Author Topic: Engine failure due to pan gasket shift/bolt loss (e30 only) (Read 143564 times)

PDXDan · « **Reply #120 on:** November 06, 2009, 10:16:04 PM »

Newbie here-thank you to everyone sharing their experience. I had a question about the sealant I'm reading about in this thread-are you applying the sealant to the pan and then putting the gasket on before putting it back on the car? What type of sealant do you like.
Thanks-

DocKeR · « **Reply #121 on:** November 17, 2009, 04:55:32 AM »

Quote from: romkasponka;79929

chain guide washer as I remember.

Ok, thanks

Damoj · « **Reply #122 on:** November 21, 2009, 08:23:33 PM »

I did this check today. No bolts were out but 3 were loose. As for what sealer to use. I used a non hardening gasket sealer on both the oil pan and the side of the gasket that faces the oil pan. let them sit for a few min so they flash. when they are tacky put them together. On the other side of the gasket I used an rtv type sealer. A small bead that went around each hole. Overkill.. maybe, but I don't want it to leak any time soon.

longtallsally · « **Reply #123 on:** December 02, 2009, 11:01:00 PM »

Well, add me to the list of evangelists on this...

These are the holes that were missing the bolts:

I've not checked the rest yet, but take a wild guess who just got out the lock tite...

A very sincere THANKS for this forum keeping this as a sticky!!!

longtallsally · « **Reply #124 on:** December 03, 2009, 01:08:10 AM »

Well I get to heli-coil one of them. :mad: This obviously means some moron was in there before and just thought horking the heck out of them was the way to go as opposed to using correct technique and- shocker- torque spec. :confused:

Oh yeah, every single other one was way loose on the outside as well. My poor little car.

On a OH NO note, there were a bunch of bits of something in the pan as well. My thoughts are that the defective creature that was in there before and did the timing stuff didn't bother to drop the pan and clean out the old guide bits that blew up.

So I got to spend an extra 15 minutes removing and cleaning out thoroughly the pickup screen. I am just so infuriated at people that seem to go out of their way to destroy vehicles based on ignorance.

twnygren · « **Reply #125 on:** December 11, 2009, 07:59:54 PM »

I did mine today, four bolts in the pan. The others were in there pretty good though. I used some loctite and torqued them up.

Chalino · « **Reply #126 on:** December 17, 2009, 12:16:59 AM »

I need to do this shiet ASAP! I just bought my 318is w/193k....my guess is i'll find at least 3 in the pan.

3bvert · « **Reply #127 on:** January 12, 2010, 11:48:01 AM »

Quote from: Chalino;83113

I need to do this shiet ASAP! I just bought my 318is w/193k....my guess is i'll find at least 3 in the pan.

how did your "guess" go

Joe Gilmore · « **Reply #128 on:** March 05, 2010, 12:35:40 PM »

Just did mine, here are a couple of tips:

1. Blue loctite is now available in a gel in a 10 gram twist-bottom container, ~$15 online. I really like the way it sticks to the threads on a bolt rather than dripping. http://www.permatex.com/documents/tds/Automotive/24010.pdf
Also available in a 5 gram squeeze tube ~$7 online.

2. My guru, an independent BMW mechanic and shop owner for 30 years, prefers the grey RTV for both sides of the gasket. Smooth with finger a uniform layer covering all the gasket surface, not just around bolt holes or down the middle. But he says that even more important than the exact type or color of RTV is the curing time. Years ago he found a published study that indicated that the probability of seal failure decreased dramatically with extended cure time before adding oil and firing it up. His shop practice on oil pan gaskets is to let the RTV cure at minimum overnight, and they don't fail.

joelfromoz · « **Reply #129 on:** March 06, 2010, 01:04:42 PM »

I guess I'm the lucky one. Dropped the oil pan yesterday to check. No loose bolts, no missing bolts. Damage to the fins on the backside of the pan, though. Go figure.

10ispro · « **Reply #130 on:** March 19, 2010, 04:01:19 PM »

Is this a problem on E36 318 with an M42? I just literally spent all freakin day gettin the oil pan out. I have no idea how i am even going to get my car back together. suspension parts had to be loosened, steering moved...PITA

and my pics donot look like the original OP's pics....what am I missin?

///m42 sport · « **Reply #131 on:** March 19, 2010, 09:34:48 PM »

DUde you took out the UPPer pan. THe Lower pan is easily accessed by just jacking up the car. Oh well you I bet theres alot more things you can replace while your there.

10ispro · « **Reply #132 on:** March 19, 2010, 10:25:28 PM »

so far as I can tell there is only one oil pan on my E36 310IS. Its the pan with the drain plug and oil dipstick tube inserts into.
regardless it was a PITA and i'll have another day trying to get the suspension back together.
No bolts were loose in the oil pain tho. which I guess was a plus, but after all the damn work, i was almost hoping there would be something

sheepdog · « **Reply #133 on:** March 24, 2010, 12:47:12 PM »

E36 has only one pan and all bolts are external. It's the inside ones on the e30 that are a concern

10ispro · « **Reply #134 on:** March 24, 2010, 10:14:26 PM »

Quote from: sheepdog;89958

E36 has only one pan and all bolts are external. It's the inside ones on the e30 that are a concern

thanks for the reply.
a bit late, but thanks nonetheless.

I started to figure that the E36 was different even tho its still an M42 when the removal procedure was well above and beyond anything i had read and then one of the pics matched up...