[robthewrench]

Originally Posted by Pinscher

Can i have a picture please?

This set is not exact one I have, but it is just like it. You can either buy just an e10 or get a whole set. You can also get ones that ratchet but they have a little bigger head. The non ratcheting one is what I used.

https://www.amazon.com/4pc-star-fema...10+torx+wrench

[Pinscher]

Originally Posted by robthewrench

This set is not exact one I have, but it is just like it. You can either buy just an e10 or get a whole set. You can also get ones that ratchet but they have a little bigger head. The non ratcheting one is what I used.

https://www.amazon.com/4pc-star-fema...10+torx+wrench

noted, thanks for the picture!

[The Silver Slammer]

The videos shown are for N52 (naturally aspirated), not N55 and will not help you. N55 has a larger intake manifold that gets in the way no matter what! You must losen it or remove it to gain access to the last most inward bolt.

[nate93]

I am at 57k. I notice I've lost about 1/4 of a liter of oil after 5k. Do you notice any build up around the OFHG?

[delmarco]

Originally Posted by nate93

I am at 57k. I notice I've lost about 1/4 of a liter of oil after 5k. Do you notice any build up around the OFHG?

No if your car is low mileage, like ours (mine is also at 57,000), you will not see any gunk where it is leaking. I've only ever seen the gunk build up on higher mileage or older cars.

On my car I've observed it leaking only when the engine is first started (cold engine). After the engine is on for a few minutes the leaking stops.

Depending on what part of the gasket is worn the most you will have either oil leaking more than coolant or coolant leaking more than oil.

In my case I've noticed a loss of oil via the monthly minimum oil warnings on my dash and physically seen oil dripping off the bottom tip of the oil filter housing body. I have not noticed a loss of coolant.

[delmarco]

Originally Posted by Pinscher

Can i have a picture please?

This is the wrench I purchased but it did not fit.

Someone told me a 3/8 wrench (around 10mm) would fit and work but it did not on my bolts. This sucks because the E10 ratcheting box wrench is way more money and takes 2 weeks to ship and arrive. Someone else recommend an 8mm wrench but someone else said only an E10 wrench would fit. So confused!!!

[Pinscher]

Thanks for the heads up.

I'm looking to get a ratchet set for normal nuts, and also a shorty torx set too.

maybe i'll just buy in singles. I only need the short torx for doing down pipes.

[thecos]

Originally Posted by juld0zer

The white stuff is just unsealed alloy surface corrosion. Hit it with some scotchbrite if you really must.

All that has been said already in this thread is true. The gasket appears to melt and fill the channels of the casting, so the gasket is no longer tall enough to be a gasket. Only use genuine gaskets for this job, not worth mucking around with aftermarket ones.

N54/N55 dont forget to replace the two small orings for your oil cooler line connection.

Cross contamination is possible if left unfixed for a long time. During repair, some slight cross contamination is possible but it's negligible if you take precautions. I wouldnt flush the cooling system but i would change the oil.
- Remove the oil filter and suck out all remaining oil in the housing
- Open the coolant cap to relieve any pressure
- Remove the serpentine belt and cover your toothed pulleys. Buy a new belt if you see flat spots, melted rubber on the flat idler pulleys or other signs of wear due to oil contamination
- Inspect top coolant hose and the smaller one beneath the housing held by two 10mm bolts (the Mickey Mouse one). Buy new hoses if you see any swollen rubber
- Remove the top coolant hose (big one) to allow most of the coolant to escape from the housing.
- N54/N55 you must elevate or remove the intake manifold to access one bolt. I usually just elevate and use a skinny wobbly extension.
- The second difficult bolt is the one pointing downwards near the Mickey Mouse coolant hose connection to the head. If your hose is not swollen, id suggest using a 12pt 8mm spanner carefully to remove the bolt. Alternatively, remove the Mickey Mouse connection and use normal etorx sockets.
- Slacken all bolts before removing housing from vehicle

Old thread, I know, but maybe someone will see it and answer this:
When "elevating" the intake manifold, I understand it as loosening the bolts so you can shift it out of the way, do you change the gaskets? Do I need to change them and is it even possible to change the gasket without completely removing the intake manifold?

[edycol]

Originally Posted by thecos

Old thread, I know, but maybe someone will see it and answer this:
When "elevating" the intake manifold, I understand it as loosening the bolts so you can shift it out of the way, do you change the gaskets? Do I need to change them and is it even possible to change the gasket without completely removing the intake manifold?

Some people don't. But if I were doing it, just unbolt complete manifold and change gaskets. DO NOT forget, torque manifold properly and values are very low!

Also DO NOT forget to prime oil pump! Anytime you mess with OFH or oil cooler lines, one MUST prime oil pump or you might be shopping new rod bearings.

[MtBMW73]

Originally Posted by edycol

Also DO NOT forget to prime oil pump! Anytime you mess with OFH or oil cooler lines, one MUST prime oil pump or you might be shopping new rod bearings.

I am embarking on this repair currently on my E92 N55. What's the procedure for priming the oil pump?

[edycol]

Originally Posted by MtBMW73

I am embarking on this repair currently on my E92 N55. What's the procedure for priming the oil pump?

You can find on YouTube. Basically TIS is recommending to disconnect injectors.
Start for 10sec, break 20sec to cool off starter. Do it 3 times.

[MtBMW73]

In that video, instead of disconnecting each of the injectors, he explains you can also disconnect one of the battery cables to prevent the ignition from firing.
For the E9x (mine is an E92), the battery is different from the F10 shown in that video.

On my E92, the cable I removed is #3 in this picture:



It unplugs easily:



Perform the priming procedure, then reconnect that cable. On the first try after reconnecting, my engine cranked but actually did not start. Second try, it fired right up.

[alcarmad]

For what it’s worth, I might be able to save someone some extra trouble. Did this job on my 2011 335i N55 (96k miles) yesterday. I would definitely buy the cylinder head radiator hose coupler (I upgraded to aluminum) to make this job easier. I tried to get the bottom torx bolt off with a small 12 tooth box wrench but requires way too much force. It slipped and I almost stripped it beyond repair. At that point I bit the bullet and removed the two 10mm bolts holding the radiator hose coupler and gently finessed it out of its fitting. Unfortunately, it was as brittle as everyone says and the end was broken off. With it out of the way, my e11 torx socket easily pulled the last bolt free. Luckily Amazon has a nice $11 aluminum upgrade for the coupler and I had it overnight to complete the repair. Good luck!