Ok, boys, final report. First and foremost, good news - there were no metal shavings in the oil (other than the muddy stuff captured by the oil pan magnets), so that was great. I've fallen in love with my X5 all over again, she's driving like new much like when I first got her
. It's been over 10 years since this car has driven this good. It does feel peppy with no hesitations and delay in gear changes. Hitting WOT when joining the freeway delivers smooth and authoritative power, wow
. With the 3 fluid changes and new parts, I think I'm good for the next decade
. The final oil drain quality was great - mostly clear pink. But this time around I'll do fluid change may be every 30k miles as a matter of preventative maintenance. When doing engine oil changes, include transmission inspection for leaks as part of undercarriage look-see
.
There're lots of DIY videos and instructions for the X5 6 speed (see initial post), but here's my feedback on my experiences that I wish I knew before starting the project:
1) Even if you've done transmission rebuild previously, unless you're a pro who does it frequently, please review what needs to be done. Do not be overconfident while relying on your recollection of the previous rebuild you did. You're bound to forget some critical step. Fortunately for me, they were reversible, thankfully. I strongly recommend watching the videos fully and go through the instructions carefully. Don't just scan through them!
2) Patience, patience and more patience. Take your time and never be in a hurry. Stop and review your work before buttoning anything up, at every step of the way.
3) Use the long and curved needle nose pliers (Harborfreight tools has them) to remove the mechatronic wiring harness sealing sleeve. When installing it, remember to lube the sealing sleeve with trans fluid - it will slip right in without much effort.
4) Before installing the trans oil sump back, stop, take a break and then review your work - is the oil filter installed (
), is the gear selector rod properly positioned on the mechatronic and the transmission (the car would not start if improperly installed), etc. It will save you a lot of aggravation and time, trust me on that one
.
5) I was very impressed by the performance of that simple and cheapo $8 Harborfreight fluid transfer pump. Simple yet very effective. I could transfer a gallon of oil in less than a minute in a very controlled fashion. It works both ways- as a fluid transfer and as a fluid extractor. Very effective both ways. I installed hose clamps on the hose joints for extra assurance. Worked amazing, especially when monitoring the oil level and adding just a little bit more in a very controlled manner!
I've attached some ZF docs that provide the detailed procedures and the sequence of tightening the screws on the mechatronic and the sump. I've also included pics of upper valve body check ball locations etc. I followed them exactly.
Docs I gathered while prepping for the mission:
https://www.thectsc.com/images/custo...eplacement.pdf
https://www.thectsc.com/images/custo...eplacement.pdf
https://www.thectsc.com/images/custo...eplacement.pdf
https://www.thectsc.com/images/custo...eplacement.pdf
https://www.thectsc.com/images/custo...structions.pdf
https://www.thectsc.com/6-speed-tran...ange-procedure