Suspension refresh(R/F)/oil pan gasket
 

Best oil pan replacement video I've found on an X5 E53 3.0i.


YouTube link incase it does not show up on your browser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZS2SwgnCw4

Any suspension part not replaced up front will be replaced this time around. Watching the video, the only part not on my replaced/replacing list are front wheel bearings. The rears are no problem. Rear arms, rose ball joint, shocks, diff oil, shafts, and flex discs will be replaced. I'll replace the rear hub and bearing as a unit when the time comes. Since the front is more involved, I'm thinking of replacing them. How long do OEM wheel bearings last? With all the suspension and subframe out, replacing the front bearings will only take a little extra time. Should I leave them alone this time around?

Mine has the same oil pan leak. Looks like a bee hive at that front corner. Oil pan and axle seals will be replaced. We'll be using a lift. Wish I had a parts cleaner like the video. After all the work, a BMW shop will do the alignment. My cuz is a shop manager for a dealer. He'll cut me a nice price and check it over. A GMIII module is also being replaced. He'll code it for me too. The replacement should fix my last current amp draw through F60. It's a 200 mA draw.

I didn't find a "How to's" on an oil pan. Does anyone have tricks or advise? The video guy did it in one day. Does the book say 10 hours? I have 3 full days to complete all work with help. I think it's possible.

Edit: adding pictures. The two front shafts have torn boots. The front oil leak I can live with. It actually slowed down after tightening all the oil pan bolts I could reach. However, the rear oil pan looks serious. I took these pics while it was on a lift for roof drain cleaning.

With the axles out, and the control arms off, replacing the bearings is pretty trivial if you have access to a press.

Note: If you're doing this work, don't even bother trying to get the tension strut balljoint out of the kingpin until the kingpin is off the car. Just unbolt the tension strut from the subframe and pull it out. A few whacks with a hammer off directly on the balljoint will pop it out in 15 seconds.

As for the oil pan, you're already doing a decent fraction of the work.

The real challenge with getting this done in 3 days is making sure you have all the parts available. You can comfortably do the work if you don't need to order anything. If you do, you're screwed.

did you mean to include a video link? I'd like to see it. I gotta do an oil pan gasket myself.

Yes, a YouTube link is posted. Some browsers don't show it. My first post is edited to post a direct link.

Here is the direct link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZS2SwgnCw4
There is another video I found that had good information. I'll search and post a link to it too.

I've watched the video about 5 times. I have a note book with a tear down sequence written down. I've checked my parts spreadsheet carefully. I should have all major parts needed. Any more parts needed will be because we broke them or found unseen damaged parts.

We have access to a hydraulic press. I'll go ahead and order two front Timkin bearings. The front a arms, ball joints and thrust arms are new. Those parts will come off easily. My concern are tie rod assemblies. I have replacements for them too.

My helper is a better mechanic than me. We have access to tons of tools. I'll take pictures to post.

Order FAG bearings. Timken will either be FAG or generic. You don't want the latter.

I may have to give up and do this job on jack stands myself. I don't think my friend's lift is going to be available anytime soon.

Here's another X5 oil pan leak video. The guy unbolted everything off the subframe. I'm leaving the rack and pinion bolts on. The hoses will be disconnected instead. Bearings on order. Complete strut assemblies will reduce work time too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qShx0uKZEH4

Black rattle paint cans and lots of brake cleaner are going to be used.

I will note that I'd recommend focusing on the front before you do anything with the rear. All of the rear work is easily accomplished on jack stands. It's pulling the subframe that will be a lot less pleasant.

I agree. I have to travel half a day to get to Oklahoma. The plan is to get the rear done that afternoon. Once done, two full days are available to do the front end. I'll need half a day to get back to Austin. Setting up the alignment will be tricky. It has to go to Tulsa 153 miles away. Either tow it or drive there. It has brand new tires. I think we can string align it to get it to Tulsa without tearing up the tires.

To get to an alignment, use toe plates. Will save you a lot of setup effort vs. strings and they're accurate on the axle. Try to use symmetrical adjustments side to side and you'll be close enough on the thrust angle. It'll take you minutes to align each axle this way.

Do the rear first. You can pretty easily set the adjusters. Eyeball align the front - look down the tire with one eye and adjust the toe until you can just see the rear wheel. Do this on both sides and you'll get your thrust angle close enough. Throw the toe plates on and make symmetrical adjustments until you're at 0ish.

(For the record, I string align my cars with smart strings or hub stands. You can get a great alignment that way, but there's no reason to go to that effort to get 150 miles.)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. .

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!

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.

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.

Good to hear! Pics please.
Yeah I'm definitely not looking forward to this repair..

