OFHG leak questions--how long, how far, how much, what else?

matamua · 11-04-2019, 11:20 PM

I've known this day would come. Kinda a long story, so if you want the tl;dr, skip to the bolded section.

In June, I picked up a 2007 335i e93 n54, auto trans with 62k miles, which had already replaced some of the big ticket items...HPFP, index 12s, turbos. At $8500, I knew that I was getting a good deal, and figured I'd have to do some stuff before too long.

Out of the gate, I got the trifecta, and ended up doing the ABS pump as a DIY. Dealer wanted $3k, I spent about $350 including buying a used pump and having module masters rebuild it. I did the paddle shifter DIY swap and have really enjoyed that.

Last week I was getting a cylinder 3 misfire, and I replaced all the plugs and coils (got them cheap). BMW wanted $600 to do plugs alone (not kidding). For about $150, I did coils, plugs, air filter and cabin filter including a new torque wrench and plug socket. At this point there was no evidence of an oil leak. Nothing under the car, nothing around the OFH--I've been checking.

On Saturday, I got a low oil level warning when I was shutting the car off, but it did not tell me how much to add. Prior to that, I had noticed that the oil level was slightly under the mid point as far as the computer was concerned. I picked up a few quarts of oil from BMW and left the car parked until today.

Today, I went to add oil and waited what seemed like an eternity for the computer to measure everything. It told me to add one quart. So I went to add it. When I popped the hood, I found oil in basically the same spots as are documented in the following thread, though a bit more: https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=926050 . I've also got some pooled under the right side of the car, a little on the belts, and some on the block, though it's not a ton.

Having read a number of threads, it seems that this is more likely to be the case than the VCG.

My questions are as follows:

1. How long do I have before this becomes a major problem? I know it's a problem now, but I only drive about a mile to and from work.

2. How far is too far to drive? I realize no one will have a perfect answer to this question, but I'd prefer to get to an indy to have this done. That's an hour's drive.

3. For those who have not done this DIY, how much have you paid to either the dealer or an indy? Parts for the OFHG kit, water pump kit, and aluminum flange are about $550 from FCP Euro. https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...e-rein-chc0609 , https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...1517632426kit1 , and https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...-11428637821kt

4. What else should I be doing/replacing at the same time? From what I can tell, I should do a water pump, thermostat, OFHG kit and aluminum coolant flange. I'll also be doing walnut blasting because it needs it.

5. Lastly, I've seen people replacing belts/tensioners/pulleys if when they get oil on them. What ones are people replacing and how critical is that?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Specifically pinging a few folks who seem to be knowledgable Augster, NGEE, mg4734, f32ftw, OTO335i, PhaseP gbalthrop

matamua · 11-04-2019, 11:36 PM

Efthreeoh TheMidnightNarwhal

fastboatster · 11-05-2019, 12:53 AM

ofhg is a 1 hr job if you don't rush it. quick tip - resist the temptation to disconnect the radiator hose(s) from the housing, the one which goes to the radiator was welded to the housing on my car. The fitting broke when I tried to remove it. Following the struggle to remove the broken hose from the radiator, radiator fitting finally gave in - new radiator time. If you do decide to remove the hose, have a new one ready. You'll also most likely need a new coolant vent hose. Soak in the appropriate fittings with wd-40 and heat them with a heatgun or a hairdryer

fastboatster · 11-05-2019, 12:55 AM

you might get away with cleaning your belt and pulleys. if they are old, then toss the new belt and tensioner in.

PassiveDefect · 11-05-2019, 06:16 AM

ofhg is easy. do a walnut blasting since you gotta remove the manifold to get one bolt for the ofhg

so manifold gaskets, walnut blast valves, belt and tensioner

Pladi · 11-05-2019, 05:04 PM

Do not wait to repair a ofhg. Do not wait even 1 day.

ctuna · 11-05-2019, 05:23 PM

Because this might happen.
broken belt
https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1305990
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho....php?t=1231881
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showpo...3&postcount=23
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1477111
https://www.oxwerkzperformance.com/

If oil gets on the belt or the tensioner fails.

