The frustration under the car can get real. I have to stop, get some ice water and sit on my steps to cool off. After 5-10 minutes I can go back to the battle. But I remember one time I just couldn't get the trans to align with the engine. Pushed and turned, but nothing was working. Took a break and then got in great position ready to push for all its worth. Grabbed the trans and before I could really push, it just slid together. You never saw anyone scramble for a bolt as fast as me. This was a longer video but well worth it. Thanks for keeping it real.
One tip for replacing seals .. use the old one, the 'wrong' way round over the outside of the new one to tap them in .. It helps keep the new one square and you have very little chance of damaging it as well. ;)
I'm going to do a 5 speed to 6 speed swap on my 2001 BMW 330xi. It certainly does help to watch for the trouble spots in some of these jobs. I'm going to replace the rear main seal, the transmission seals and the transfer case seals. I try to do things such that they're good to go for 20 years, which for me means I'll be 80 by the time they become a problem.
Hey 50s kid, I watch nearly most of your videos... You are always efficient, honest and with full of knowledge.. Looks like you did loose some weight, congratulations 👍
Great video's Jason .. really professionally done + good lighting & sound. You saved me ton's of effort. Never new .. there is such a thing as Thread-sealant :-))
Awesome job! Don’t beat yourself up over this. That is something I would have over looked and thanks to you I can now go ahead and change out my gaskets with confidence and ensure I lube those bolts up with thread seal.
Am lucky to watch this video right now because i have the same problem after i replaced the Rear Main about two years ago and my Transmission is currently out of the car. Thanks for the info uv saved me from my troubles.
This video is very very helpful, as my e46 is still leaking oil. I keep this in mind so my garage that will replace main bearing seal will use the right sealant on those 2 screws....... Last time working on my car (intake manifold swap and gaskets) I noticed that my crank sensor had fresh oil around it. On removing the sensor I noticed no O-ring was used....... So I put an oring on the sensor. But now thinking of replacement of this sensor with a used one from junkjard......
For the torque converter, sometimes it's easier to stand the transmission on end, with the tail down. In this manner gravity will not be an issue. Obviously you'll have to support the housing. An upside down bar stool can work, or some other creative setup. Be sure to have a pan ready as fluid will run out of the tail.
Man, you have amazing PERSEVERENCE! And you're doing this flat on your back with car on jack stands and limited room to work! I wouldn't try these things even if the car were raised on a lift! Unlimited "attaboys" to you!
I have two BMWs E46 and an E60...They should be called THE LEAKING MACHINE instead of the ultimate driving machine. They are only good for 3 years after that here comes the flood. I have learned a lot I mean a lot from your channel and you save me a lot of money. Thanks!
Thumbs up! I just pulled the ZF8 out of my e30 (yes, e30) and discovered the rear main area has oil around it. I knew to thread seal the 8 crank bolts, but those two M8 bolts I never even thought of as culprits. Live and learn.
I’ve been watching you for years and I’ve been hooked on e46s for years and I now have this 03 325ci and fluid was pouring out me thinking it was the rear main my motor had 120,000 on it this video was very helpful thanks
I will make sure to take out the 13mm rear gasket cover bolts and coat them with sealant and reinstall. Glad I watched this before reinstalling my transmission. Same deal on a 1988 528e zf4hp22 transmission.
Great video as always. Some ideas about leaks I have for next time: pressure wash the engine bay. Install a dozen video cameras. Rev at 8000 rpm and see where the oil is flowing. And, don't buy cars with subframes unless you want the dealer to service them.
BTW, the Bentley has the measurement dimension from the bell housing mounting surface to the torque converter when the converter is installed all the way into the front pump.
Just came across this video and I am about to assemble my m52! I would have just put those bolts back in not thinking about thread seal so thank you for doing such a detailed video! Well done!
50s kid, I had a problem with the torque converter too and the way I finally put it in is actually simple. You just need to put the transmission on its back. I first thought this was bizzare but when I tried it went in instantly, it just dropped right in, all three clicks, didn't even have to wiggle anything.
It's extra work, but you could pull the transmission out from under the car and stand it up on the tail shaft to make it easier to install the torque converter.
UV is the way to go. Had an old GM where I had fixed numerous leaks, but still had a final leak I could not find. The UV dye immediately showed me the rear main seal was leaking. Bam no more oil leaks!
Good work! Recently did the oil filter housing gasket using your video. The alternator trick worked a treat. My car is no longer an embarrassing puddle maker.
