Need advise breaking e10 torx free on oil filter housing

[HellRazor35]

Need to replace the 2 oil cooler/housing gaskets, all was going well until having to remove the e10 under the intake and the front left lower e10 next to the coolant micky mouse fitting.

Was able to get the e10 under the intake loose but damn who ever torqued these...

I am not having such luck with the other lower left e10 torx. The bolt edges were already some what rounded and I cant get it to break loose. Hit it with ample liquid wrench

Worried about stripping or breaking the bolt.

Any suggestions on getting this to break free? Are these bolts aluminum to aluminum?

[andrewwynn]

Hit the end of the bolt with a hammer to shock the bolt. Often the threads will cold weld and seize. Impact can help a great deal.

Then I use my spline sockets and pick the next size down and hammer it on.

I had to remove a similar bolt in my front ball joint and it way hopeless. I ended up drilling it out.

Do you have Impact? Low torque Impact better than just breaker bar.

M10 can handle about 70 ft·lb before they are at risk for snapping so use a torque wrench set to maybe 60 to reduce the chance of twisting the head off

[HellRazor35]

thanks for the input, I had to for go changing the gasket to the engine and only changed the cooler gasket.
The cooler gasket was bad and the engine to oil housing looked good but I knwo that its only time before it fails. (but wanted to change both. )

I have a low torque impact I will try this next weekend. As its buckled up already.

To confirm which end to hit? Bolt head or end sticking out or both? I assume the bolt head as I dont want to peen the open ends of the bolt.

Also will pick up some spine sockets

thanks

[BMWHoochie]

When I did mine I purchased a set of these

https://www.amazon.com/SATA-4-Piece-...4242622&sr=8-5

They come in handy for that bolt beside the mickey mouse flange. They also have ratchet-style as well, but they are $50 bucks for a set. While you're in there you might want to upgrade that flange to an aluminum flange.

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...e-rein-chc0609

or

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...o-technologies

Confirm Fitment on that for your X5. That link is for my model.

[HellRazor35]

Yeah I got all the right tools it's just that the bolt is welded into the housing and yes I did replace the Mickey Mouse flange that's a must I agree

[andrewwynn]

Originally Posted by HellRazor35

thanks for the input, I had to for go changing the gasket to the engine and only changed the cooler gasket.
The cooler gasket was bad but wanted to change both.

I have a low torque impact I will try this next weekend. As its buckeled up already.

To confirm which end to hit? Bolt heD or end sticking out or both?
Also will pick up some spine sockets

thanks

Bolt head in the axis of the bolt (as of was a nail and pounding father in).

On the vanos to cam bolt (reverse thread 135 N·m or something), 200+ N·m wouldn't remove and couldn't remove with high torque Impact until I smacked the bolt with a hammer. A solid hit like pounding 16 Penny framing nail but just one hit.

[andrewwynn]

The good news is you already won this war just not the first battle.

Since it's a through bolt worst case you copy me and drill out and replace with bolt and nut like I did on one of my ball joints. The fact you can't lose means the universe has no point in screwing with you eg head popping off.

Sadly the best socket set I've ever used (12 pt splines) isn't made anymore but with S.A.E. and metric I can always find a size just a little tighter that I can pound into a rounded off bolt of any type and it makes new grooves like anti theft lug bolts.



My favorite example from about three years ago. I have special sockets to bite onto rounded fasteners but they usually don't work as well as the bostitch spline.

Look how perfectly the spline forged an anti spline. That nearly round nut just turned right off. It's one of two that held the shock mount on 328xi.

[HellRazor35]

So was not able to get the lower bolt out and due to time limitations (this is my daughters X5) heading back to college this next week to start summer bball training.

Feel horrible that I did not get the job done as I wanted to. I was playing to the cautious side. If the nut broke would have to order a new Oil Housing as not sure how clean drilling out would have been.

Another issue that the day before doing the work her damn A/C Clutch went out also and did not have time to replace it. The A/C clutch plated was loose and had play in it. Was not causing an issue but decided not to put a new Stretch belt on. Dont want to but more than likely going to have to bit the bullet and have her take it to a local BMW repair shop in East Lansing and have the A/C Compressor replaced

(Anyone know a good BMW Shop In the East Lansing Area?


So the whole point of the work was some basic maintenance

Replaced:
- Accessory Belt
- Idler Pulley
- Belt Tensioner
- Stretch Belt
- Oil Housing Gaskets - (Only Oil Cooler gasket)
- AUC Sensor
- Cabin Filters
- Valve Head Cover
- Coils & Plugs
- Vanos Solenoids
- Clean Re-turn valves
- Oil Change
- Air Filter
- Coolant Flush
- Wiper Blades

[HellRazor35]

Originally Posted by BMWHoochie

When I did mine I purchased a set of these

https://www.amazon.com/SATA-4-Piece-...4242622&sr=8-5

They come in handy for that bolt beside the mickey mouse flange. They also have ratchet-style as well, but they are $50 bucks for a set. While you're in there you might want to upgrade that flange to an aluminum flange.

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...e-rein-chc0609

or

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...o-technologies

Confirm Fitment on that for your X5. That link is for my model.

Yep this one is the one that I bought from FCP for the 2-X5 that I have
and on both when I released the 2 bolts and started to even lightly pull it cracked off...

[BMWHoochie]

Originally Posted by HellRazor35

Yep this one is the one that I bought from FCP for the 2-X5 that I have
and on both when I released the 2 bolts and started to even lightly pull it cracked off...

Nice maintenance list. That's the way to go. FCP is amazing with the lifetime warranty. My flange started deteriorating at only 35k miles. That plastic flange is such a joke.

The AC compressor is pretty easy to change out. You can take it to a local shop and have it evacuated pretty cheap and get a new compressor at FCP with the lifetime warranty. It's only 3 bolts and one sensor plug. You have two up top, and one underneath.
it's super easy to access. When I replaced my power steering pump I had to remove mine (without disconnecting the lines) and it was no problem at all.