Damn... (3.0d exhaust manifold crack) - Fixed (with pictures!)
 

I guess it was inevitable...

http://i65.tinypic.com/2yxjjvp.jpg

Exhaust manifold, where the manifold joins the turbo (turbine).

New X8R cast iron part ordered and on the way. Replacing it looks to be a fun task! :rolleyes:

I'll try to replace it without removing the valve cover. Removing the valve cover requires removing the entire inlet tract and injectors etc.

http://www.reactiongifs.com/r/oh-shi.gif

Trouble is, the rocker cover includes the frame for the air filter element, so it totally obscures the exhaust manifold. This is a task that will need to be performed virtually blind... :confused:

http://i65.tinypic.com/ousaj8.jpg

As we say down-under... Bugger...

Ahhh, I feel your pain!! I was messing around trying to get at it all the other week to inspect, looks to be a friggin nightmare! I was pondering whether you could cut the air filter housing part of rocker cover off, to help with access.. but that might be making a big mistake! :p also, looked like you’ll need thin wall sockets/spanners to get at turbo bolts, I tried a normal spanner and it was too thick.. I guess if you can get exhaust out of the way, remove turbo bolts through the top, should be able to get at the manifold bolts, and slide out underneath. (Potentially leaving turbo more or less in place)

Good luck, have fun! And be sure to take lots of pics and do a write up on it please!

Yeah, it's like a barrel full of monkeys in there...

I intend to remove the turbo outlet (to the intercooler), the turbo inlet, the washer bottle, all the air filter housings that can be pulled, the cabin air intake ducting etc. (just like when replacing the air filter element).

The A/C lines will be right in the way so I'll just have to work around them. Being an OB/GYN might help.... if I was one. :D Good thing I have a great range of socket extensions and universal joints (wiggles) on hand...

I will leave the turbo in place, along with the exhaust. I'm hoping I can even leave the lower alloy reinforcing plate in place (unless I drop something!). Removing either the valve cover or the reinforcing plate, exhaust and turbo hugely increases the amount of work required and I've seen YouTube videos from folk who have managed this task in this manner. It should even be possible to remove the manifold out the top once the studs are free. :thumbup:

What would be a deal breaker is a seized or broken stud. The general condition of the entire car is very good so I'm hoping I don't go there. I'll certainly get penetrating fluid on the studs etc. overnight in an effort to avoid "issues". :confused:

I'll be sure to photograph and write up the process... ;)

Good luck Wayne, you've kindly handed out plenty of assistance to others on this forum, I hope in return the replacement goes without too many hassles for you. Just in case though, I'd get a bigger jar.

Haha, yeah, might need that! Thanks Neil..!

Apologies for expletive above but it sums up task of removing the valve cover rather nicely.

While I enjoy working on my vehicles and the X5 in particular, I enjoy driving it more, and I'm keen to sort it and move on. I guess this task will up there with wheel bearings (but will require less tool purchases!) or the OFHG on the M54. And maybe not as bad as the dreaded alternator bracket gasket on the V8s. Putting it in context helps!!

This puts a delay on my plans to sort the rear sub-frame bushes. I recently purchased the sub-frame bush tools (used only once). Fortunately, I think the bushes are ok - I was going to replace them based on age/mileage. A task for later in the year now - while my swear jar is filling fast, the X5 maint. jar is emptying faster!!! ;)

What prompted you to check the manifold for cracks? Was there any noises or loss of power etc? And I might have to hit you up to borrow your subframe tool when the time comes to do mine ;)

Nothing in the car's performance led me to check - it's running well. A little noisier than when I got 3 it years ago perhaps but hard to tell, as the cracks open up very slowly over time.

I did notice a little "soot" on the turbo outlet pipe but it turned out to be more dirt (stuck to oil) than soot when I cleaned it off. That got me to thinking it was time to grab the GiraffeCam and check it out. Glad I did, as I've caught it before any real symptoms have appeared.

At 59 quid, the X8R manifold (kit) is a no-brainer. Works out to be around NZ$200 inc. shipping. Another NZ$40 for the turbo outlet pipe gasket (which needs replacing anyway).