Eye candy! :bustingup
I can't take credit for front end work. A Jedi apprentice, cuz, and brother did it for me. All the parts were there so they jumped on it.
The oil pan had gunk inside and out. Pressure washing took of years of dirt off. The crank windage tray had a lot of build up too. The finish afterwards looks great! I did one good Moly engine oil flush shortly after buying it. The oil cleaned up for a while. Looks like it still has a lot of build up inside. I'll do a good oil flush in 5000 miles. The X5 was started and ran. No oil leaks!

In 2-3 weeks, I'll haul it to Tulsa for a BMW dealer alignment. Family connections are great. :D

I'll follow up on hard the subframe was to remove. With three peeps, time stamp, and pics sent to me, it seemed fast. Friday evening they removed the wheels, calipers, sensors, oil drain, and other quick stuff. Early Sat morning, they got on it. By mid/late afternoon it was back together. :wow:

remote repairs with relatives
 

Nice to have

• 1) a great spot to work on a vehicle: inside (out of sun, rain, heat or cold),
• 2) family and/or friends to help you work on your vehicle,
• 3) being kept informed concerning what has been done, by your people

For the last five years, I've had to do all my work outside, using scissor jacks on plywood instead of on concrete (with a creeper), as my base of operations. What used to take minutes, now takes hours to do.
Attachment 82370
I've recently added another plywood sheet, to put my X5 in this workspace.


Also, I'm old, with bad back & knees, and only have full strength in one arm. Friends have moved on, and relatives are far away, and non-mechanical millenials, so no help available. A few years ago, I could go to a friend's home shop,to do most of the harder work, but I'd have to drive 100+ miles round-trip to do so. And work for twice as long on his projects as on mine.

So, after changing pads & rotors on my our HHR Panel Friday, moving my 4x10 utility trailer to a hidden spot (locked to a tree) by hand & comealong yesterday, I'm gonna wait a few days before I lift the X5 to inspect the pads & replace or disable the sensors (come on and off randomly). I'm exhausted, wrung out from the heat, and my low/no carb (diabetic) diet is making my muscles ache.

Color me envious!

I'm jealous. You have more space for toys than I do. My city driveway with sidewalk side stinks. Due to the sidewalk, I can't park two cars back to back. Maybe in retirement, I'll have more space and some kind of lift.

I assume the MAF is still working for you. Once mine is aligned, it will have nice long drive back to Texas from Oklahoma. We are planning a gathering in New Braunfels. Maybe if we get more X5 members we can re-center a meeting location. Texas members are joining up.

no, I'm more jealous
 

I've had a max of eight cars & trucks, and three trailers on my property (of 29+ years) at any single time, with room for several more. 1/4 acre in front of the house (parking space for four cars, but I never used it), and lots of room behind the house with 1/4 acre and three sheds taking the most space.

The enclosed garden area takes up a 1/8 of that, while the dog (and free-range chicken) yard takes up another 1/4 of that. Lotsa sand, gravel, and 33 oak trees making the driveway and parking area really messy to work on cars.

Since we had to quickly replace our structurally-failing original house with a double-wide (no time...2 months from demo to new house, or money for a stick-built...retired a year before, wife too, now living on <20% of previous income), my plans for fixing up my home garage with lift & air compressor system went bye-bye, as well as the two (of three) garage bays that my wife's antiques and junk from the larger, original, house took up (the sheds are already filled).

Yes, the cheap $23 MAF you recommended has been working fine, so far, but I haven't driven it very much, and have no idea if it's the long-term solution, yet. If it lasts a year, I may just invest another $23!

I'd like to go, but it's a long trip for a meet & greet, and my X5 is a shabby project car, compared to the gems I see that the other, more well-heeled Texas & Louisiana members have, that might show up. I swapped for it just so I could finally have a

• 1) 4WD/AWD for bad weather (or semi-off road use while camping),
• 2) 4-door room for transporting friends or family (none of the other vehicles have 4 doors, or 4 comfortable seats),
• 3) I've always wanted a BMW E53 (my choice for the swap, preferring it over a 2000-2001 WJ Jeep),
• 4) it's my final project car (something I could fiddle with instead of my old Chevelle).

It's dented, paint failing, body panels separating, interior just make-do... medical bills are sapping my car budget, so no means to improve it. But it drives great, though appearances are embarassing.

Sorta like when I joined a local Chevelle club in the '90's; while others mostly trailered their cars to shows, got $5000 paint refresh jobs every other year, and had others do all the mech /interior work on them, mine was built by me from a damaged uncared-for hulk, and which I decided to race instead of "show" (actually less expensive to do so). After I defeated all of them drag racing, I was awarded "the worst appearing Chevelle" trophy, at the last show I attended. I started an e-mail campaign to take down the club's leaders, and was successful...never make fun of another man's passion. So I don't wish to compete that way again, even if no one actually would belittle my X5.

