BMW 330i 325i E46 Oil Pan Gasket Addendum DIY
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- Опубліковано 30 січ 2016
- I recently sprang a pretty massive oil leak. Had to tow my car back home. I figured I'd better be thorough and check my work and make sure I didn't do the oil pan gasket incorrectly. While I was doing that, I realized I could make some improvements to my oil pan gasket video. So here are some tips to go along with that job.
This video is for entertainment purposes only. 50sKid assumes no liability for any repairs or modifications performed by the viewer as a result of the information contained in this video. - Авто та транспорт
Very late to this, but I figure it's worth sharing. Recently did my oil pan on my E46. I'm fortunate enough to work as a BMW technician at a dealer. So I had access to my lift and special tools. Anyway, a tip I learned to help keep the gasket in place during reassembly is zipties!! Throw two on the bottom right corners of the pan (if you're looking toward the front of the car) make them tight. They will hold the gasket in place until you get four bolts in on each of the corners. Then carefully cut the ziptie and pull it away, making sure all of it comes out. BOOM, gasket perfectly seated. Made installation a breeze. Hope this helps.
Great tip!
50'sKid, I appreciate you humbleness, and straightforward thinking! Thanks for the all you get to do and share with the community! You are a true Champion!
RC
Jason, I sold my e46, my e60, and the e60 M5. I still appreciate Your videos a lot.
You've always been a good teacher 50's kid. Thanks for your education
50'sKid, thanks for being so considerate, yeah, how to know whether it is the seal leaking or the gasket? I had the same dilemma, both jobs are very hard to do, well, here is a possible tip that worked for me:
Take some of the oil pan bolts out, especially longest lower one in the back and examine for oil build up, if you see plenty of oil on it, it is probably the gasket, the way the oil pan gasket is made is that it has a rubber band that is supposed to seal at the very inner edge and prevent the oil from getting into the oil pan bolt holes. When I took the bolt out of mine it was so oily I got a couple of drops of oil, clear indication of hardened and cracked rubber band, if gasket is good and it is the crankshaft seal is leaking you would not have that much oil inside the bolt holes and on the bolt itself, it will only be oil on the head of the bolt, I think. I replaced the gasket first based on that observation and so far no leaks, wolaaa! When I dropped my old oil pan gasket on the floor the rubber band shattered like glass all over the place, it was all cracked and hard like a rock.
Great tips. Thanks. I hope the rest of the work goes smoothly.
I’m so happy this guy is on youtube!! Been a huge help for my e46 💯
Right on Bentley! Nothing like a transmission fluid hair doo, I've had one in my life!
Superb video man, respect.
Sorry for your troubles but good to know the initial repair was not at fault. As always excellent information and very helpful.
+Robert Laugherty Thanks!
Yeah, these cars need the oil pan gasket replaced at this point, regardless if it's leaking or not, because it's going to.
50skid, you tha man!
and me once again...
Thx for the addendum! Really helpful!
We got a common saying here in Germany: when your stuck in shit up to the collar, don‘t hang your head!
So: just always keep on going, man!
Honestly: who wants to own an F30? :-)
You are such a mellow fellow. If it were me I would have cursed a few times. As always thank you for the video.
50s, your videos are great. The joke is that when you fix bmw oil leak it just starts coming out somewhere else... but now I realize that's not a joke. I fixed oil filter housing gasket and now I am seeing oil pan gasket needs fix. My main concern is that if I fix the oil pan gasket it will put the pressure on the next weakest seal, and then then I am going to be dealing with a rear main seal gusher like yours here. Then I am doing clutch and everything. '05 ZHP MT 220K miles.
Nah, if it leaks from somewhere else it was already leaking from there and you just didn’t notice because you were focused on the bigger leak. The gaskets are bad at this point and they’re gonna drop one by one. That’s why you gotta do them all
I wonder if you had issues with the CCV system that were causing excessive crankcase pressure to build up from blow by gases. These gases had an outlet when the oil filter housing gasket and oil pan gasket were compromised, but when you resealed the bottom end all nice and tight, suddenly pressure rose until the next weakest part blew out -- your old rear main.
It's kind of a harebrained theory but I wonder if you think there's any validity to it.
Looking forward to the next video... bummer on the RMS.
+Tj Willy Thanks for watching!
+50skid- great video. I gave to say I admire your honesty. Others would have just keep quiet until they found the issue.