Here's the subframe bush tool I got (from TradeMe) - https://www.kommentools.com/products...g-tool-set-e53. This tool has already sorted one E53 in Chch, so I think it is destined to be a well-used bit of kit around the country! :thumbup:

So after spending way too much time Googling this issue, I finally found someone that has done this without taking the valve cover off - but they did remove the entire turbo and came in from underneath.

BMWxMAX from Russia has a very good series of blogs documenting all manner of maint tasks and mods.

https://www.drive2.com/r/bmw/1289884/

One of his blogs shows the entire manifold replacement...

https://www.drive2.com/l/467740493866860758/

So here's the thing... looking at his images and at my car, I really do reckon that it IS possible to replace the manifold without removing either the turbo or the valve cover.

So, borrowing a couple of BMWxMAX's photos, here's the above view, with all the covers off and the washer bottle removed: -

https://a.d-cd.net/6f7f21s-960.jpg

I will take mine to this point but also remove the vacuum reservoir, the turbo compressor outlet pipe (fat silver pipe at lower centre) and of course, the turbo inlet pipework (fat black pipe at lower right-of-centre). But that A/C pipe is going to get sworn at a fair bit...

And here's what it looks like from underneath: -

https://a.d-cd.net/a38ga1s-1920.jpg

Old manifold is in place in the first image, new manifold in place in the last one.

This shows that even with the turbo removed, you cannot easily see or get to the top manifold bolts.

But more importantly, you can see the clearance from above, past the air filter housing. Plenty of room for tools and hands.

There is no argument - it will be easier to do this with either the valve cover or the turbo removed but given the extra work required (not to mention the extra cost in gaskets etc.) I'm not going down either path unless I have to.

A good magnetic mirror and light source are going to be a must however .... ;)

Thanks to BMWxMAX for all the inspiration! :thumbup:

Once again, good luck with that. Hope the cast is true and everything lines up. Capturing the manifold in place using the studs you can see will give your seemingly necessary three arms a rest, before getting nuts on those obscured top studs. Holding the nuts in the socket with some butyl putty or similar might avoid them falling to places you can't reach.

I'll be replacing all the studs too...a sucker for punishment, me. ;)

Tis the season! I have just replaced, or should I say failed to replace, and someone else replaced mine!
Mine had been leaking for some time, no real performance issues, but the smoke/smell on startup from under the front was not good.
Mine had split on the number 1 cylinder pretty much all the way around, and at the other end and a couple of cracks in the middle area. A right mess! :wow:

Same as you, I researched to the max and thought I could do it over a few days myself. Alas, I couldn't.
Pulled the air stuff etc, same as the first pic above, but just couldn't get in there enough to get the old manifold off.
Decided I wasn't up to pulling the injectors in order to remove the valve cover, so put it all back together and took it to the local BMW specialist.
They pulled the turbo and went in from the bottom on a hoist (obviously).
Charged me 5 hours labour to get it done (I believe this is the book time to get the job done).
I hate not being able to do a job myself and getting others to work on my car, but in this case, I think I made the right decision.

Good luck to you!

Thanks nice1guv, I'll try to not be too discouraged by your story! ;)

And I'll post pictures of the process... assuming it goes well... :rofl:

(But it has to - it just has to).

Well, the manifold is here...

http://i68.tinypic.com/vrso6o.jpg

Looks pretty good. Studs and turbo bolts are slightly different from as advertised but nothing major.

The copper nuts are odd - they have been slightly "squashed" in one direction, making the thread hole slightly off-round, presumably to make them tight on the studs (kinda self-locking). It also makes them an tight fit in a 6pt 12mm socket. But at least they will stay put in the socket while I assemble the manifold. :thumbup:

Got some 3/8" drive deep sockets on order (12mm 6pt and 12mm 12pt) and I'm still waiting on the turbo ducting gaskets.

The socket cap hex bolts that they included are better - they’re stronger and there is a risk when using other types of bolts that the flange would get caught on the lip near the cylinder head- you’ll know what I mean when you get everything pulled apart... :thumbup:
And the nuts would be 11mm if I remember

Thanks for info, deepblonde. I wondered about the bolts...

