[NxTH]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

I replaced my cap with the BMS years ago, not because of leaking but because aluminum sheds heat, plastic doesn't. With luck that will make the housing gasket last longer. Beware that the plastic cage that the filter sits on is transferred from the original cap to the billet cap, and it has a tendency to come off the cap when you're changing the filter, which can leave you wondering how to put it back together again. Worse, if you're not careful it can fall out of the cap and the parts will scatter.

So...did mine break? It was REALLY hard to remove. I don't know if there's a technique for it, but in the videos they just twisted it out in an angle so that's what I did. The bottom and the spring came out and they don't push back in or maybe I don't know how to put them back? Do I need a new cage? No matter how much I press, the bottom flies out. It goes in without the spring, but with the spring it flies out.

[Eschmacher]

Originally Posted by NxTH

So...did mine break? It was REALLY hard to remove. I don't know if there's a technique for it, but in the videos they just twisted it out in an angle so that's what I did. The bottom and the spring came out and they don't push back in or maybe I don't know how to put them back? Do I need a new cage? No matter how much I press, the bottom flies out. It goes in without the spring, but with the spring it flies out.

Sounds like yours did what mine did. https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1548912

I just bought another OE type oil filter cap and stole the cage from it to put in the billet one.

[NxTH]

Originally Posted by Eschmacher

Sounds like yours did what mine did. https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1548912

I just bought another OE type oil filter cap and stole the cage from it to put in the billet one.

I wonder if this is the cause of my random vanos codes despite having maintenance done on the vanos. Come to think of it, how would I have damaged the cage myself when taking it out? The bottom doesn't touch any surface even if I ripped the cage out by force. This would explain why the cage was super hard to remove and it took quite a bit of manhandling, the spring must have already been under tension and the cage literally exploded when I took it out. So it probably wasn't working right to begin with. I ordered a new one.

[NxTH]

New cage arrived, and the new cap is installed. The cage did take a mallet hit, wouldn't go in otherwise. Went for a few drives, did some pulls and so far it seems to hold. I will report back if and when it reoccurs, or post anyway if this solves it. Something tells me the cage was already broken on the old one..

[Billfitz]

Should have gotten it in red.