If you can't make it, mine can take the ugliest X5. I can only fix so much damage from previous owners. I can say, I will have the cleanest windage tray and oil pan! :D

You are on my way up or back down from Oklahoma. There is an X5 south of you with an OEM hitch. I was thinking of calling about it. For a good bargain, I'll go get it.


I'll use my ELM327 adapter to collect MAF data on the drive back.

forgive my moodiness
 

No, I'm sure I'll win.

At least you're correcting the problems, while I'm stuck just putting out fires as they start (not literally, but it seems like it). An endless cycle of repairs on the other vehicles, our med bills, mom-in-law health emergencies, etc, etc, keep me from improving the X5. I'm just frustrated.

Part of the negative attitude I presented in my above post was due to reading the latest threads in the Politics sub-forum. Yikes! Polarized viewpoints, many without a clue that they're even polarized. Not me, I've voted both parties, but never trusted them to do the right thing, especially now. I won't say which side I'm on (publicly), but reading the animosity on the forum is discouraging. Particularly from fellow Texans. What happened to the saying on the home page?

"~ Xoutpost.com ~
"Where you come for the information,
but stay for the friendships"

Yeah, stay out of there if you want to keep your positive outlook on people and their ability to communicate/reason with each other. I post much less frequently in there and have been much better off for it. Like you I'm centrist and have voted both parties, but don't trust either... though I'd kill to have a majority vote third party at least once in my lifetime...

Personally, I enjoy reading your workings on the "ol' girl." Sometimes you do what you gotta do to keep it on the road. Especially depending on what life stage is currently being enjoyed. Fight the good fight so to speak. My X5 has been leaking for awhile but other projects have taken priority. Homeschooling the kids for 2 years and now paying for their tuitions/uniforms/etc are leaving things tighter than I prefer. Have some home projects to finish, seems like the list never ends. Fighting the insurance company who doesn't want to cover my medical needs, inflation, blah, blah, is what it is.

Anyway, I'm rambling. I look forward to any meet that might develop.

If I avoided helping the political parties, I wouldn't have extra cash to pay for my fleet maintenance! I'm independent. However, one side does keep to me more busy and well pocketed for parts. Maybe, it's why they want to throw money away at problems. Plus are always asking for help. Don't people learn hands on skills anymore? Y' all can guess my educational back ground. Semiconductor manufacturing provides an awesome work schedule. Three or four day weekends are great. The long 12 hour days do get to you somedays.

Back to my post. :rofl:

How hard is it to replace the tie rod assembly? The subframe is back on. I left tie rods off my list. With a dealer alignment coming up, the tie rods should be replaced to finish the X5 lifetime. If difficult, at least the outer rods can be replaced.

One of the easiest suspension repairs there is. As long as you have a wrench big enough to get around the inner tie rod, it's easy. I usually use a big plumbers wrench. Never had the ball joint on the outer seize in the knuckle though... so that could slow you down slightly. Nothing a persuasive hit from the BFH or blue tipped wrench wouldn't cure though.

The tie rod was just out for subframe removal. It should come off easily again. Cool! A new left shaft and tie rod assemblies have been ordered. I had to look around for a strut bearing. Rebuild kit 31352311768 is not available anymore. Had to go with 31331090612 to get the strut bearings.

The final stage is complete. A correct left shaft and tie rods were installed. No more oil pan leaks! The X5 had a 322 mile ride in Oklahoma. The ride was for a BMW of Tulsa alignment. My cousin works there. He did the alignment. Drives straight as an arrow. Three corers were adjusted easily. The right rear was trouble. The adjustment slot holders were broken. To prevent movement, the washer was tack welded. :thumbup: (the battery was completely disconnected for minutes).
A GMIII module installation and coding fixed all the remaining small issues. Fixed with an ebay used module: interior lights, windshield washer pump, BC button functions, no more F60 battery drain, and it goes to sleep after 16 minutes.
The GMIII fixed everything so sleeping amps are factory specs, 18 mA!!

Speaking with the Jedi apprentice and another helper, they said removing the lower subframe was hard. Even with three guys. So my advise, drop the subframe 4 inches. You know the length of 4" because power steering hoses are not disconnected. The gap leaves enough room to remove the oil pan. Everything was power washed. After the trailer round trip, I drove 337 miles to Austin. It ran great after 5 months of being parked. Burned enough fuel to add fresh fuel for most of the trip. It had a full tank of gas while it was parked. It was covered by an OEM cover.

After 1000 miles, the oil pan is leak free! Other than a front strut nut coming loose, all the other work has been great. The sleep function is working flawlessly. It's nice not having to charge it up overnight. :thumbup:

I need to do that. Mine is basically dumping oil out these days.

:thumbup:

Great! Did mine labor day weekend. So far so good.