The fxxking oil sensor does not update till at least 20 minutes of
the engine reaching temp. And I would say you have to drive the car
three or 4 times to get the average too make sure you have a believable
value.

Good news is the parts are cheap and it's and easy DIY
both the OFG and the tensioner.

TheMidnightNarwhal · 11-05-2019, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matamua

Efthreeoh TheMidnightNarwhal

Don't wait. Check if oil is actually on the belt to, if it is I wouldn't drive it.

matamua · 11-05-2019, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMidnightNarwhal

Quote:

Originally Posted by matamua

Efthreeoh TheMidnightNarwhal

Don't wait. Check if oil is actually on the belt to, if it is I wouldn't drive it.

Thanks everybody. Looking into what it will take to get my car towed. With the random threads of "changes my OFHG and my motor seized", I'm chickening out and paying someone to do it.

iqraceworks · 11-05-2019, 05:37 PM

On a side note.....where did you get plugs, coils, cabin filter, air filter, torque wrench and socket....for $150??

Please tell me you didn't put used coils in your car??

matamua · 11-05-2019, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iqraceworks

On a side note.....where did you get plugs, coils, cabin filter, air filter, torque wrench and socket....for $150??

Please tell me you didn't put used coils in your car??

Nope. A member had coils for $75, brand new in box. Plugs were like $32 from FCP Euro. Filters, socket and beam style wrench from Amazon.

iqraceworks · 11-05-2019, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matamua

Nope. A member had coils for $75, brand new in box. Plugs were like $32 from FCP Euro. Filters, socket and beam style wrench from Amazon.

Awesome!!! Got to love deals like that!!

aeromarknyc · 11-08-2019, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matamua

Thanks everybody. Looking into what it will take to get my car towed. With the random threads of "changes my OFHG and my motor seized", I'm chickening out and paying someone to do it.

Dont chicken out on the ofhg...what you read mostly pertained to the n55. I have the n55 and just did mine. Man I squeezed my cheeks when I first started it and drove. Getting rpms past 3k was another clincher. Just clean around the mating surface of the ofh and block and prime engine for assurances. N54 is a breeze to do compared to N55. You wont need to undo the intake to get that bolt...from what I hear.