Watched the whole thing. I.didn't even know thread sealant like that was a thing but do now. I wanna see you confirm it is definitely fixed! ( in like a week's time lol) What patience you have! Mind you i am derusting mine. I have the whole rear disassembled, axle carrier, drive shaft, exhaust, fuel tank, trailing arms, brake lines, it all. It is a whole different game in the UK as every welded thread, metal edge and around every hole is rusty after 18 years and just grows outwards under the polyurethane under coating.
@@50sKid Yes it is lol. I was just thinking it'd be a bit of surface rust here and there, particularly on the rear arches and it just escalated. I had the engine apart last year fixing the stuck lifters, doing the vanos and doing the M56 valve cover conversion (following your instructions! ).
@@dantheman1337 Nice, I actually bought a whole set of new lifters to replace mine because I've got one that sticks every once and a while. Figured it would be a nice self contained video as people probably don't realize the information exists in a different video with a different title.
I think you had the torque converter at the right depth when you went off-camera at 33:15..The depth of the torque converter is no different at 33:25 when you come back and say you finally got it. I agree the TC is tricky to seat correctly.
Oil pan gasket and transmission refresh is on the agenda for this year, glad I watched this video. P.S. You lost weight. Can we expect workout videos from 50sKid? Looking good!
I had no idea how much trouble these cars could be but knowing you’re in the trenches reporting back, I’m still gonna buy one. If you weren’t making these videos, I’d probably buy a Lexus
Thank you for another informative E46 video. FCP Euro shorted me on my order as well. I definitely had higher expectations of them than the service I received. Now that it is finally cooling off here I am going to tackle my oil pan gasket with your video and my Bentley manual for guidance.
FCP once sent me 2 struts and 1 shock in a big order of e46 suspension parts ... to their credit they sent the second rear shock by overnight delivery.
@@LeverPhile You know that Johnny Cash song "One Piece at a Time"? I wonder if one of their employees is rebuilding their E46 one piece at a time from our orders? :P
Damn you 50skid. I had just bolted the transmission to the engine but was unsure if I had used the appropriate thread sealant on the rear main seal bolt. Either way I dropped the trans yet again, found blue loctite on that bolt, cleaned and applied the Permatex thread sealant. Annoying but now I have peace of mind at least. Putting the trans back is such a bear of a job.
Jason love your videos! Too bad, all that work, but you got it. Just bought a 2004 330xi. I will be referencing your videos often. Thanks for your hard work.
Glad to see another E46 video from you. You should have kept the 5-speed manual in this car, especially now that you also have an E90, which has a much better automatic transmission.
LiquiMoly has an oil that has the UV dye on it, it comes on the green jugs. That is the one I use, some engines like on the Oldsmobile aurora it looks radioactive with all the leaks. 🤣🤣
In my opinion when you gonna do a big job such as this it is much easier to pull the complete engine out as one and work on it outside the car u have a better results and the bmw is very convenient as the front end disassembles to allow engine removal with little effort
And it is possible to remove engine harness with engine at the same time without disc connecting the harness great content u have helped millions of people out there fix their cars and i am a fan of your work thank you for all that u do.god bless
On complaining about our relatively new BMW leaking oil the dealer explained that high performance cars leak oil. I asked why should the gaskets be any leakier on a so called high performance car. But he just randomly kept talking.
Yeah no one really has the real answer, just what they think. Incidentally, what I think is that BMW uses inferior rubber in their gaskets that hardens much much too early in the life of the car. Other makes can go 175+ miles before their rubber turns to Bakelite. 🙄 Also the design of the oil pan gasket sucks, with the rubber impregnated metal. The rubber isn’t thick enough. They moved away from that design in the new B58 engine. Now it’s RTV sealant.
LOL, I always wondered what this key is for... After destroying another tube of Reinzsol I decided to buy one in canister, but if I only knew that. In my part of Europe, there is no disambiguation between thread sealants and thread lockers. It is all anaerobic adhesives and I were always confused with american videos.
I've watched so many of your videos and I really want a E46 now but I live in England, I'm scared to deal with the rust 😂 I've been looking at e46s here and they look good outside but as soon as you get under the car, they are rusted to hell, well there goes my dream
Dude thx for owning this mistake! No biggie. Can you update ur rear main seal video to mention this cuz I have all gasket done and was PERFECT with the rear main seal and noticed im getting oil leaks outta the same area so im pretty sure I have the same leak I'm pretty sure. I had no leaks until I did my rear main.
@@50sKid I believe you can put annotations messages in them still. If it's still an option you could put a link to this video. Thanks for all the great support vids over the years man! Keep up the great content!
One definition of an expert is someone who has done most of the mistakes already.