I checked the nuts - these ones use a 12mm socket. Good tight fit. :thumbup:

I used a spline socket to remove the original turbo bolts , I think was e12 , 10mm, and the socket pressed down on the lip making it hard to remove the bolt nearest the cylinder head until I realised what was happening.
I don’t see how you are going to do it without removing turbo though....

Sounds good. Very interesting on the squashed nut - makes sense.

I've got the similar-but-different 3.0i, and have the manifolds off right now. On that engine, they are 11mm hex nuts on M7-1.0 threads, copper plated steel (I assume - they look copper, but are magnetic).

When I pulled them, of the 16 studs (different layout from the 3.0d), I think 11 studs came out of the head rather than the nut coming off the stud. And I think I did this all from above.

Regarding getting the 12mm deep sockets, I swear I used about half a dozen different options getting my nuts/studs out, and I needed all of them. Ratcheting 11mm wrench, 7/16" wrench, solid closed end angled 11mm wrench (that was thinner that the other options), short sockets, long sockets. I wish I had a swivel socket in an 11mm (I do in 10 and 12), but that is such a rare size.

Since it is such a tight fit on my engine, I sometimes had problems fitting 3/8" drive sockets, where a 1/4" drive might fit. And every one of those 16 nuts was a different adventure. Some took less than a minute, some took 30 minutes. Wow.

Also, I don't have any E12 around there, but it sounds like you do. In case there is a place where you can't fit a regular E12 socket, I recently figured out that a Craftsman 3/8" Universal ratcheting wrench is a PERFECT fit on the pretty-common E12 head. This is a wrench designed for a 3/8" hex head, but they make it "universal" by making it with 12 bumps, allowing it to fit hex, square, torx, etc. You'd generally want just the regular E12 socket, but when that does not fit ...

Here it is: https://www.sears.com/craftsman-3-8-...p-00920601000P

Attachment 74068

Of course much cheaper when buying a set. The 10mm version works pretty well too, but is slightly looser than the 3/8".

Those gaskets look interesting. What are those extra holes on the side for? Alignment of some sort?

I don't think the turbo bolts are an e-anything - they look to be a "double-hex" or a basic 12 point head. Check out the first picture I posted in this thread - it is of my actual manifold (taken with a USB snake-cam). I have a thin-walled 3/8 drive 12 point socket on the way to deal to these bolts.

And as for not removing the turbo - this approach requires two special tools - dexterity and patience! :rofl:

Thanks oldskewel - I've been following your thread - sounds likes you are doing well.

The one-piece manifold on the M57 engines makes it all a LOT easier, but I expect to be using a range of tools as you did, especially when it comes to dealing with the studs. Still debating what do do about the studs - final decision will depend on how many studs come out with the nuts.

As I just mentioned to deepblonde, I don't think the turbo/manifold bolts are an e-bolt - they are just a "double-hex" head and any good 12 point socket will work. I have a good set of e-sockets on hand though.

BTW, Sears URL links no longer work outside of the USA - just redirects to an "international shoppers" page. :dunno:

And the gasket - yes, interesting design. I don't see any purpose for all the extra tabs and holes - used during robotic assembly in the factory maybe? They are a multi-layer composite gasket so maybe the punched holes help bind the layers somehow? :dunno:

Yes, I think you’re right.
I wasn’t able to get a good fit on the bolt near the cylinder head, so I kept thinking I had the wrong socket size. Eventually I got it off with the spline socket.
But if you aren’t going to remove the turbo, how are you going to clean the side of the cylinder head ready for your new gaskets? Just do it blindly?

I see it now. I have not come across too many of those, other than axle nuts.

My Porsche uses triple-squares, but those are much sharper than the double-hex you've got there.

I don't especially like these Craftsman universal ones for hex bolts, but I have found a few times where the versatility makes them work on weird stuff. And that's why I keep the SAE as well as the metric versions, since the only thing I know is that it will be something weird and all bets are off.

And in general, the E12 head is pretty common on these cars. I think I'm going to need this when I take off the starter soon (to inspect and maybe replace brushes, just because it's right in front of me with the head off).