11-04-2019, 11:20 PM	#1
matamua First Lieutenant 80 Rep 354 Posts Drives: 2007 e93 335i, FBO, m3 control Join Date: Jun 2019 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	OFHG leak questions--how long, how far, how much, what else? I've known this day would come. Kinda a long story, so if you want the tl;dr, skip to the bolded section. In June, I picked up a 2007 335i e93 n54, auto trans with 62k miles, which had already replaced some of the big ticket items...HPFP, index 12s, turbos. At $8500, I knew that I was getting a good deal, and figured I'd have to do some stuff before too long. Out of the gate, I got the trifecta, and ended up doing the ABS pump as a DIY. Dealer wanted $3k, I spent about $350 including buying a used pump and having module masters rebuild it. I did the paddle shifter DIY swap and have really enjoyed that. Last week I was getting a cylinder 3 misfire, and I replaced all the plugs and coils (got them cheap). BMW wanted $600 to do plugs alone (not kidding). For about $150, I did coils, plugs, air filter and cabin filter including a new torque wrench and plug socket. At this point there was no evidence of an oil leak. Nothing under the car, nothing around the OFH--I've been checking. On Saturday, I got a low oil level warning when I was shutting the car off, but it did not tell me how much to add. Prior to that, I had noticed that the oil level was slightly under the mid point as far as the computer was concerned. I picked up a few quarts of oil from BMW and left the car parked until today. Today, I went to add oil and waited what seemed like an eternity for the computer to measure everything. It told me to add one quart. So I went to add it. When I popped the hood, I found oil in basically the same spots as are documented in the following thread, though a bit more: https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=926050 . I've also got some pooled under the right side of the car, a little on the belts, and some on the block, though it's not a ton. Having read a number of threads, it seems that this is more likely to be the case than the VCG. My questions are as follows: 1. How long do I have before this becomes a major problem? I know it's a problem now, but I only drive about a mile to and from work. 2. How far is too far to drive? I realize no one will have a perfect answer to this question, but I'd prefer to get to an indy to have this done. That's an hour's drive. 3. For those who have not done this DIY, how much have you paid to either the dealer or an indy? Parts for the OFHG kit, water pump kit, and aluminum flange are about $550 from FCP Euro. https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...e-rein-chc0609 , https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...1517632426kit1 , and https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...-11428637821kt 4. What else should I be doing/replacing at the same time? From what I can tell, I should do a water pump, thermostat, OFHG kit and aluminum coolant flange. I'll also be doing walnut blasting because it needs it. 5. Lastly, I've seen people replacing belts/tensioners/pulleys if when they get oil on them. What ones are people replacing and how critical is that? Thanks in advance for your thoughts. Specifically pinging a few folks who seem to be knowledgable Augster, NGEE, mg4734, f32ftw, OTO335i, PhaseP gbalthrop
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11-04-2019, 11:36 PM	#2
matamua First Lieutenant 80 Rep 354 Posts Drives: 2007 e93 335i, FBO, m3 control Join Date: Jun 2019 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	Efthreeoh TheMidnightNarwhal
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11-05-2019, 12:53 AM	#3
fastboatster Captain 382 Rep 891 Posts Drives: 2009 bmw 328i Join Date: May 2019 Location: CA iTrader: (0)	ofhg is a 1 hr job if you don't rush it. quick tip - resist the temptation to disconnect the radiator hose(s) from the housing, the one which goes to the radiator was welded to the housing on my car. The fitting broke when I tried to remove it. Following the struggle to remove the broken hose from the radiator, radiator fitting finally gave in - new radiator time. If you do decide to remove the hose, have a new one ready. You'll also most likely need a new coolant vent hose. Soak in the appropriate fittings with wd-40 and heat them with a heatgun or a hairdryer __________________ 09 328i TiAg 6MT barebones with sport package
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11-05-2019, 12:55 AM	#4
fastboatster Captain 382 Rep 891 Posts Drives: 2009 bmw 328i Join Date: May 2019 Location: CA iTrader: (0)	you might get away with cleaning your belt and pulleys. if they are old, then toss the new belt and tensioner in. __________________ 09 328i TiAg 6MT barebones with sport package
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11-05-2019, 06:16 AM	#5
PassiveDefect Enlisted Member 7 Rep 44 Posts Drives: 08 e90 335i 6 speed Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Bronx, NY iTrader: (0)	ofhg is easy. do a walnut blasting since you gotta remove the manifold to get one bolt for the ofhg so manifold gaskets, walnut blast valves, belt and tensioner
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11-05-2019, 05:04 PM	#6
Pladi Lieutenant Colonel 718 Rep 1,753 Posts Drives: 2011 335i xdrive Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Waterloo, ON Canada iTrader: (0)	Do not wait to repair a ofhg. Do not wait even 1 day.
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11-05-2019, 05:23 PM	#7
ctuna Lieutenant General 1911 Rep 13,103 Posts Drives: 325xi 06 wagon MT Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Santa Cruz, Ca iTrader: (0)	Because this might happen. broken belt https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1305990 http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho....php?t=1231881 http://www.e90post.com/forums/showpo...3&postcount=23 http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1477111 https://www.oxwerkzperformance.com/ If oil gets on the belt or the tensioner fails. The fxxking oil sensor does not update till at least 20 minutes of the engine reaching temp. And I would say you have to drive the car three or 4 times to get the average too make sure you have a believable value. Good news is the parts are cheap and it's and easy DIY both the OFG and the tensioner.
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11-05-2019, 05:37 PM	#10
iqraceworks Brigadier General 2001 Rep 3,731 Posts Drives: 2007 335i Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Missouri iTrader: (0)	On a side note.....where did you get plugs, coils, cabin filter, air filter, torque wrench and socket....for $150?? Please tell me you didn't put used coils in your car??
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