Oil Filter Housing gasket replacement

[M42_Jester]

so...my engine has been leaking oil and I couldn't find the culprit. took it to my mechanic and he tells me that the gasket between the oil filter housing and the block needs to be replaced. now he can do it for me no problem at my next oil service, but i was just wondering if i could do it myself and save myself a bit of money in the process. parts are cheaper to buy online than his labour costs...

any help would be great...especially a DIY link with pics!!

ps. 95' 318iS

Cheers,
Jester

[bmwman91]

All you need to buy for that job is the paper gasket & a rubber O-ring. Both are listed on RealOEM.com. I would highly recommend finding some high-temp, oil-resistant, non-curing gasket sealer (Permatex makes a product that you brush onto gaskets). Lightly coat the filter housing gasket surface, put the gasket onto it, lightly coat the gasket's exposed side and then install it on the car. Place it properly the first time, and wait the recommended amount of time on the sealer's bottle. If you just use a dry paper gasket, there is a very good chance that you will have leaks again.

Getting at the housing is a little bit of a pain. You need to remove the air filter box & intake boot. The alternator also needs to come out. I have only ever done this on an E30 M42, so in your case, I am not sure if the fancy DISA intake manifold is in the way or not.

Be sure to drain the oil & loosen the filter housing cap first.

If the area around there is caked with greasy dirt, I would recommend knocking as much off as possible, and maybe scrubbing with an old toothbrush & carb cleaner. You want to avoid having that crud fall into any oil passages when you pop the housing off.

I'd say that you should be able to DIY this in 2-3 hours.