[SixSix]

This job is not that difficult to accomplish if you have the time. Again, not hard, just time-consuming. I did it by lowering the subframe, leaving all suspension components attached except for the sway bar. By lowering the subframe it gives you just barely enough room to slide the pan out. I'm 16 and this job took me about 8 hours to accomplish. Instead of cataloguing hardware I will usually screw it back into where it went to avoid confusion when the time comes for reassembly.

This is not a DIY and the process with your vehicle may vary, this is just what I experienced when doing this job on my car. I don't take responsibility for anything you do to yourself or your car if attempting this job. Removing a subframe is not something to be taken lightly and all safety precautions must be taken to their fullest ability to avoid injury or death.

To start this off, I bought the parts which consisted of
7 liters of LiquiMoly 5w-40
Oil filter
Oil pan gasket
Oil pan screws
Oil level sensor o-ring

(1.) I started with setting my car up on the lift (I'm lucky enough to have a shop location that let me do this job)
(2.) Pulled off the engine cover, all belly/splash guards, and the front wheels.
(3.) Screwed a tow hook into the factory location to the left of the oil filter housing.
(4.) Removed the DCIs
(5.) Set up an engine support bar hooked onto the tow hook.
(6.) Removed the vacuum canisters (probably unnecessary but helps to give you a little bit more room)
(7.) Removed the radiator fan and housing (one Torx bit on the passenger side, one wiring harness, and one push tab on the drivers side, the whole unit will slide up vertically)
(8.) Pulled the belt off using a T50 on the tensioner.
(9.) Removed both engine mounts (16mm) (first one is basically straight down from your positive battery post, second one is almost in line with the TMAP sensor)
From Underneath the car now
(10.) Drained the oil.
(11.) Disconnected the sway bar from the end links and removed the sway bar.
(11.) Removed steering rack mounting bolts from the subframe
(12.) Removed the coolant line mounts on the subframe (I believe it's 3 T25 screws)
(13.) Removed the power steering pump and hung it out of the way
(14.) Set up auxiliary stands under each side of the subframe where the control arms bolt in
(15.) Pulled out all of the subframe bolts (There are 6 in total)
(16.) Slowly lowered the subframe until I thought I'd have enough room to remove all the bolts
(17.) Used an E12, various extensions, and universal joints to pull all the bolts out of the oil pan (I removed 23 smaller bolts, and 4 or 5 longer bolts, then removed 3 horizontal E10 bolts that thread through the bell housing)
(18.) Used a plastic trim tool to separate the oil pan from the block.
(19.) Wiggled the oil pan towards the rear of the car and after about 20 minutes managed to get it out.
(20.) Peeled the old gasket off the block and prepped both surfaces with brake clean and a Scotch-Brite pad.
(21.) Zip tied the new gasket to the oil pan on opposing corners
(22.) Put the oil pan back up and threaded a few bolts into the block
(23.) Cut the zip ties and pulled them out
(24.) Snugged up all the bolts then torqued in a criss-cross pattern (6ft/lbs+90° or 8nm+90° for the smaller ones) (6ft/lbs+180° or 8nm+180° for the larger ones)
(25.) Reassembled everything, added new gaskets/o-rings/filters where needed and filled with oil.
(26.) Checked back for leaks after letting it run for a few minutes and taking it for a drive.
(27.) All was well and no more oil leak

[tony55343]

Sounds very straight forward , it is on my list to get done before spring and I will knock it out while replacing motor mounts and installing inlets as subframe is dropped for those items as well !

[SCS55]

Originally Posted by SixSix

This job is not that difficult to accomplish if you have the time. Again, not hard, just time-consuming. I did it by lowering the subframe, leaving all suspension components attached except for the sway bar. By lowering the subframe it gives you just barely enough room to slide the pan out. I'm 16 and this job took me about 8 hours to accomplish. Instead of cataloguing hardware I will usually screw it back into where it went to avoid confusion when the time comes for reassembly.

