Author Topic: Bolts in Oil Pan (Read 7158 times)

91318isguy · « **on:** July 02, 2007, 12:18:53 PM »

Hi guys,

I thought I just had a one-time issue with my first is... but upon removing my current vehicles oil pan I saw again... 2 bolts that had worked themselves free from what looks like the upper pan. Is this something I should worry about and take it to get it checked professionally? All the other bolts seem tight. I just have a bit of a fear that I'll be motoring along a nice curvy road and lose it because my crank comes apart. The two times this was found it looked like it was the same place on both cars.

Any suggestions would be great.

By they way, I have a ton of spare parts I'm looking to get rid of. I'll put a list on the FS thread.

bmwman91 · « **Reply #1 on:** July 02, 2007, 12:57:38 PM »

Well, your crank will not come apart. That's the good news.

Your oil pump might blow though. There are 2 risks here. One is having stuff get sucked up into the sump and either clogging the feed, or actually getting into th pump and blowing it apart (I experienced the latter). The other is if the bolts are the front ones. Having them fall out unclamps the upper oil pan gasket, which can cause it to suck in at high oil feed rates. Then you get air in the pump and a dea motor. Definitely Loc-Tite them back in, helicoiling if necessary.

sheepdog · « **Reply #2 on:** July 02, 2007, 05:40:32 PM »

It is something to worry about, but only if not found.

Many owners never pull the pans and find out, or they find out too late.
Now that you found it and can treat it, you are fine.

rhogg · « **Reply #3 on:** July 02, 2007, 07:44:07 PM »

I'd seen the earlier thread and finally got around to pulling the pan today: one bolt out and a couple of others loose. The engine has 120K miles on it. All six removed and replaced with medium thread lock.

The good news was how clean the inside of the pan was!

91318isguy · « **Reply #4 on:** July 03, 2007, 07:24:52 AM »

Yeah,

That is one really good thing is that I found it. It's just the images of "what could be" if you didn't find it and the freaking out about what else may be wrong in the engine. Has anyone else who has found this found other bolts to be loose?

I'll see how it feels after I start it up in a few days. I'm doing a complete front suspension swap on my new IS. I only had a year on my wrecked IS suspension (brand new control arms, control arm ball joints, new tie rod ends, strut tower housings... lots of money). I'm also trying to swap the steering rack. The guy I bought it from said it needed to be rebuilt or replaced and was going to do it and add 1000 onto the price of the car. I told him don't worry about it (I have one that is just fine (I hope). So... lets cross what ever we can cross to hope this all works.

Just a quick question then I have to leave for a bit... Has anyone else encountered a slight humming in the rear. It doesn't sound like differential or CV stuff. The guy I bought the car from has Kelly tires on it. Could it be the tire? While I have the rear suspension apart, should I swap the bearings. Any thoughts would be great.

Oh, and I'm getting some loctite today.

Talk to you all later,

91318isguy

bmwman91 · « **Reply #5 on:** July 03, 2007, 10:03:49 AM »

Good work on fending THIS off!

The rear humming might be the tires. Did it change intensity when you turned a certain direction? That would indicate wheel bearings. Check the guibo and center support bearing too.

91318isguy · « **Reply #6 on:** July 03, 2007, 12:28:44 PM »

What is that a picture of? Is that damage to a diff?

The noise didn't seem to change with turning. My buddy who picked up the car for me said it didn't sound like it. I'm going to change the fluid back there and maybe that would help.

Anyone see problems with Valvoline 75W90 synthetic?

Alpine003 · « **Reply #7 on:** July 03, 2007, 12:32:45 PM »

Quote from: 91318isguy;29010

What is that a picture of? Is that damage to a diff?

The pic is a busted oil pump gear from debris getting into it from the oil pump inlet I'm assuming.

91318isguy · « **Reply #8 on:** July 03, 2007, 12:47:10 PM »

ooooo, that sucks (no pun intended).

gearheadE30 · « **Reply #9 on:** July 03, 2007, 01:25:00 PM »

The humming may also be wear on the ring and pinion in the diff. Almost all e30's I've been in have it to some extent, and it is usually loudest around 50 mph. It is nothing to worry about, though.

sheepdog · « **Reply #10 on:** July 03, 2007, 01:50:56 PM »

Quote from: Alpine003;29012

The pic is a busted oil pump gear from debris getting into it from the oil pump inlet I'm assuming.

Yep, timing housing and pump assembly.

Funny, look at the bottom ad in the middle, "Donate you car".
I almost did after this happened to me. It is quite a time consuming and expensive repair.

10 minutes of work saves so much money and so many hours of frustration.

I think BMWman91 got out of this sort of disaster the cheapest at a few hundred bucks. Mine ran me around $400 or $500. That was doing it ourselves and using used parts and help from the community. To pay a shop to do the repair would probably run around $2000 at the moment. Over half is parts alone.

Shot of my pump, desintegrated at 6k. My timing housing made Bmwman91's look good.

91318isguy · « **Reply #11 on:** July 05, 2007, 07:52:42 AM »

So you don't think the humming is something I should address? Anyone replacing a rear wheel bearing have the size socket I need for that nut? The front nut is larger.

Anyone seen the new Transformers movie yet? I thought I saw at least 2 if not 3 Beemers get toasted (A 740IL and what looks like an 80's model 5 series). Why? That's all I ask... Why?

Alpine003 · « **Reply #12 on:** July 05, 2007, 11:50:04 AM »

Quote from: 91318isguy;29113

So you don't think the humming is something I should address? Anyone replacing a rear wheel bearing have the size socket I need for that nut? The front nut is larger.

Anyone seen the new Transformers movie yet? I thought I saw at least 2 if not 3 Beemers get toasted (A 740IL and what looks like an 80's model 5 series). Why? That's all I ask... Why?

If there is a slight humming coming from your diff and you know you have fresh fluids then I wouldn't sweat it. If it's from your rear bearings, you're driving on borrowed time but they usually get really bad in noise before they fail.

Rear bearings are a pain and often requires genuine BMW specific tools or some diy fabricated substitutions. That is one thing I would rather pay someone to do.

As for Transformers, I missed the 7 series but did see an E28 and my beloved Aprilia bike get laid down. Funny thing is they dubbed in an inline 4 instead of a v-twin sound on the bike. The Aprilias have a 60 degree v-twin but I would've settled for at least a regular v-twin sound instead of the inline. :rolleyes:

Major GM strategic move though but I doubt this will get them back on top of Toyota. :rolleyes:

91318isguy · « **Reply #13 on:** July 05, 2007, 12:03:31 PM »

You mean the last part when the military guy laid it down and slid under the robot? I thought that looked like a GSXR.

doucy2 · « **Reply #14 on:** July 06, 2007, 09:12:00 AM »

I had four come loose from my lower pan, its this is hte case you will be loosing a lot of oil.