New developments mean I'm doing more work but the positives are I'll take care of nearly every oil leak this E53 commonly has.


I got the new axle in there and there was still a leak from behind the passenger axle bracket, my assumption was o-ring.


I received my air to springs conversion kit and was ready to take the axle back out and address the o-ring leak. I got the bracket off and one of the tabs the bolts go through was broken when it came off, good thing I ordered another bracket in case the o-ring area had been damaged. I was wrong about the source of my leak, and I knew I thought the stuff on the floor looked too much like engine oil than new gear oil I just put in.



It turns out the CV axle breaking broke the bracket AND left a hairline crack in the upper oil pan, rats! I got lucky and there was a salvage yard 20m away that had a 2004 4.4 pan for $160.


Since I'm doing all that the upper panjob requires, I should probably tend to some other things at the same time because it's new to me and @ 160K.



- Alternator bracket stuffs
- Oil filter housing gasket
- Engine mounts
- Both axle seals again
- Passenger axle bracket o-ring
- New fluids for engine, diff, transfer case


I'm also planning on doing a trans/mechatronics valve body update with new sleeve, seals both rectangular and the cylindrical ones and the trans pan gasket. The solenoids seem ok because I haven't had any lights come up. Reason for this is a slight 2 to 1 downshift harshness.


While it's opened up what else should I do?