This is not a DIY and the process with your vehicle may vary, this is just what I experienced when doing this job on my car. I don't take responsibility for anything you do to yourself or your car if attempting this job. Removing a subframe is not something to be taken lightly and all safety precautions must be taken to their fullest ability to avoid injury or death.

To start this off, I bought the parts which consisted of
7 liters of LiquiMoly 5w-40
Oil filter
Oil pan gasket
Oil pan screws
Oil level sensor o-ring

(1.) I started with setting my car up on the lift (I'm lucky enough to have a shop location that let me do this job)
(2.) Pulled off the engine cover, all belly/splash guards, and the front wheels.
(3.) Screwed a tow hook into the factory location to the left of the oil filter housing.
(4.) Removed the DCIs
(5.) Set up an engine support bar hooked onto the tow hook.
(6.) Removed the vacuum canisters (probably unnecessary but helps to give you a little bit more room)
(7.) Removed the radiator fan and housing (one Torx bit on the passenger side, one wiring harness, and one push tab on the drivers side, the whole unit will slide up vertically)
(8.) Pulled the belt off using a T50 on the tensioner.
(9.) Removed both engine mounts (16mm) (first one is basically straight down from your positive battery post, second one is almost in line with the TMAP sensor)
From Underneath the car now
(10.) Drained the oil.
(11.) Disconnected the sway bar from the end links and removed the sway bar.
(11.) Removed steering rack mounting bolts from the subframe
(12.) Removed the coolant line mounts on the subframe (I believe it's 3 T25 screws)
(13.) Removed the power steering pump and hung it out of the way
(14.) Set up auxiliary stands under each side of the subframe where the control arms bolt in
(15.) Pulled out all of the subframe bolts (There are 6 in total)
(16.) Slowly lowered the subframe until I thought I'd have enough room to remove all the bolts
(17.) Used an E12, various extensions, and universal joints to pull all the bolts out of the oil pan (I removed 23 smaller bolts, and 4 or 5 longer bolts, then removed 3 horizontal E10 bolts that thread through the bell housing)
(18.) Used a plastic trim tool to separate the oil pan from the block.
(19.) Wiggled the oil pan towards the rear of the car and after about 20 minutes managed to get it out.
(20.) Peeled the old gasket off the block and prepped both surfaces with brake clean and a Scotch-Brite pad.
(21.) Zip tied the new gasket to the oil pan on opposing corners
(22.) Put the oil pan back up and threaded a few bolts into the block
(23.) Cut the zip ties and pulled them out
(24.) Snugged up all the bolts then torqued in a criss-cross pattern (6ft/lbs+90° or 8nm+90° for the smaller ones) (6ft/lbs+180° or 8nm+180° for the larger ones)
(25.) Reassembled everything, added new gaskets/o-rings/filters where needed and filled with oil.
(26.) Checked back for leaks after letting it run for a few minutes and taking it for a drive.
(27.) All was well and no more oil leak

Doing this next week. I did it on my e46 330ci, hopefully it'll go as planned. Thanks for the sequencing, I'm following each step off your post.

[Soravia]

If you live near US Military posts, they usually have on post DIY shops with lifts, and rental tools. You can also store cars overnight to get them done.

Also good idea to replace the rear main seal as well. Those will leak over time and miles. Need the transmission out, and drive shaft out. Good time to do transmission mounts, drive shaft flex disc aka guibo that will crack starting at 60k miles, and drive shaft hanger bearing that needs to be pressed out and onto the shaft.

I think AWD doesn't need sub frame drop, but needs the axles pulled out for sure. Also good time to replace input seal, output seals, on front differential.

[SCS55]

Originally Posted by SCS55

Doing this next week. I did it on my e46 330ci, hopefully it'll go as planned. Thanks for the sequencing, I'm following each step off your post.

Definitely more difficult with an automatic transmission. At least compared to my manual e46. The tranny coolant lines are a pain to work around. I ended up disconnecting the rear coolant lines for a little bit just to get at the upper driver side horizontal 8mm. Good news is, at 96,000 miles the pan and lower end actually looked less stained and varnished on the inside compared to a 75,000 mile 330ci I did.