The frustration under the car can get real. I have to stop, get some ice water and sit on my steps to cool off. After 5-10 minutes I can go back to the battle. But I remember one time I just couldn't get the trans to align with the engine. Pushed and turned, but nothing was working. Took a break and then got in great position ready to push for all its worth. Grabbed the trans and before I could really push, it just slid together. You never saw anyone scramble for a bolt as fast as me. This was a longer video but well worth it. Thanks for keeping it real.
Oh yeah I’ve been there lol
Like how realistic you are . Making mistakes is part of being professional . If you know what I mean . Great videos !!!
You’re pain is our gain Jason. Big thumbs up from me. Keep this content coming.
Thanks Jason and long love your E46! I tell you, in 100 years when no other E46 remains, yours will be alive and kicking. Cheers!
One tip for replacing seals .. use the old one, the 'wrong' way round over the outside of the new one to tap them in .. It helps keep the new one square and you have very little chance of damaging it as well. ;)
Only works if the old one comes out in one piece haha
Yes or use a socket or bushing/ bearing install tool.
Your looking slimmer. I had to go back to your older videos to double check. good job that work is paying off.
Thx!
I'm going to do a 5 speed to 6 speed swap on my 2001 BMW 330xi. It certainly does help to watch for the trouble spots in some of these jobs. I'm going to replace the rear main seal, the transmission seals and the transfer case seals. I try to do things such that they're good to go for 20 years, which for me means I'll be 80 by the time they become a problem.
Somehow it just gets everywhere it’s wild with these
Hey 50s kid, I watch nearly most of your videos... You are always efficient, honest and with full of knowledge..
Looks like you did loose some weight, congratulations 👍
Thx for watching!
You have some real dedication to go through nothing but respect to you and thanks for the videos
Glad to see you finally got it! This will surely be helpful for when I do mine
Great video's Jason .. really professionally done + good lighting & sound. You saved me ton's of effort. Never new .. there is such a thing as Thread-sealant :-))
Awesome job! Don’t beat yourself up over this. That is something I would have over looked and thanks to you I can now go ahead and change out my gaskets with confidence and ensure I lube those bolts up with thread seal.
Jason thanks for sharing all this with us always a pleasure to watch Your videos
Am lucky to watch this video right now because i have the same problem after i replaced the Rear Main about two years ago and my Transmission is currently out of the car. Thanks for the info uv saved me from my troubles.
Thank you so much for showing us this. You probably saved at least 100 guys from really bad leaks after replacing RMS. Who knows, maybe thousands!
I know the moment, surrender is not an option. We all benefit from your example. In a small way your a hero. Well done!!!
Another GREAT DIY video Jason! I have learned sooo much from you showing these issues/problems. Please keep them coming.
Spin that torque converter, she'll click in, keep rotating then it'll pop all the way in. Great videos as always.
This video is very very helpful, as my e46 is still leaking oil. I keep this in mind so my garage that will replace main bearing seal will use the right sealant on those 2 screws....... Last time working on my car (intake manifold swap and gaskets) I noticed that my crank sensor had fresh oil around it. On removing the sensor I noticed no O-ring was used....... So I put an oring on the sensor.
But now thinking of replacement of this sensor with a used one from junkjard......
For the torque converter, sometimes it's easier to stand the transmission on end, with the tail down. In this manner gravity will not be an issue. Obviously you'll have to support the housing. An upside down bar stool can work, or some other creative setup. Be sure to have a pan ready as fluid will run out of the tail.
BINGO! Glad the leak is solved. Noted for future reference. Great video, as always, Jason! Thanks for sharing.
Man, you have amazing PERSEVERENCE! And you're doing this flat on your back with car on jack stands and limited room to work! I wouldn't try these things even if the car were raised on a lift! Unlimited "attaboys" to you!
That's persistence well done.
I have two BMWs E46 and an E60...They should be called THE LEAKING MACHINE instead of the ultimate driving machine. They are only good for 3 years after that here comes the flood. I have learned a lot I mean a lot from your channel and you save me a lot of money. Thanks!
Thumbs up! I just pulled the ZF8 out of my e30 (yes, e30) and discovered the rear main area has oil around it. I knew to thread seal the 8 crank bolts, but those two M8 bolts I never even thought of as culprits. Live and learn.
I’ve been watching you for years and I’ve been hooked on e46s for years and I now have this 03 325ci and fluid was pouring out me thinking it was the rear main my motor had 120,000 on it this video was very helpful thanks
Long live King Jason..!!
I will make sure to take out the 13mm rear gasket cover bolts and coat them with sealant and reinstall. Glad I watched this before reinstalling my transmission. Same deal on a 1988 528e zf4hp22 transmission.
