All in - pulling the 4.6 engine and trans to fix oil leaks once and for all

[e30cabrio]

Are you pulling the transmission? I'd consider the front & rear main seal and I'd also look into torque converter longevity.

I know some TQ are bulletproof & some aren't I'd hate to leave it in & have the darn thing fail shortly thereafter.

[romeokc10]

Excellent write-up and pics Stunt, like others I love the garage and lift! I agree with you 1000%, I have a 2002 4.6is and the oil leaks are embarrassing. I haven't had a vehicle leak oil and leave oil stains in my driveway since I bought my first car back in 1983, a 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass! I like how you put the arrow in the pic pointing to the stiffener plate, BMW should come clean and call it what it really is, an oil drip pan...lol! I took mine out after I bought mine to clean it, there was about an 1/8th" mixture of oil and road sand on it, I used up a whole box of SOS pads cleaning it! I think it's totally asinine that in the 21st Century BMW can't design a vehicle (any BMW, they all leak) that won't leak oil all over your driveway! My engine looks just like yours, always wet and soaked in oil in the bottom front, let us know where the leaks are coming from. I tried but couldn't tell where it was coming from, even after several power washes with my pressure washer.

[racingbmwm3]

I was the first person at the dealership to fix the leaking rear main on the E90's magnesium block. I think the leak showed up right around 1000 miles. Apparently the rubber seal that works on an aluminium block doesn't work on a magnesium block. They had Wurth come up with a special type of RTV as well. My favorite part was all the warnings throughout the instructions, HAND TOOLS ONLY!
Yet another reason not to buy the first model year...

[stunt]

Originally Posted by Ricky Bobby

I'm guessing front and rear suspension parts are solid? Ball joints, thrust arms, wishbones, etc front and rear look good?

Suspension components all appear in excellent shape. I did notice some play in the front outer right CV joint, where the other 7 are solid. I'll investigate further once I get the engine out (I'll have to pull the prop shafts regardless).

Rear airbags are original or replaced already (if original I would check condition of rubber and perhaps replacement Arnott preventatively at $200 for pair).

They are original I think. I'll check them out. Thanks for the tip.

Front/rear shocks in good shape?

I believe so. Car has a very solid feel on the road, both cruising down the Interstate and having fun on the mountain back roads I live on.

[stunt]

Originally Posted by racingbmwm3

Rear coolant manifold. Gaskets are item #2 in picture. This is on the back of the engine.

Removing it will make it so much easier to replace the hoses that connect the oil separator to the drain pipe. Oh, which aren't on your list yet.
Add to list, oil separator - drain pipe hoses. Everything on this page needs to be cleaned or replaced.

Thanks for those links and pics! I'll update my list.

[stunt]

Originally Posted by OptimusPriM5

Where in VA? I'd love to watch someone who knows what they are doing to learn from on these things.

I'm located in Afton, VA between Charlottesville and Waynesboro. You are certainly welcome to stop by. An extra pair of hands are always a plus!

[bcredliner]

Looking forward to your progress.

What capacity is you lift? Is the concrete normal slab thickness?

[stunt]

Originally Posted by e30cabrio

Are you pulling the transmission? I'd consider the front & rear main seal and I'd also look into torque converter longevity.

I know some TQ are bulletproof & some aren't I'd hate to leave it in & have the darn thing fail shortly thereafter.

Pulling the transmission is a pre-requisite for getting the engine out, at least according to the Bentley manual. This suits me fine since it has issues too. When I start the car, I almost always get the "TRANS FAILSAFE PROG" message on the dash, and only have 1 forward gear and reverse. When the transmission is warn and I start the engine, I only get that message 50% of the time. I also often get the "kick in the back" on the 2-1 downshift when coming to a full stop at a light.

It all started after I did the transmission fluid drain and filter change last summer. The old oil was pretty nasty and there were some deposits in the pan, but nothing too crazy looking. I did top off the flying once in the fall, it was about a quart low, but that did not fix the problem. So yes, I plan to tear into the transmission as well. I have never done one before, so I'm a little hesitant to do it myself. I'm going to see about getting some quotes from local transmission shops on having it rebuilt. Not sure if they will provide a warranty since I'm the one that will be re-installing it...

[OptimusPriM5]

Originally Posted by stunt

I'm located in Afton, VA between Charlottesville and Waynesboro. You are certainly welcome to stop by. An extra pair of hands are always a plus!

That would be awesome. Yup I know where that is folks like in Madison.

One thing to note on the strengthener plate...make you you order new bolts for that as well if you havent already those are torque to yield. Changed mine last year and found that out from this site as well.

[romeokc10]

Originally Posted by racingbmwm3

I was the first person at the dealership to fix the leaking rear main on the E90's magnesium block. I think the leak showed up right around 1000 miles. Apparently the rubber seal that works on an aluminium block doesn't work on a magnesium block. They had Wurth come up with a special type of RTV as well. My favorite part was all the warnings throughout the instructions, HAND TOOLS ONLY!
Yet another reason not to buy the first model year...

So where do the oil leaks come from on the E53 V-8 engines?