Too bad the sears website no longer works overseas. I guess we're lucky it still works here. But they sold the Craftsman brand to Stanley Black and Decker a year or so ago, so the brand will live on even after Sears goes under.

I think because the gaskets are thin stainless types, there won't be too much head/maniface face cleaning to do. Videos I've seen show no issues at all. But if there is, I'm pretty sure that with a mirror and a light I can get in there and sort any rough spots etc.

I'm going to remove the MAF assembly, along with all the turbo's compressor inlet and outlet ducting. This should give me plenty of room up front to extract the old manifold, access the head/manifold faces and slide in the new manifold.

That's the current plan anyway... :confused:

Sure are - the VW Golf cars my kids seem drawn to use a lot of triple-square drive fasteners too.. Odd that..

The big difference between triple-square and double-hex (sometimes known as bi-hex) is the angle of the points - a triple square point is 90 deg. and double-hex is 60 deg. Close but not the same.

I was sitting at work today and I suddenly realised that your comment about the manifold nuts being 11mm was more important than I first realised.

I guess you were referring to the OEM nuts, on the OEM manifold. I was so focussed on the new parts, I had neglected to consider the removal process.

Looking at images of the OEM nuts, the DO appear to have a smaller hex than the new ones...

OEM...

http://i67.tinypic.com/dmcwic.jpg

X8R replacement nuts...

http://i63.tinypic.com/k2znva.jpg

So now I'm off to order another deep socket, this time a 3/8" drive 11mm version. Thanks deepblonde... :thumbup:

*edit* AND.. a 10mm socket too - further research shows some folks stating that the OEM nuts are 10mm. For example, from BMWxMAX...

"On the native collector were nuts for 10, with the new went to 12 (all copper)"

Actually, I can’t remember what they were, could have been 12mm?
I used PB Blaster to loosen them though, very toxic, but very effective.

And my intercooler was full of oil, despite not having EGR..
Might be worth cleaning that too Wpoll....

Thanks deepblonde. Yep, everything I take off and everything I can get at will be cleaned out. I have new gaskets for the EGR and intake body so will tackle that too.

Hey wpoll, when are you planning on doing the manifold replacement?


I'm keen to see how you go. :popcorn:

So am I.. :bustingup

Still gathering tools and parts. I have the manifold (kit) and most of the required tools - primarily waiting on turbo outlet gaskets etc. :stickpoke

So, the tool gathering continues... this little gem arrived today, a Koken 12mm 6pt nut-grip socket...

http://i68.tinypic.com/w9gock.jpg

From here....

https://mytools.co.nz/products/38dr-...socket-6-point

It's perfect for installing the new manifold nuts without dropping them deep into the bowels of the engine bay...

http://i68.tinypic.com/j8fmmr.jpg

Just about every nut and bolt I need to access on this job requires a specialist spanner or socket. But I'm building a great tool collection along the way! :thumbup:

I found one of the nuts and it was 10mm;
I never changed the studs though,
I was too concerned a stud may have corroded itself into the aluminium head, and I didn’t want to risk stripping the threads , etc

Thanks for the confirmation, deepblonde. :thumbup:

I took the cautious route and bought both 10mm and 11mm deep sockets for the removal process, just in case. You can see them both on the left of the picture above (once again, Koken, 6pt, 3/8" drive). They were cheap enough at about $9 each.

And as I mentioned earlier, the jury is out on stud replacement - I'll make that call once I'm in there. Like you, I don't want to risk breaking a stud or stripping the head! :yikes:

Well after changing out turbo today, I “think” I have an exhaust leak, but can’t see any obvious cracks in manifold. Just black soot on rocker cover heat shield. So might have to look into the cast iron manifold soon. Turbo to manifold bolts were 12mm 12 point socket. I think the manifold nuts to block were 10mm, but may have been 11mm.. I did check for you, but promptly forgot. :p It will be interesting to see how removing manifold through the top goes. With turbo removed it would be pretty easy to get manifold out the bottom I think. (But I f**cken hate that lower alloy engine plate removal!) I did also ponder whether it would be smart to chop the air filter part of rocker cover off, could make up a plate n silicone to connect it back up after jobs done.. stupid engine design that!

