Suspension refresh(R/F)/oil pan gasket

[X5chemist]

nick35xit 5 spd,
Way cool idea. I'll look for toe plates. Or rig up something. I'm taking two sets of ramps. The plan is to set the wheels on ramps and tighten up parts.

Can someone tell me if the steering shaft to rack is keyed? If not, I'll use nail polish to align it back up.

[Auto Parts Guy]

I have this exact oil leak on my X5. I've been reluctant to change the gasket because of how involved it is. And i have a lift at my house and 4 other cars to drive...

Post some pics if you change yours, would be good to hear your experience.

[X5chemist]

Edited the first post to include pictures. I'll take notes and pictures as we do the work. I may go ahead and order a front crank seal. I don't think it's leaking but I can be prepared to change it if necessary. It will get a lot of cleaning with brake cleaner and washing.

[Russianblue]

Don't forget that the front crankshaft "Jesus Bolt" is designated as a single use part. Might want to make sure you have a spare on hand unless you are a dice roller. I will admit (flame away) that I reused the old one and had no issues.

Getting that front seal in place can be a touch tricky for some. Mine was easy but I had the front timing cover off.

Are you removing the radiator and cooling bits too? If not, getting that front seal done is going to be challenging to say the least. You may need to fab up a crank pulley holder. There's just VERY little space (front to back) to work.

I don't want to sideline this thread though and am more interested in the pan gasket process. Sounds like you know what you are doing.

[X5chemist]

New bolts are always recommended. I replace bolts if a harmonic balancer comes off. A new harmonic balancer is good maintenance. I'll have to check the design and installation. If a leak is found, I'll replace all three components later.

The pan gasket will be a challenge. I doubt it can be harder than doing in car timing chains on a GM 3.6L transverse engine. It took me three months on that job. I took my time and replaced a lot of parts at the same time. Our Acadia rides like a champ. It can take anywhere with 175k miles on it. Hopefully my notes and parts list is complete. I'll post pictures next week. Working on it July 6th-8th.

[nick325xit 5spd]

Originally Posted by X5chemist

New bolts are always recommended. I replace bolts if a harmonic balancer comes off. A new harmonic balancer is good maintenance. I'll have to check the design and installation. If a leak is found, I'll replace all three components later.

The pan gasket will be a challenge. I doubt it can be harder than doing in car timing chains on a GM 3.6L transverse engine. It took me three months on that job. I took my time and replaced a lot of parts at the same time. Our Acadia rides like a champ. It can take anywhere with 175k miles on it. Hopefully my notes and parts list is complete. I'll post pictures next week. Working on it July 6th-8th.

The oil pan gasket is easy. You just have to move (a lot of) stuff out of the way. It’s nothing like the nightmare of working on the timing of a transverse engine, IMO.

[X5chemist]

Cool. Lots of parts to remove. Replacing seals and parts that come off.

Here is another video for anyone that wants to do the oil pan without a lift. The rack and pinion is a choice. Hang off the engine or leave it bolted to the subframe. My choice is to disconnected hoses over rack bolts. The subframe will be heavier but I have help and a transmission jack.

Video by 50's kid (I think he's a member here but not sure.) The video is great on providing bolt sizes. E12 for steering shaft connection. E18 for subframe bolts. 16mm for motor mounts bolts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLevezPHueI

After watching Part II, keeping the rack bolted to the subframe is best. If the rack is remove/tied up, motor mount alignment may be a hassle while moving the subframe back into place. .

[X5chemist]

Rear suspension work is complete. I should have looked up notes and tips. All of my notes were for oil pan work. We didn't get to the front. The rear really took it out on us for 2 days. Heat was a major factor. Even with three large fans blowing at us. We had to use a 7 ton jaw puller to take out the shafts. FYI, unbolt them first at the diff! A file and light lube was used to insert new shafts. The output shaft seals looked good. We didn't replace them. If they ever to leak, it's easier to unbolt the shafts and drop the diff.

We replaced the carrier bearing, guido, axles, arms, rose ball joint, arms, integral links, bar links, and fuel filter. On my next trip, I'll go ahead and slap on new pads. The previous owner had them replaced. Plenty of life left on them. I want to start fresh.

So many parts to hold together and tighten at the same time. The tow in is way off. I'll let a shop do the alignment. It's so far off, we are towing it to my cousin's BMW dealership. If the heat was not so brutal, we probably would have tried to pull the tow out.

Shock install tip. Install the top part first into the body. Then work the bottom into place to insert the bolt.

Does anyone have a guido bolt nut part number? I keep finding X3 and car nuts. All 6 need to be replaced according to Bentley.

Tool inventory: a big jaw puller. Most annoying tool: 16 and 18 mm wrenches and sockets. Most sets don't have them!

[X5chemist]

Phase II is complete! The oil pan was removed and cleaned. The entire subframe was dropped. Seals, new shafts, diff seals, diff oil, motor mounts, belts, struts, and strut hardware were installed. Sure enough, one snag was hit. The left shaft didn't match. An incorrect part number was sent. The correct number was ordered. It's too late to return the wrong shaft. A new one will be ordered. The X5 was reassembled with the old shaft. Once a new one arrives, the shaft will be replaced.

The oil pan was pressure washed. So was the subframe. Degreasing and cleaning was done. Oil residue was all over the place. I pressure washed a lot of grime off during an oil filter housing replacement. The pan came out great. A good oil sludge cleaning will occur at the next oil change. Pictures will be posted.

[Russianblue]

did you have any issues specifically lowering the subframe as the guy seemed to do at around 9.35 in the video? he seemed to imply it was a beast to get it out.