Originally Posted by bdcanetti (Post 1029863)

Did this 2 weeks ago.

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...k-2007-x5.html

Different on the 4.8L. It's not an alternator bracket. It's an oil cooler thermostat seal. Similar procedure as the pelican article but not exactly the same.

Originally Posted by juthale (Post 1029841)

Front gearbox would obviously only be an issue for cars with x-drive. But a ridiculous job, even without pulling the front differential.

It took me 5 hours to get the gasket out. Granted, I was meticulously cleaning the oil mess as I went, which is a personal thing. And also, I pulled the LH inner fender for vision to the gasket, which I think was unnecessary. Regardless, I'm a fairly experienced mechanic and people who claim they can do this job start-to-finish in just a few hours (I've seen claims of 2.5 hours) are simply not credible.

Now that I am familiar with the job, I think I could do it end-to-end in 4-5 hours. BMW book value for this job is 9 hours. It would be very difficult for someone who has never done this job before to get it done in under 8 hours, IMHO.

Originally Posted by juthale (Post 1029810)

Thanks again, gregg3gs; you nailed it. Gasket was cracked. What a royal pain to get at!!!

For those who are watching a slow drip, don't put it off. I made a note about a small leak at my last oil change, which was less than 2k miles ago. Given how dramatic the leak was, I feel very fortunate to not be doing a full engine rebuild. As catastrophic a leak as I have ever seen. It was literally a stream coming out, not drips.

Also, I did manage to get this done without lifting the engine, dropping the sub-frame, or pulling the front differential. I used a ground down socket, reduced to 1/4" drive. No universal joint either. Just a short 1/4" drive extension (see picture). Still a terrible job, but not nearly as bad as hoisting the engine and separating the front drive gearbox.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.n...4a6579f707253d

Good luck to you all. Let me know if you have any questions. And thanks again for those with the expertise to point me in the right direction.

If you're taking this job on, check out this Pelican BMW tech article. I found it very useful.



Thanks for this as well. Going to put all new O-rings in all of the tube joints and will double-check they are secure.

Cheers!

Originally Posted by juthale (Post 1029810)

Thanks again, gregg3gs; you nailed it. Gasket was cracked. What a royal pain to get at!!!

For those who are watching a slow drip, don't put it off. I made a note about a small leak at my last oil change, which was less than 2k miles ago. Given how dramatic the leak was, I feel very fortunate to not be doing a full engine rebuild. As catastrophic a leak as I have ever seen. It was literally a stream coming out, not drips.

Also, I did manage to get this done without lifting the engine, dropping the sub-frame, or pulling the front differential. I used a ground down socket, reduced to 1/4" drive. No universal joint either. Just a short 1/4" drive extension (see picture). Still a terrible job, but not nearly as bad as hoisting the engine and separating the front drive gearbox.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.n...4a6579f707253d

Good luck to you all. Let me know if you have any questions. And thanks again for those with the expertise to point me in the right direction.

If you're taking this job on, check out this Pelican BMW tech article. I found it very useful.



Thanks for this as well. Going to put all new O-rings in all of the tube joints and will double-check they are secure.

Cheers!

Originally Posted by gregg3gs (Post 1042772)

Can you add pictures.
This is an expensive repair at any repair shop. I would certainly like to see how you were able to access the gasket.