Well done on the turbo change, Ohsoslow. You'll have to change your username now (to Notsoslow...?). :rofl:

Thanks for the further confirmation on the bolts. :thumbup:

And yeah, I don't like pulling that alloy reinforcing plate either - why do you think I'm even entertaining the manifold change through the top? :rolleyes:

As I've mentioned in another thread, I'm starting to see EGR errors from the DDE now, although once cleared they seem to have stayed away. I can definitely hear the exhaust whistling out the crack(s) when coasting down a hill with lots of engine braking (2,500rpm plus..) - a high pitched whistle like a penny-whistle.

Looks like I won't get on to this task until later in Sept. - waiting on glow plugs and glow controller now too - finally decided to pull the pin on that job too. :rolleyes:

Another New Zealander shows how easy changing the exhaust manifold is ?
https://youtu.be/xdMIRg7u8U4
:2thumbs:

The odd cup of tea is the secret.... ;)

Still waiting on my intercooler gaskets... :(

That was interesting viewing, thanks for the link. Keep the Lipton close by Wayne, you're going to need it.

More likely that "special" tea from the Isle of Skye.... ;)

:iagree::rofl:

Job done...
 

Well, I'm glad that's behind me...! :thumbup:

(note: click on the images for larger versions)

I started right after work a couple of nights ago, as one of the tasks I had lined up was changing the glow plugs, something that needs to be done on a warm engine. Took about an hour to remove the 3.75 acres of Tupperware to get to the glow plugs...

https://i.ibb.co/yQn5cpZ/20180920-192100.jpg

I applied some penetrating oil to the glow plugs and then replaced the glow plug controller while the penetrating oil did it's work. I then also removed some more plastic and the MAF etc. from the exhaust side...

https://i.ibb.co/qxTPtp1/20180920-204109-001.jpg

Changing the glow plugs went well (for which I'm grateful for - I've seen/read too many horror stories about broken glow plugs!). The glow plugs were all easy to remove and very even in colour, with whitish tips and little carbon fouling. The inlet manifold was pretty clean too, for a car with 220,000kms under it's wheels, with almost no carbon build-up to speak of. It was oily inside (of course!) but not to the point where I felt it was worth cleaning out.

Next morning it was time to tackle the manifold. You can see it peeking out from under the valve cover/air filter housing...

https://i.ibb.co/VxSRf0F/20180920-204132.jpg

After removing all the turbo pipework (working from above and underneath via the front splash shield aperture) I could get a decent look at the task ahead - by smart phone camera only, mind you. :confused:

https://i.ibb.co/2YycHRQ/20180920-213330.jpg

After releasing the clamp for the brake master cylinder vacuum line (at the rear of the air filter housing) and working from the right side of the engine with deep sockets, extensions and a mirror, I got the manifold free. I then found I couldn't manoeuvre it out. The turbo had to be moved.

I took off the right front wheel and removed the lower wheel arch splash guard. This gave me access the turbo mount bolts (two of) and after removing these the turbo was free - but still attached the flexible exhaust pipe and with the two oil feed lines still attached.

From above, I then removed the pressure modulator that is mounted to the front of the turbo compressor and then released the turbo vacuum actuator mounts, which allowed the actuator to flop about (be careful to support this!).

The turbo now dropped down on to the engine mount arm, and this gave me the wiggle room I needed to manoeuvre the old manifold back and down (parallel to the exhaust pipe from the turbo), then up and out between the air filter housing and the A/C pipework.

It's out! :thumbup:

https://i.ibb.co/Ch65g2T/20180921-102526.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/jy6Hmpv/20180921-102556.jpg

You can see the start of carbon build-up on the heat shield, from the cracked manifold.

