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N52OilFilterHousingGasketDIY.pdf (450.8 KB, 1406 views)

Lovely and thanks for writing the DIY with pictures. It does take a substantial effort, especially with pictures. Four questions-
1. Did yours had gasket material in the coolant when you drained it?
2. Was there any evidence of coolant mixing in with the oil?
3. I couldn't tell from the picture, but were you able to get the original finish back and remove all the old gasket material from the groove?
4. Is there a spec on the torque for the 3 bolts? or Should one tighten them to until they feel tight enough- like you stated.

Nice job! Thank you, I'll be doing this in a month. The photos help a lot.

Just a couple of comments (updated):

The engine cover doesn't need to be unbolted -- just pull it straight up, it has fittings that push into rubber. To re-fit, align and push down. I spayed the rubber bushings with silicone so they go on and off easier.

Turkey baster is a good idea, or if you have a vacuum brake bleeder as I do, using new pvc hose from the hardware with it would work well. I drained about 1/2 gallon of coolant first, (I cut the top off a harder plastic (Arrowhead) clean 1 gal water container, and notched it so I could undo the drain plug with large flat-blade screwdriver),and put i back after (I had done a coolant change 15K mls ago.)

A plastic putty knife from the hardware (paint section) works well to scrape gasket material off (plastic doesn't scratch the aluminum) didn't work at all. I used metal polish, cleaning any residual with alcohol and then MAF cleaner.

If you're doing this as preventive maintenance, and can pick the when, best to do it right before an oil change. That way, any contamination of the oil, you're changing it out. I did an oil change a few days later, after I saw that the gasket change was good.

You might want to also protect your serpentine belt with a kitchen garage bag draped over it. Looks like you used aluminum foil on the alternator? Smart. Q-tips were helpful cleaning up the leaked oil from all the little nooks and crannies.

Try to break the troublesome rear bolt loose with a box-end wrench, positioned going forward and towards the head, then switch to under the intake runners. And if your box wrench is well used, clean it with alcohol. The shape of the E-Torx makes the box wrench ride up and off, and if your wrench is dirty with old grease and oil (as mine was), it will ride up even easier. I rounded my bolt head off, and had to move the intake manifold over to get the proper E-Torx socket in and the bolt out -- what a royal pain. And the Bentley was of little help, they described how to remove the manifold with the engine OUT OF THE CAR. Much of what they described, you couldn't see, much less get to with your hands.

When tightening the bolts, apply pressure to the gasket evenly, a bit of a turn on each, rotating around. I coated the both ends of the new gasket with oil when installing. And a drop of blue Loctite on each bolt.

I then primed the housing with oil where I removed it before, reinstalled the filter and cap.

Wear gloves, oil and coolant, and cleaners are toxic.

Well this is true but not the way it was designed to be removed. The engine cover bolts screw into a metal bracket. The metal bracket is what is attached to the valve cover using rubber grommets. The proper removal procedure is to use the bolts.

Wish I had this guide last night. I had a hell of a time with the bolt under the manifold. I was going to take the oil pressure switch out, but opted not too out of fear of ruining.

As for torquing the bolts down, I stops wrenching when the bolt stopped moving not going beyond that point. Hope that was right.

Also When cleaning the mounting plate I used a razor-blade paint scrapper to get all the crude off wiping down with brake cleaner. Cleaned the housing with brake cleaner and blue shop towels.

Sorry I had all the pictures ready because I had done the procedure during Christmas holidays. Yeah, you did it right on the bolts. At least in the future you know that this DIY isn't such a big deal.

1.The gasket was not present in the coolant. The gasket did appear to be flattened. My guess is that it was over-torqued at the factory or just flattened by pressure made by the expansion of the metal surfaces.

2.No sign of mixing of oil in the coolant. If there is any mixing I would highly recommend inspecting your head gasket for leaks because that would a be a probable cause.

3.I was close to getting the original finish but there were some spots of the on the contact surface where the old gasket had residual markings. As long as the surface is clean and not scratched-I wouldn't be worried. Plastic paint scraper was a good recommendation that would work.

4.Yeah just tighten them until they are tight. There are three bolts so cross tighten them slowly.

Beginner's tip. Take your time. Start early. If your running late-sleep on it and begin early the next day.

One more thought: The areas in the housing where you removed the oil, prime those with oil before putting the filter back in. Your engine will thank you on the first start-up.

It is a use-once profile gasket. It is designed to flatten once the housing is torqued down.

Thanks Entity, That explains it.

I did this on my N54 yesterday. You have to take off or at minimum loosen the intakes manifold to get to the last screw.

I did not drain coolant, I just shoved a rag in the hole as soon as I removed it.

Also, did anyone who has done this on the n54 replace their manifold gaskets? Dealer sold me those gaskets as well but I didn't swap them out...

Can you guys please post the part # for the bolts to be replaced? I think those are blue painted. Thanks a lot.

The bolts are not blue-headed. They can be re-used.

Did this DIY tonight and it went pretty well. Thanks for the write up and pictures!

As for my experience..

-The hard to reach bolt... I used a small (~5") 8mm ratcheting box wrench. After the initial push to loosen, I went little by little and got the bolt to come out. When it came out enough, I unscrewed it by hand so as to not drop it.

-My gasket wasn't TOO bad but the worse part was the small rectangular section. I could see it has deteriorated into the port and a lot of caked on gasket and oil particles where inside the housing. It seems like it had just smooshed in so much the gasket actually got squished into the port. Initially, I had found some leaking coming from this under area so I'm glad found this thread.

-I found it a bit hard to clean without a second set of hand holding the housing up for me to really get at it. Since the gasket came out in one piece and it wasn't in too bad condition, my helper didn't complain too much.

-When I performed the coolant drain, there was some black particles in the pan.

- I didn't remove the top engine cover. I just removed the two front bolts but, I didn't even have to do that.

e92 328i with 61k miles.

Thanks for this DIY

It took me a while to get the bolt near the intake manifold, but after that it was smooth sailing.

Thanks again

read this but my problem is that oil is leaking through the top where the cap is i checked the rings and the cap everything seems fine. I dont know whats going on, help please :/

The link for the coolant change is dead.

Here is the word version.

Attached Files

Coolant DY1.doc (35.0 KB, 131 views)