Best videos on e46 information
Great video as always.
Some ideas about leaks I have for next time: pressure wash the engine bay. Install a dozen video cameras. Rev at 8000 rpm and see where the oil is flowing.
And, don't buy cars with subframes unless you want the dealer to service them.
BTW, the Bentley has the measurement dimension from the bell housing mounting surface to the torque converter when the converter is installed all the way into the front pump.
........and all that on the ground !! That's dedication.
Just came across this video and I am about to assemble my m52!
I would have just put those bolts back in not thinking about thread seal so thank you for doing such a detailed video!
Well done!
I'm so glad I decided to do a manual swap instead of fixing my 5hp19. Hope she's sealed for good this time!
50s kid, I had a problem with the torque converter too and the way I finally put it in is actually simple. You just need to put the transmission on its back. I first thought this was bizzare but when I tried it went in instantly, it just dropped right in, all three clicks, didn't even have to wiggle anything.
Great wrenching. I bet this win was most satisfying.
I bet that was a big relief!
Oh yeah
2 years later but, YAYYY!!! 👍👍👍
Good to hear I'm not the only one with items missing from my FCP Euro order. Last order, they forgot my oil filter.
It's extra work, but you could pull the transmission out from under the car and stand it up on the tail shaft to make it easier to install the torque converter.
Huge pain to get back up and onto the jack
UV is the way to go. Had an old GM where I had fixed numerous leaks, but still had a final leak I could not find. The UV dye immediately showed me the rear main seal was leaking. Bam no more oil leaks!
I'm glad it is solved man...more peace for you...you got the heart of a lion man respect.
Also I hope you used new Bolts. I am glad you finally solved the problem!
Great!!! I have an oil leak in the same spot! Great video.
Amazing persistence, Jason.
Well done...you're definitely right - your pain is our gain, so thank you!
Good work! Recently did the oil filter housing gasket using your video. The alternator trick worked a treat. My car is no longer an embarrassing puddle maker.
glad to hear u found the leak, just be patient :)
Fantastic ending to a challenging issue. Knowledge comes with a price. Thank you for sharing, jason.
Watched the whole thing. I.didn't even know thread sealant like that was a thing but do now.
I wanna see you confirm it is definitely fixed! ( in like a week's time lol)
What patience you have! Mind you i am derusting mine. I have the whole rear disassembled, axle carrier, drive shaft, exhaust, fuel tank, trailing arms, brake lines, it all. It is a whole different game in the UK as every welded thread, metal edge and around every hole is rusty after 18 years and just grows outwards under the polyurethane under coating.
Oh man, that sounds like a huge project. I will do a quick follow up after a month or so. Time for some E90 stuff though
@@50sKid Yes it is lol. I was just thinking it'd be a bit of surface rust here and there, particularly on the rear arches and it just escalated. I had the engine apart last year fixing the stuck lifters, doing the vanos and doing the M56 valve cover conversion (following your instructions! ).
@@dantheman1337 Nice, I actually bought a whole set of new lifters to replace mine because I've got one that sticks every once and a while. Figured it would be a nice self contained video as people probably don't realize the information exists in a different video with a different title.
You're the man Jason thank you!!!! Best bmw diy channel on youtube
I think you had the torque converter at the right depth when you went off-camera at 33:15..The depth of the torque converter is no different at 33:25 when you come back and say you finally got it. I agree the TC is tricky to seat correctly.
Trust me it wasn’t there. It’s a very small amount that it moves in
Thank you so much you have helped a lot of people making your videos thanks
Dude, your videos are very informative and really help get one motivated to perform such tasks on their e46.
Great job
Oil pan gasket and transmission refresh is on the agenda for this year, glad I watched this video. P.S. You lost weight. Can we expect workout videos from 50sKid? Looking good!
Was waiting for this. looks like I'm also gonna have a oil leak free e46 soon. Now someone needs to go and add this to all the DIY's on the internet.
I had no idea how much trouble these cars could be but knowing you’re in the trenches reporting back, I’m still gonna buy one. If you weren’t making these videos, I’d probably buy a Lexus
Top man. You’re shaving some great tips through all your hard work. You got a massive heart.
YHANK YOU TEACHER FOR THIS VIDEO, A LITTLE LONG BUT GREAT JOB, AND YOU STILL BE MY HERO.
Wow man i haven’t seen you in about a year and half and you look amazing! Keep up the good content
We live and learn every single day.
Broooo Big help thank you for everything!!!!! You are a bmw God
Thank you for another informative E46 video.
FCP Euro shorted me on my order as well. I definitely had higher expectations of them than the service I received.