The new manifold slipped into place in the reverse path of the old one's removal. New gaskets went it, but not new studs. All the old studs stayed in place when I removed the old manifold, and I figured I was tempting fate by messing with them. Copper anti-seize and new copper nuts and I get on with the job of putting stuff back together...

https://i.ibb.co/6YPMXZv/20180921-121755.jpg

Checking my work after torquing everything...

https://i.ibb.co/x7s9vGY/20180921-131735.jpg

I also checked the operation of all the vacuum actuators and EGR etc as I put it all back together...

https://i.ibb.co/sjq9WKC/20180921-144744.jpg

I was surprised how freely the VGT turbo mechanism worked - clearly the turbo was clean inside, with little carbon build up. This car continues to amaze me...

So after another couple of hours buttoning up everything up, I was nearly ready to re-attached the battery and fire it up. After removing the shop towel from the turbo and re-installing the compressor pipe of course! :D

https://i.ibb.co/pyGtMcG/20180921-175511.jpg

After firing it up and going for a short drive to confirm all was well, I ran over the entire car with INPA, erased the historical glow plug errors, checked the injector mass adjustments while running (all perfect!), then re-checked for new glow plug errors (none!).

Here's the pile of old bits from this job...

https://i.ibb.co/Tw6qymy/20180922-110122.jpg

The cracks on the old manifold are easy to see now...

https://i.ibb.co/ZSwychT/20180921-122000.jpg

So, there ya go. the manifold CAN be replaced without (completely) removing the turbo or valve cover. But if I was to do it again, I'd probably remove the turbo - and certainly if I had power tools (I had none - hand tools only) I wouldn't be trying to avoid more parts removal.

Car is running SWEETLY!!!! Very smooth, quiet, feels more responsive and powerful. Most of which is probably just my own state of mind, after spending so much time inside it!! :D

:bmw: Great work Wayne, thanks for taking the time to snap the photos. Excellent outcome and well worth your time and effort.

Thanks Neil - I would never had tackled this without all the encouragement from you lot... ;)

I should have taken more pictures, to show the steps in more detail - but honestly, if anyone doing this needs more pictures, maybe they should think twice about doing it... :bustingup

Yes, that's right. Scrambling your ambitions with your abilities can be both costly and hazardous!

Awesome Wayne!! Glad to hear you got it sorted! How long did the manifold part of the job take you? What’s the weight difference between manifolds? Imagine the old one is pretty light!

(And if you’re anything like me, you have plans to take lots of photos, then just end up getting stuck in to get the job done!)

The old manifold might be 1500g, the new one is more like 4000g. Big difference. *edit* just weighed old manifold - 3000g - a bit more than my estimate of 1500g!! So not such a big difference after all...

I reckon it took about 2.5 hours remove the old manifold and install the new one. But this is with all the prep done before-hand (removing the Tupperware...), i.e. it took 2.5 hours from undoing the first manifold stud to torquing down the last one.

Add another hour to find the one sodding (new) manifold nut I dropped... :rolleyes:

Regarding the carbon on the heat shield, it may not all be from manifold cracks. I noticed a number of the old manifold gaskets show signs of "blow-by", especially the outlet to the turbine. Next time you are changing the air filter element, re-torque all your manifold nuts/bolts. Might be the main cause for the carbon build up.

Yeah, more work, less photos.... :rolleyes:

Follow-up on this job, a week later.

Car is running sweetly, still very smooth and quiet (didn't realise how noisy it had gotten..), boost is coming on much earlier than before. Turbo whistle is more noticeable when the engine is cold but I can't really hear it at all once the engine is up to operating temps.

Fuel economy is better too, by abut 5%.

No errors in INPA regarding glow plugs etc. DIS does report an IKE Electronic Braking Force Distribution issue (but INPA doesn't) but I think this is a phantom issues related to a transient low voltage condition.

Overall, I'm VERY happy with the result. I'll recheck the torque on the manifold nuts and turbo bolts at the next oil service, which will include a air filter change, in about 8,000km time.

I have it all to do. My new manifold has been sitting looking at me for a few months now, and waiting for me to get the bottle to do it.

It'll be worth it...
Mine was a lot worse than I could see until I took it off...

Omg that's a big crack. Hate to think what mines going to be like?

Update - images now replaced on post #39... (after TinyPic closed down...)

https://xoutpost.com/1142332-post39.html