Oil pan leak...simple fix?

mike sevel · 07-26-2018, 07:02 PM

For a very minor leak I suggest a simple fix as follows:
1. Drain oil pan via regular oil change.
2. Remove each pan bolt separately and replace with new bolt to torque spec.
Your opinion?
Mikey

Speedy_12139 · 07-26-2018, 07:43 PM

How is that gonna fix anything when the gasket is probably dickered? Gone hard with age? (Usually it's the opposite of you know what I mean

)

Bimmer_Engineer · 07-26-2018, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike sevel

For a very minor leak I suggest a simple fix as follows:
1. Drain oil pan via regular oil change.
2. Remove each pan bolt separately and replace with new bolt to torque spec.
Your opinion?
Mikey

Have you tried this?

HawkeyeGeoff · 07-26-2018, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bimmer_Engineer

Have you tried this?

you could try applying gasket maker like a bunch of other manufacturers use. Not sure if you could lower the pan enough to get some on the old gasket.

desertman123 · 07-26-2018, 08:14 PM

Just do it right, you're gonna end up giving yourself a headache.

Plus you can't reach some of the bolts without dropping the subframe/rack.

Welcome to NBA Jam · 07-26-2018, 08:14 PM

I'm not sure how it solves the problem.

mweisdorfer · 07-26-2018, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike sevel

For a very minor leak I suggest a simple fix as follows:
1. Drain oil pan via regular oil change.
2. Remove each pan bolt separately and replace with new bolt to torque spec.
Your opinion?
Mikey

I have only heard of re-torquing the existing bolts. Most of the time, this doesn't really work, or if it does it's a temporary fix. Especially if the oil pan gasket is original to the car and over 125,000 miles old.

Bimmer_Engineer · 07-26-2018, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HawkeyeGeoff

you could try applying gasket maker like a bunch of other manufacturers use. Not sure if you could lower the pan enough to get some on the old gasket.

My experience with gasket maker is that it won’t stop a leak by applying it from the outside...it needs to be applied to the sealing surfaces...

HawkeyeGeoff · 07-26-2018, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bimmer_Engineer

My experience with gasket maker is that it won’t stop a leak by applying it from the outside...it needs to be applied to the sealing surfaces...

Right. i'm not sure if the pan can be lowered just a half of an inch or something in vehicle. I don't know, I'm not a doctor.

HawkeyeGeoff · 07-26-2018, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by desertman123

Just do it right, you're gonna end up giving yourself a headache.

Plus you can't reach some of the bolts without dropping the subframe/rack.

Sounds like quitter talk.

Efthreeoh · 07-26-2018, 09:46 PM

Listen, the pan seal design is a POS. The sealing material gets hard and brittle over time. Re-torquing the bolts, or installing new bolts (they install to 8 nm IIRC) will not help; the seal has no compression left once it gets brittle. If it's leaking, a new gasket is required with additional gasket sealer. No other way around it.

Efthreeoh · 07-26-2018, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HawkeyeGeoff

Right. i'm not sure if the pan can be lowered just a half of an inch or something in vehicle. I don't know, I'm not a doctor.

The fastest and easiest way to cure a leaking pan gasket is to just drop the subframe. Not dropping the subframe and trying to fuck around with it will take far longer. Follow the DIY, it's one of the best DIYs published for the E9X.

07-26-2018, 07:02 PM	#1
mike sevel Second Lieutenant 44 Rep 220 Posts Drives: '08 328i atlantic blue Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: NEW BRAUNFELS, TX iTrader: (0)	Oil pan leak...simple fix? For a very minor leak I suggest a simple fix as follows: 1. Drain oil pan via regular oil change. 2. Remove each pan bolt separately and replace with new bolt to torque spec. Your opinion? Mikey
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07-26-2018, 07:43 PM	#2
Speedy_12139 Private 31 Rep 92 Posts Drives: 2011 335i xDrive Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: Ontario, Canada iTrader: (0)	How is that gonna fix anything when the gasket is probably dickered? Gone hard with age? (Usually it's the opposite of you know what I mean )
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07-26-2018, 08:14 PM	#5
desertman123 E82 Mudflap Ambassador 2214 Rep 2,219 Posts Drives: '08 128i Join Date: May 2016 Location: Orlando, FL iTrader: (0) Garage List 1992 Honda Beat [9.50] 2008 BMW 128i [10.00] 2014 BMW 528i [10.00]	Just do it right, you're gonna end up giving yourself a headache. Plus you can't reach some of the bolts without dropping the subframe/rack.
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07-26-2018, 08:14 PM	#6
Welcome to NBA Jam Is it the shoes!? 3884 Rep 5,112 Posts Drives: (Sold) 2011 E92 335i ZMP 6MT Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: USA iTrader: (1)	I'm not sure how it solves the problem.
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07-26-2018, 09:46 PM	#11
Efthreeoh General 17315 Rep 18,737 Posts Drives: The E90 + Z4 Coupe & Z3 R'ster Join Date: May 2012 Location: Virginia iTrader: (0)	Listen, the pan seal design is a POS. The sealing material gets hard and brittle over time. Re-torquing the bolts, or installing new bolts (they install to 8 nm IIRC) will not help; the seal has no compression left once it gets brittle. If it's leaking, a new gasket is required with additional gasket sealer. No other way around it. __________________ A manual transmission can be set to "comfort", "sport", and "track" modes simply by the technique and speed at which you shift it; it doesn't need "modes", modes are for manumatics that try to behave like a real 3-pedal manual transmission. If you can money-shift it, it's a manual transmission. "Yeah, but NO ONE puts an automatic trans shift knob on a manual transmission."
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