N52 sump gasket replacement (how to?)

Z

Zedebee

Veteran
 North Hampshire
Has anybody successfully replaced their sump gasket? If so can you offer a practical how-to, including how you supported the engine and how you accurately tighten the torque to yield bolts?

For information mine is an automatic, which I believe has a different sump to the manual, but the answers to the questions above should be the same.

I want to have a go at fixing the oil leak identified here:
Z

Thread 'Oil leak - N52 auto'

I’ve been trying to track down an oil leak from the back of the engine which has been spotting on the garage floor, after accumulating on the metal reinforcement plate.

Picture is taken with reinforcement plate removed looking towards the rear. What you are looking at is the sump (top right), block (top left) and bell housing (centre).

Oil is leaking in the vicinity of the green circle. There is poor visibility into the shadowy “gap”.

Blue rectangle marks an opening through which you can clearly see something spinning (torque converter?). Should this have a cover, it seems a bit open...
 
Thanks Ray, read that / watched those. I’m hoping to hear from someone on here who’s actually done it themselves.

I’ve learned from bitter experience not to think you can do something just because someone has posted it on YouTube.
 
Hey Zedebee - did you get around to doing your sump gasket? how was it as a job? I have a 3.0Si Auto which seems to be leaking from the sump gasket.

Cheers

Ben
 
BEN99W said:
Hey Zedebee - did you get around to doing your sump gasket? how was it as a job? I have a 3.0Si Auto which seems to be leaking from the sump gasket.

Cheers

Ben
Click to expand...
Sadly not. I researched it and assembled the parts required, but decided it was beyond my capability in the end. Besides, the effort to save a few drops of oil on the garage floor wasn’t worth it.
 
Yes, I get that. If it were an old British sports car Id just stick a tray under it and be done with it. I'm just contemplating a load of preventive maintenance and am coming to the conclusion that the sump gasket is one that is beyond me to sort.
 
I'm fortunate that my oil sump gasket leak is merely a "weep", with no oil on the floor. I've collected all the things needed to tackle the sump gasket, and it's my "opportunity" to renew the front end parts that I haven't done yet: Front control arms, control arm bushings, inner & outer tie rods, steering rack re-grease, and new steering boots. All of this with the front subframe out of the car.

I'll post back to this thread when I do the work - But I plan to postpone the work if it will interfere with the driving season. Insurance back on beginning tomorrow ! :)
 
I had to have a leaking sump replaced a few years back. My mechanic carried out the work but I seem to remember he had to remove the front subframe in order to remove the sump. This meant he had to use an engine support beam accross the engine bay to hold the weight of the engine itself while the subframe was out. I think I had to have a new set of single use alloy screws as well as they threaded into the Magnesium alloy block.
 
My 330i has had the cam-cover and oil filter housing gaskets replaced which only leaves the sump, but as it isn't using much I figure it's cheaper to just keep topping up every 1,500 miles or so!

Because of the alloy block I think all the bolts that attach anything to it are single use aluminium ones.
 
After shopping around, I paid £78 for a sump gasket and screw/bolt set from ML performance, all genuine BMW parts. Good value I thought, although the order took about 10 weeks to show up.
 
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