Now that it is finally cooling off here I am going to tackle my oil pan gasket with your video and my Bentley manual for guidance.
FCP once sent me 2 struts and 1 shock in a big order of e46 suspension parts ... to their credit they sent the second rear shock by overnight delivery.
@@LeverPhile You know that Johnny Cash song "One Piece at a Time"? I wonder if one of their employees is rebuilding their E46 one piece at a time from our orders? :P
Thank you for always showing & explaining in such detail. You do a really good job in shooting the videos. Thanks for the hard work.
Thank you for all your hard work
Damn you 50skid. I had just bolted the transmission to the engine but was unsure if I had used the appropriate thread sealant on the rear main seal bolt. Either way I dropped the trans yet again, found blue loctite on that bolt, cleaned and applied the Permatex thread sealant. Annoying but now I have peace of mind at least. Putting the trans back is such a bear of a job.
Glad I could help lol
Jason love your videos! Too bad, all that work, but you got it. Just bought a 2004 330xi. I will be referencing your videos often. Thanks for your hard work.
You look great, you have no idea how happy it makes me seeing you wrenching on an e46 again haha
What a truly helpful video.
Thank you. Appreciate what you do 🙏🏽
Glad to see another E46 video from you.
You should have kept the 5-speed manual in this car, especially now that you also have an E90, which has a much better automatic transmission.
very satisfying to fix oil leaks! I wonder if my S54 has the same design?
thank you very much, finally...
I'm still stuck at removing the rusted muffler nuts. Ordering a nut splitter tool.
Yes , l broke two of the 4 on my 1996 Z3 header to muffler exhaust
Ooph! Get a map gas torch like for plumbing. Heat the sucker up. Can’t be stuck if it’s a liquid!
Thanks!
Enjoyed the video! Great to see sort out the leak.
Unlikely....but again a great effort.
Well done! Perseverance pays off!
I love your videos buddy, I’m also very glad I sold my E46 😆
I like the new logo
LiquiMoly has an oil that has the UV dye on it, it comes on the green jugs. That is the one I use, some engines like on the Oldsmobile aurora it looks radioactive with all the leaks. 🤣🤣
In my opinion when you gonna do a big job such as this it is much easier to pull the complete engine out as one and work on it outside the car u have a better results and the bmw is very convenient as the front end disassembles to allow engine removal with little effort
And it is possible to remove engine harness with engine at the same time without disc connecting the harness great content u have helped millions of people out there fix their cars and i am a fan of your work thank you for all that u do.god bless
Great video. You do the pain so we get the gain, thanks :)
Awesome video. Thanks 50.
Liked because of the DM shirt!
You did a great job !! 👏👍
Great work once again.
On complaining about our relatively new BMW leaking oil the dealer explained that high performance cars leak oil. I asked why should the gaskets be any leakier on a so called high performance car. But he just randomly kept talking.
Yeah no one really has the real answer, just what they think. Incidentally, what I think is that BMW uses inferior rubber in their gaskets that hardens much much too early in the life of the car. Other makes can go 175+ miles before their rubber turns to Bakelite. 🙄 Also the design of the oil pan gasket sucks, with the rubber impregnated metal. The rubber isn’t thick enough. They moved away from that design in the new B58 engine. Now it’s RTV sealant.
Excellent!
Engine main bearings are worn. That would cause chronic rear main seal leak, as well as tranny input shaft leak.
Love your content. Fix more things.
LOL, I always wondered what this key is for... After destroying another tube of Reinzsol I decided to buy one in canister, but if I only knew that.
In my part of Europe, there is no disambiguation between thread sealants and thread lockers. It is all anaerobic adhesives and I were always confused with american videos.
Thank you for sharing....
Use Hondabond or the Toyota Equivalent or Loctite 5970 and no more leaks.
You should get into 3d printing! It's ideal for making one-time use seal drivers.
I've watched so many of your videos and I really want a E46 now but I live in England, I'm scared to deal with the rust 😂 I've been looking at e46s here and they look good outside but as soon as you get under the car, they are rusted to hell, well there goes my dream
Oh shit! Finally?
Dude thx for owning this mistake! No biggie. Can you update ur rear main seal video to mention this cuz I have all gasket done and was PERFECT with the rear main seal and noticed im getting oil leaks outta the same area so im pretty sure I have the same leak I'm pretty sure. I had no leaks until I did my rear main.
I can’t update old videos 😕
@@50sKid I believe you can put annotations messages in them still. If it's still an option you could put a link to this video. Thanks for all the great support vids over the years man! Keep up the great content!
European cars and truck use two parts loctite, graphite base. It maybe that type.