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  #1  
Old 08-02-2010, 08:29 AM
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Exhaust Manifold

Hey guys.. I'm going in to replace my exhaust manifold gaskets and plane both manifolds because of this annoying leak. I know its a big job and involves dropping the front diff, so does anyone have any recommendations as to what else I should replace while I'm in there?? Any tips to make this a little easier or less time consuming?
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  #2  
Old 08-02-2010, 09:32 AM
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i would get new nuts and studs as well. I found my manifolds were warped as much as 3/16" in some spots. i used a belt sander and got them nice and even. goodluck. youll definitely feel the power come back

check your front diff flex disc and see if you need a new one, this is the perfect time to replace if needed
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Old 08-12-2010, 12:32 AM
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I can't find the nuts and studs. They aren't in the diagram on realoem. The only ones I can find are the ones for the donut gasket.
I pm'd you about this a while back, but I've just been dealing with it until now

How big of a belt sander did you use? You have any suggestions that might make this a little less time consuming? If I remember right, you mentioned in a thread to remove the wheel well in another post?

Anything else I should replace driveline related? I have some serious vibration in the floor by my feet, so I'm hoping to get 2 things done at once.

What about a DIY? More specifically how to remove the front diff??
I have access to repair instuctions from BMW NA but for some reason the exhaust manifold remove and replace instructions are terrible. Usually they're very good.
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Old 08-20-2010, 02:34 PM
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I called up bavauto.com and ended up finding them. $50 for all 16! I got a flexdisc too, so hopefully that will finally stop the vibration.

Anyone, got any advice on this project? I really don't want to take the front diff out.
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  #5  
Old 06-25-2018, 05:32 PM
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8 years later, and I've got this issue as well.

2001 3.0i M54 E53

Currently taking things apart to replace the head gasket, etc. Am a little stuck on the exhaust manifolds. No problem separating the exhaust from the manifolds and the O2 sensors - already did all that, with no problems at all (California car, everything is easy to remove, other than the accessibility challenges).

But access to the 11mm nuts holding the manifolds to the head is looking to be very difficult.

This guy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kJbzaHBgAI

has a video series that I am following, where he is doing a head gasket (and beyond) on the M54b30 in his 330i. His method involves jacking up the engine, removing the right engine mount, lowering the engine on a block of wood, etc.

I've also seen mention of dropping the front differential, etc.

I really don't want to do more than I need to. And am just a little concerned since the guy with the awesome video series had a different vehicle than mine, and all of this is related to getting just a little extra accessibility.

I have the Bentley and have been following that, but it makes no mention of special steps to remove the impossible nuts. Also the Bentley had a few things not exactly right regarding the intake manifold removal (understandable, since it's one book to cover a few different years, etc.), so if anyone has removed the exhaust manifolds on a 3.0i E53 with left hand drive, I'd love to hear how you did it.

Thanks.
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  #6  
Old 06-26-2018, 12:14 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by oldskewel View Post
8 years later, and I've got this issue as well.

2001 3.0i M54 E53

Currently taking things apart to replace the head gasket, etc. Am a little stuck on the exhaust manifolds. No problem separating the exhaust from the manifolds and the O2 sensors - already did all that, with no problems at all (California car, everything is easy to remove, other than the accessibility challenges).

But access to the 11mm nuts holding the manifolds to the head is looking to be very difficult.

This guy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kJbzaHBgAI

has a video series that I am following, where he is doing a head gasket (and beyond) on the M54b30 in his 330i. His method involves jacking up the engine, removing the right engine mount, lowering the engine on a block of wood, etc.

I've also seen mention of dropping the front differential, etc.

I really don't want to do more than I need to. And am just a little concerned since the guy with the awesome video series had a different vehicle than mine, and all of this is related to getting just a little extra accessibility.

I have the Bentley and have been following that, but it makes no mention of special steps to remove the impossible nuts. Also the Bentley had a few things not exactly right regarding the intake manifold removal (understandable, since it's one book to cover a few different years, etc.), so if anyone has removed the exhaust manifolds on a 3.0i E53 with left hand drive, I'd love to hear how you did it.

