Oil in intake - quite a lot M60B40

I'll let the picture do the justice. I ripped off my intake a couple days ago to get replace the intake gaskets and get the coveted M60B40 intake with velocity stacks, I checked out my current intake and it's coated with oil and even has a small pool of it. Why did this happen, and what can I do.

have you checked the PCV system?

I'm not sure how to test it. My intake ports had oil caked in them, along with my valves. I'm sorta worried.

This is only a wild thought, but is it possible that you have the Nikasil block, the rings are not sealing well in the cylinders, there is a lot blow-by getting past the rings thus increasing positive pressure in the crankcase which is being ventilated out in the PCV system and carrying oil vapors with it ?????

Again, I'm not suggesting that this is what is happening but offering it as a theory.

Have you confirmed that you have the Alusil block? If you have the Nikasil block, you may want to perform a compression test. If your numbers are low, it is possible that my theory may be what's going on.

I haven't confirmed its the alusil. My thought was that since it was running after 267k km it shouldn't really matter. How can I check for alusil though? Is there a part stamp on the block or something?

On the M60 block, the casting number is stamped on the engine, on the right side of the car directly alongside the 3rd cylinder, and slightly above the coolant drain bolt.

Engine Casting Number
M60B30
1 725 970 or 1 741 212

M60B40
1 725 963 or 1 742 998

Those are the Nikasil block engine numbers.

Here's the link that the info came from:

http://www.usautoparts.net/bmw/engines/nikasil.htm

Hope this helps and I hope that this is not your problem. If it happens to be, then I would drive it until it quit.

Really doesn't look bad to me at that milage. It is from the pcv system that takes crankcase vapors through the intake and burns them instead of direct venting to the atmoshpere. What you see is the result of that system working.

Just clean it up as best you can. If it was all metal I would soak it in solvent, not sure that is a good idea with a composite manifold.