HA!!!! I've got the M30 oil pan off!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Robert K]

With a little help from George, Hector and Winfred, I've got my M30 oil pan off and sitting on the garage floor. Shortly, I'm going to clean it up and probably glue the gasket to it tonight. As difficult as it is to get out, I'm sure it'll be obstinate going back in. I figure that gasket better be permanently glued in place before I start to put the pan back up. So maybe tomorrow, I'll start putting it back together. A word of advice for those of you who suspect a leaking pan gasket...sell your car and buy another one. This job hasn't been too terrible yet, but it is not for the faint of heart! Lots of stuff to unbolt and remove. It's going to take at least a week for my fingers to come clean again. Argh!!!

Grace and peace,

Robert K
oil panless 1991 535i

[caster]

Robert, recently replaced the oil pan gasket and you are correct. Had I know it would be as difficult as it was, I would have not started the project. All things said, I learned a lot. Not for the novice. :(

[Robert K]

Took me about 3-4 hours to put everything back together once I had the gasket glued onto the pan. I used a Permatex shellac type sealer, which does a great job of sticking the gasket down and holding it. Putting the pan and oil pump back up would have been easier with a helper. Primarily because it's pretty easy to do if you can have someone turning the crank to get the rod ends out of the way as you move it towards the rear of the engine. All that's left is to go buy quite a few gallons of distilled water and flush the cooling system. I've been running Dexcool for the past few years without incident, but have decided to go to BMW blue this time. So, once I've got it flushed, refilled and bled, it'll be time to fire it up. I think I'm going to cry if there's no oil in the plastic tray under the engine the next time I pull it off. It's been a LONG time since I've pulled it off without a big puddle of oil in it. If it still leaks after this....I think I'll sell it!

Grace and peace,

Robert K
dripless 1991 535i (I hope!)

[George M]

That's huge Robert...congrats...leaky cars are annoying. Having accomplished this difficult job will give you confidence to tackle pretty much anything else that comes your way. Having had most of my car apart, I can tell you that if you have the aptitude to successfully replace your oil pan gasket on one of these cars, there isn't really any other job you can't do....from rebuilding your suspension, replacing a head gasket...to heater core to pulling out the trans or rear end.
Well done.
George

[Robert K]

Once I had everything reattached, I rolled it out of the garage and drained and flushed the cooling system. I had run Dexcool for the past few years, but put BMW blue back in it. She'll get the road test tomorrow to make certain everything is okay. However, I still have to track down a slight surging that I have at steady state cruise. I replaced a couple of vacuum hoses that were cracked and thought I had it. But it still remains.

The oil pan job wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be I suppose. But I also worked on it a few hours a day for three days. The real tricks to this job are getting the engine raised up as high as it will go, dropping the oil pump in the pan, and rotating the crank to get the pan out. All the other stuff is just regular grind-it-out type of work. If I had to do it again, I'd probably have had someone help me put the pan up just to help protect the gasket a bit better. But I really didn't have that much trouble doing it myself.

Man, I wish someone at BMW would check out the engine block water drain port on a 1997 Camry V6. It is right at the front of the engine (of course it's transverse), and it has a spout that you can put a tube over. You can put whatever length tube you want on it and drain it into whatever you want. My M30 spewed antifreeze all over my exhaust manifold. I let it run and burn most of it off. But I'm sure I'll still smell it for a day or two.

Well, I actually have to prepare for a presentation at work tomorrow. So, I'm signing off. I'm just glad this job is over and I pray nothing leaks!!!!!

Grace and peace,

Robert K
1991 535i