on the passenger side of the oil pan if you don't have baffles installed.


I think BMW engineers know what they are doing.


----------



## gbelton (Aug 3, 2003)

*They R Tilted...*

Also known as a engine set at a 90 degree angle.:rofl:


----------



## AW328i (Aug 14, 2006)

90 degree angle would have no tilt.


----------



## msbrown (Nov 16, 2004)

Tangent said:


> Because if they weren't tilted they'de be sticking up out of the hood by a good 6-7 inches... They're pretty tall engines. Tilting them is actually bad for oiling. In hard left turns the oil can easily slosh way up the slope on the passenger side of the oil pan if you don't have baffles installed.


Yup. In the States, Dodge called this the "Slant Six" when they did it some 40 years ago...


----------



## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

AW328i said:


> 90 degree angle would have no tilt.


Actually it has 0 degree tilt.


----------



## philippek (Jul 31, 2003)

It also lowers the center of gravity.


----------



## lex89 (Oct 27, 2005)

Pinecone said:


> Actually it has 0 degree tilt.


Or 180 degree tilt


----------



## AW328i (Aug 14, 2006)

180 + 90- 60 carry the two, subtract the balance;I'm very confused now! :dunno: :thumbdwn:


----------



## Tangent (Jan 18, 2004)

I have no idea what the guys saying 0, 90, or 180 degrees are talking about... :dunno: Maybe they're confusing tilt with the degrees between banks of cylinders in V# engines or something... In any case, the engine has probably close to a 30 degree tilt to the right.


----------



## kevinp (Oct 9, 2006)

The following link indiates that the engines tilt 30 degrees to the right.

Tangent, you are correct!!

http://www.bmwworld.com/engines/m52.htm

Enjoy!:thumbup:


----------



## Tangent (Jan 18, 2004)

Wow, pretty good for a guess! :bigpimp:


----------



## 67bmer (Jul 12, 2006)

BMW started tilting the inline engines 30 degrees with the new class 1500, 1600, 1800 to get the hoodline lower. They were still pretty tall cars compared to todays. That is the reason most cars have gone to V engines, to get the hoodline lower. The Japanese also tilt some of their transverse front wheel drive engines for the same reason.

The tilt is measured from viertical. 90 degres would be horizontal. That would be pointless for a straigt engine, although BMW did do that in their motorcycles. Typically, a V engine with a 180 degree V is referred to as a horizontally oposed engine or a flat engine. Flat engines do not lower the CG as much as one might expect since the oil reservoir must be completely below so that the pistons are not sloshing back and forth in it. Since the vast majority of the mass is then on the centerline of the crank the CG ends up being fairly high.

BMW may have used this concept before the new class, but I am not familiar with them. I thought most of them were V engines or virtically mounted.


----------



## AW328i (Aug 14, 2006)

67bmer said:


> BMW started tilting the inline engines 30 degrees with the new class 1500, 1600, 1800 to get the hoodline lower. They were still pretty tall cars compared to todays. That is the reason most cars have gone to V engines, to get the hoodline lower. The Japanese also tilt some of their transverse front wheel drive engines for the same reason.
> 
> The tilt is measured from viertical. 90 degres would be horizontal. That would be pointless for a straigt engine, although BMW did do that in their motorcycles. Typically, a V engine with a 180 degree V is referred to as a horizontally oposed engine or a flat engine. Flat engines do not lower the CG as much as one might expect since the oil reservoir must be completely below so that the pistons are not sloshing back and forth in it. Since the vast majority of the mass is then on the centerline of the crank the CG ends up being fairly high.
> 
> BMW may have used this concept before the new class, but I am not familiar with them. I thought most of them were V engines or virtically mounted.


Good info! I'm guessing lower hoodline means less drag right?


----------



## SWISS (Apr 3, 2005)

^^^Is that a P-Chop in your avy? That's hot.:thumbup:


----------



## Tangent (Jan 18, 2004)

SWISS said:


> ^^^Is that a P-Chop in your avy? That's hot.:thumbup:


That's a Nazca C2, an absolute beauty. http://images.google.com/images?svn...n&client=opera&rls=en&q=nazca+bmw&btnG=Search



AW328i said:


> Good info! I'm guessing lower hoodline means less drag right?


Yes, but mostly it makes the people in charge of styling the car happy. Too high of a hood looks too truck-like.


----------



## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

67bmer said:


> Flat engines do not lower the CG as much as one might expect since the oil reservoir must be completely below so that the pistons are not sloshing back and forth in it. Since the vast majority of the mass is then on the centerline of the crank the CG ends up being fairly high.


Unless the engine is dry sump lubricated.


----------



## GruppoHainz (Apr 2, 2020)

I'm preparing my thesis in mechanincal engineeer and I would like to speak also about Bmw engine's tilinting position. Do you have any Paper about it? I dind't find any comment about the 30° degree positioning in many Bmw Press release.


----------