Do you know of a way to check these seals before going ahead and replacing them?
Many thanks man
Unfortunately, no way to check them without removing the trans.
+50sKid thanks mate. Excellent vids btw, really helped me get to grips with my 325ti 👏🏻
great job thnx very much broo
I look under my e46 because it leaks all my oil when it’s parked then I look at the oil pan and it looks like it’s been sealed with something other than the gasket like some grey sealant looking thing not sure if that’s why it’s leaking because there is no gasket or if it’s the oil housing filter gasket ...?
Thats a bummer. Maybe a coincidence but I've also heard of this happening, where a gasket leak was relieving pressure and fixing it caused the next weakest seal/gasket to go out as well. I do believe the bottom end is kept under some kind of positive/negative pressure relative to atmosphere because my LTFT issues were related to a vaccuum leak at the dipstick o-ring.
the crankcase can build up pressure due to blow-by gasses but the ccv system lets the gasses escape out the valve cover, thus there is no pressure. your vacuum leak at the dipstick tube was because the ccv is connected to the intake manifold, which is a source of vacuum.
Stay safe,use tires etc to back up Jack stands
oh man... hope you found the solution to this...
why do you have to support the motor did u remove the motor mounts i think i have to get a new gasket for my 98 318i its leaking everywhere around the pan has about 100k on it im trying to avoid buying a motor support
Don't push the power steering pump away, remove it! then replace all the power steering lines. They are not expensive and they are real easy to get to. If you need to replace the oil pan gasket, you probably have wet, weepy power steering lines. Ensure the replacement lines come with crush washers. Also, check that the self-leveling arms are in place when you install the sub-frame; I find that mine had become disconnected. Finally, red RTV is not the proper sealant for this application. You should use Permatix Ultra or another non-hardening sealant like BMW recommends.
+Lars Staack Permatex It's my understanding that red RTV is basically the same stuff as ultra (what color are you referring to when you say ultra?). RTV doesn't "harden". I've never known it to become hard after it cures. It's Room Temperature Vulcanization compound that turns into rubber. The big difference between the colors is the max temperature, with red being able to withstand the hottest. Plus the red sets in 15 mins, whereas the grey takes 1 hour. But if you read the back the applications are almost identical. Anyway, never had an issue with using any RTV before. I had thought that I had smeared it. My power steering lines aren't wet so I'll probably wait a little longer to replace them, but you're right, they're pretty easy to get to when doing this job.
+50sKid
I'm talking about Permatex 85409 Sealant & Dressing. Unlike Permatex Red, it remains soft and non-hardening (it doesn't set). It is similar to Drei Bond 1209, Hylomar, Reinzosyl, etc. It is good for sealing microscopic irregularities when metal is joined together and as a gasket dressing. The Red hardens, though it is soft like silicone. I am no expert on sealants, I just know what I have read.
I appreciate these videos so much.
Is it just a coincidence that it started leaking after you changed the gasket or is there a relation to it?
I have a question for you. Are the e46 subframe (or axle support/ cross members) the same? I'm looking to replace mine. I have a 325i. I'm looking on eBay and most they are compatible but I'm not 100% convinced? Can you shed some light on my problem?
Thank you. By the way another great vid!
why would you need to replace the subframe?
+50sKid I hydroplaned and hit a curb. Subframe was bent from the control arm breaking off and needs to be replaced before I can get the new control arm on.
+carlos mejia Aha. Well there seem to be two different subframes for RWD cars. A 98-00 and 01-06. The earlier model cars had 3 tubular reinforcement members and the later models had the triangular skid plate, which is what I have and you see me remove in several of my videos. Look on realoem.com for your proper part number and then, yeah, just get the right subframe off eBay. To be clear, there is a different subframe that goes along with each of those types of reinforcement. I'm pointing out that the way to tell which subframe model you need is to look and see which type of reinforcement you have.
Have you heard of the m54 cut gasket trick? Supposedly you can cut the pan gasket in a few places and install without dropping subframe.
Do think this is possible on e46?
I've heard of it. There is so little room to work I think it's stupid to try it that way, more frustrating than time saving.
how did you start car without putting everything back?
Simple question. Did you check the engine oil level before concluding in was the main seal?