Thanks.
I just did this a few months ago to install headers. It's tedious but not that difficult. From memory, here are the basic steps:

1) remove center muffler
2) remove reinforcement plate
3) remove front sway bar
4) remove all oxygen sensors
5) remove all the manifold-to-head nuts
6) remove front manifold from bottom
7) remove rear manifold from bottom

No need to remove differential, lift engine, etc. - they'll come out with the reinforcement plate and sway bar out of the way.

Other tips:

Have an assortment of sockets and extensions handy for the manifold-to-head nuts. I had both 1/4 & 3/8 in ratchets, shallow and deep sockets, and 'wobble' extensions of different lengths. The 'wobble' extensions proved invaluable. The front most nuts were easier to get to from the top while the rear half or so were easier to get to from the bottom. You'll have to do several by feel. Basically, just assemble the combo of tools to get you the right clearance for that particular nut. It took me about 2 hours to get them all off while everything else took me a 1/2 hour.

Some of the studs may come out of the head. Don't worry about it. Just have 2 M7 nuts (regular nuts, not the special bmw exhaust nuts) handy when you're ready to reassemble. Jam the 2 nuts together on the stud to hold it while remove the stuck bmw nut. Then switch them to the other side and use them to re-thread the stud back into the head. There's no real need for new studs if you clean the old ones up, but they're not that expensive, either.

Good luck!
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  #7  
Old 06-26-2018, 01:21 PM
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Great advice. Thanks for the help.

I was able to put some time in on it last night, and was successful in getting all 16 nuts (or nuts+studs) out. Just like you said. I needed my vast assortment of hand tools, and wished I had a few more (like an 11mm swivel socket - I only have a couple of 10mms near that size). Took about 2-3 hours, some nuts taking a minute, some taking half an hour.

Another tool I'd really like to have is a very compact right angle air/electric ratchet drive. Even 1/4" drive would be very helpful. My 3/8" air ratchet could fit in some places, but mostly not. Even the tool the video guy used (looks like a Milwaukee 12V right angle impact driver) looks bigger than needed/wanted for this job.

So at this point, the exhaust manifolds are loose, and not quite pulled all the way off the few remaining studs. I had the stiffening plate off 2 days ago when I first looked at this from below. Have not touched the sway bar yet.

New question then ...

I'm not actually wanting to fully remove the manifolds. I just want to get the head out. I can see if I were to keep going on the manifolds, working below the car, I could get them out. And then I'd end up just reversing all of that to put them back in.

With them as loose as they are, would it be OK to just take the head out, make repairs as needed, put the head back in, and re-attach the manifolds? Basically leaving them mostly in place where they are?

Very helpful to know not to touch the differential or engine mount. And I can easily do the sway bar, etc., but if I don't have to touch something, I'd rather not.
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Old 06-26-2018, 01:31 PM
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I think others have pulled the head with the manifolds attached, but that would not be my choice. The added weight of the manifolds and lack of maneuverability, especially going back in, would lead me to pull the manifolds.

I would not want to risk damaging the head gasket sealing surface because an exhaust manifold was bumping into something on the way down that causing me to lose a little control of the head and gouge the head surface on something.

You're almost there - pulling the plate and sway bar should take 20 minutes tops. Although for the sway bar end links, you'll need an 18mm (I think, might be 16) thin open ended wrench to hold the ball joint shaft from spinning while you take the nut off. They can be had for cheap on ebay as 'thin bicycle wrenches'.
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  #9  
Old 06-26-2018, 02:39 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by e39_touring View Post
I think others have pulled the head with the manifolds attached, but that would not be my choice. The added weight of the manifolds and lack of maneuverability, especially going back in, would lead me to pull the manifolds.

I would not want to risk damaging the head gasket sealing surface because an exhaust manifold was bumping into something on the way down that causing me to lose a little control of the head and gouge the head surface on something.

You're almost there - pulling the plate and sway bar should take 20 minutes tops. Although for the sway bar end links, you'll need an 18mm (I think, might be 16) thin open ended wrench to hold the ball joint shaft from spinning while you take the nut off. They can be had for cheap on ebay as 'thin bicycle wrenches'.
You can get those thin wrenches from a bicycle shop - they have a better assortment and for cheap (around $30 for 13mm-21mm).
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  #10  
Old 06-26-2018, 09:58 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by X5only View Post
You can get those thin wrenches from a bicycle shop - they have a better assortment and for cheap (around $30 for 13mm-21mm).
better than that here: https://www.amazon.com/Wrench-Metric...renches+metric
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