+TonyS Yeah the engine oil level wasn't "full". It was clearly low about 3/4 of a quart, but then again there is some natural oil consumption during a natural 7500 mile cycle on an engine with 170k miles. I'm not sure how much because, of course, my oil pan gasket has been leaking since I bought the car so I've never been able to gauge the normal oil consumption of my engine when it's completely healthy. And I also didn't remember if I had refilled it to the top after doing that engine oil pan gasket originally. I keep thinking I must have, so when I saw it was a bit low, that was more evidence to suspect the rear main seal.
I really wish I saw this video before I undid my oil pan 💀😂
What a bummer. Fingers crossed, that you'll find and fix the leak, man. If the main seal was leaking, wouldn' there be oil on the flywheel?
could have been flung off?
dam man that sucks! what mileage is your BMW at? I'm surprised usually that rear main seal drips slowly never seen it that much. Oh well just another day with a BMW E46, haha best of luck man !
I'm at 167k miles I believe. you're right they are only supposed to drip. that might be a clue... stay tuned
I've found the transmission us really easy to pull on the bmw s. I'd much rather swap a trans than do an oil pan gasket!!
Hmm, I'm gonna disagree with you. I think the oil pan gasket is a little less involved, you only need the engine support bar.
50sKid I guess I'm remembering a bad experience i had with a customer who decided not to pay halfway through. it was a 3 series and it took me longer to even get the pan off than I thought it would. the owner somehow figured he didnt have to pay me due to my personal difficulty. what a horrible experience! at a job i recently left I put an engine in a 01 330. I actually learned a lot about bmws. as bad of a time i had with the oil pan job the engine turned out to be an alright job. i dropped the motor through the bottom and didnt even disconnect the a.c. anyway. another oil pan on a 330 just resurfaced so i have to do it again. thanks for the support im sure ill be watching more of your videos.
Hey man I have a bmw e46 that overheats any idea what can cause this and how can I fix this
+mohamed musabeh A bad thermostat, a broken water pump, or a blown cylinder head gasket (look for coolant in oil).
thanks
That sucks my new (used) oil pan has a crack so I'm putting in my old one with the new gasket and going to live with the slow drip out of the drain plug because I'm not doing this job again for an long time 😲😲😲😲😲😲
did you ever confirm if it was the rear main seal?
No it was the oil pump seal on the transmission that had blown out.
Oh f*ck.. is that common fault in M54 engine? This is first time i see rear main seal failing and leaking oil. I hope everything goes well dropping box and replacing seal. Good luck!
Waiting for update and new video about that project.
+Antti-Ville Orava Hmm... it's hard to answer that without giving something away. Obviously I'm keeping it a mystery until the video comes out. Stay tuned, lol.
Just curious if it ended up being the RMS?
+Ron Reece No, transmission. I have two videos on it.
you seem to know a lot of bmws...i would really like to know if you could take a good look at mines.. I'm in the los angeles area...
+Mauricio Vasquez I'm sorry I don't work on other people's cars--I make DIY videos so you can work on your own car.
50s kid boo yah
a whole lot of work to do. how much would it cost to do by the dealer?
+Kirk Banton Thousands, I'm sure.
Patrick BMW by me wanted 840 for oil pan gasket replacement. 725 for the oil filter housing gasket and 750 for the valve cover gasket. About 2300 for all three. I already replaced my valve cover and filter housing gasket for the cost of parts, about 70 bucks. After seeing a few of these videos the pan gasket is defiantly a home fix. Make sure this is the issue before replacing parts though cause it might look like the pan but it's coming from another source. I had all three gaskets on my 330ci fail with 100k. Which is almost normal for the gasket type, your mileage may vary though. But mine is well taken care of and nearly a flawless ragtop.
how is the same job with 740i please ?
I can't say as I've never work on that car, but it ought to be somewhere similar... just a bigger subframe.
ok thanks friend
Damn. Sorry man.
+Alex Gordon Thanks. Stay tuned.
Well that just sucks. Sorry to hear. You would have thought it would have given you some warning signs. Never seen one leak that quick and that much. I will say we are all looking forward to your vid on this if you do make one! Check this vid out if you have not already seen it:
ua-cam.com/video/jaLgoTjk0yM/v-deo.html
+ahokie Yep saw it thanks. Those manual transmissions must be half as heavy has the automatic!
AT-205 Re-Seal will fix your rear main seal issue. Just pour a bottle in with fresh oil on your next oil change. It works great at stopping a rear main seal leak without doing any work. Especially good for old cars that you don't want to spend a fortune on at a mechanic shop.
Lmao
Sorry dude 😟